Page 313 of Nemesync
I closed the book and adjusted my position to face him.
“How are you feeling, Z?”
“I’m fine. Why?”
He tilted his head. “Little Z, don’t lie to me. How are you truly feeling?”
Locking eyes with him, then looking away as tears welled up, “I didn’t know her, Niko. It’s not a loss. She was never there; she only caused harm in my life. And she wanted to kill everyone around me.”
His hand rested on my shoulder as we both gazed in the same direction from the balcony.
The sky.
“She was still your mother.”
I turned to him, my heart felt tight and on the verge of combustion. “I hated her. I didn’t even think twice before pulling the trigger.”
Niko faced me, and with a small smile, he replied, “My Z, Elijah has survived situations you might not even imagine. He has survived things that sometimes keep me from sleeping.” He smiled at me before continuing, “He’s not afraid of them, but I know he’s afraid for you, like he has never been afraid of anything in life. He’s afraid of losing you, and if I can be honest with you, Princess, I’m afraid too. I’m afraid of losing you and at the same time, I’m afraid of losing him in this. Ben is afraid too. Miranda and June are afraid of that too.”
He took a long breath before shaking his hand, “Fuck.” A silent pause followed before his gaze met mine, as he continued,“The only thing I ask you sincerely, is that you realize this the next time you want to do something dangerous, think about him, think about me, Ben, Miranda, June, even Brian.”
I sighed, leaning my head on his chest, and appreciated my friend for being this incredible human he was.
With a very faint smile, I told him, “He’s part of my soul, Niko. He’ll never leave. I won’t leave either; I’ll never make him regret giving me the chance to be close to him. But if he is ready to die for me, I am too, Niko, and I will protect him, protect you, Ben and Miranda, Brian too, as long as my heart beats, even if I have to kill the flesh of my flesh again. Because, in the end, you are the only family I have ever known.”
As long as I’m alive, I’ll protect them.
Niko’s eyes stayed vacant for a few seconds, and then they met mine, full of sorrows and pain, “That night. We came back with Benny and he called you. We found him crying, holding his mother’s picture close to him, drenched in his father’s blood.”
My breath cut, visualizing that scene.
“My father got him up and he told him to get himself clean first. Benny and I were so young too. But witnessing him like this was— it was pure horror. We asked if he was okay, and he just said, ‘I had my Little Nightmare to keep me safe.’ He talked about you, Zanae. He spoke of amber eyes and never stopped counting to 10, hoping to see those amber eyes again. They kept him alive the night when he almost died from heartbreak, grief, and pain. You were always an anchor for him.Always. My father, Ben, and I saw death in his eyes, we saw blood etched in him, forever. But he found heaven in your hell, Zanae.”
We were two dead and broken souls. But we still found heaven in each other’s hell.
My heart stopped, tears filled my eyes.
My Little Nightmare.Thatnickname.
Elijah… My baby suffered so much.
“I’m sorry?—”
Niko hugged me and calmly replied, “Don’t be, you saved him. You always saved him.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Niko stroked my hair, calming my sobs. He smiled against my head and tightened his hug, “Thank you for coming into our lives. You’re my little Z, and I will do anything to protect you. So, stop diving into danger like you did, okay?”
I nodded, “I promise. And thank you for welcoming me into your life.”
We looked at each other for a few more seconds before someone joined us in the room.
Elijah glanced at each of us, and his gaze landed on me.
In his eyes, I could read so many emotions, but at that moment, I thought of Niko’s words.
Without saying a word, I stood up, took him in my arms, and kissed him.
