Page 100 of Bones
Sam made a face. “Not great.”
“I can’t heal you,” I whispered, and then my face crumpled again.
I buried my face in my arms on the side of his cot. I hated this. A dam had burst, and all this emotion was pouring out and drowning me. I should be taking care of him, not falling apart. Sam gave my head a feeble pat.
“C’mon, Shortcake,” he mumbled. “S’ ok.”
I wanted to snap at him. I wanted to sit up and force my healing power to fix him. I wanted to do a lot of things, but instead, I just cried. Sam’s hand found mine and I gripped it back without lifting my head. I felt people move around us, whispering. After I seemed to cry myself out, I raised my head, my breath coming in hiccupy gasps. Sam had fallen asleep again, his hand still curled in mine. I counted his breaths as I stayed there, kneeling beside his cot. He looked so sick.
“I’m gonna go check on Sky and Raven,” I heard Mac say.
The door shut behind him, and I turned my head to see Trey standing at the foot of the cot.
“Who’s Sky?” I whispered.
He blinked. “The girl you jumped in the pit to save. You didn’t know who she was?”
I felt my cheeks warm and shook my head.
“She’s Raven’s cousin,” he said. “We thought you knew that and that’s why you saved her.”
I rested my cheek on my folded arms. “She’s just a kid.”
Trey moved around the cot, crouching beside me so he could look me in the eyes. The depth of emotion in his eyes made my own start to burn again.
“Bones,” he said and his voice sounded exasperated and somehow fond at the same time.
“What?” I mumbled a little defensively.
His face grew serious. He started to say something and stopped, dragging a hand through his hair. Then he reached out, asking for my hands without a word. I surprised myself by giving them to him without hesitation and he pulled me to my feet with him. We stood facing each other for a moment. He didn’t let go of my hands, and I didn’t pull away.
He took a deep breath and tried again. “When I saw you laying in that pit,” he said, his voice low and rough, “I thought you were dead.”
I blinked, feeling shaky, and his hands tightened on mine.
“I swear my heart stopped,” he said, even quieter. “And then when you were on the table and you couldn’t breathe and you looked at me like that, like you were sayin’ goodbye?—”
He broke off, that muscle ticking in his jaw as he studied my face. “Bones, why do you have to save everybody but yourself?”
My eyes closed in a desperate attempt to hide my tears. Those words wrapped a fist around my heart and squeezed. I didn’t know what to say.
“I want you to live,” he added, his voice hoarse with emotion. “And yeah, it’s partly ’cause I’m a selfish bastard. I just can’t stand the thought of livin’ in a world without you in it.”
I opened my damp eyes in surprise, and he gave me that sweet smile, stepping closer. I had to tip my head back a little to hold his gaze. He stood so close to me, but I didn’t want to move away. I wanted to lean in, to be enveloped in him. I remembered the regret I felt when I couldn’t breathe. The tender emotions in my chest were slowly but surely emerging from the dirt, and gods, I was tired of fighting them.
“Can’t you see how much you mean to me?” He let go of one of my hands to reach out and brush a stray hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear.
My lips trembled.
“You might act like you don’t care, but Iseeyou.” He brought his other hand up to join the first in cradling my face. “You’re brave and you’re kind and you care so damn much.” His eyes were so earnest as they held mine captive. “An’ I think you believe that makes you weak, but darlin’, it makes you strong.”
My eyes overflowed and he wiped away tears with his thumbs like a gentle caress.
“I don’t know if anybody else would jump in the pit and fight Brimstone to try and save someone they don’t even know.”
You would.I wanted to say, but I didn’t trust myself to speak. I leaned closer to him, drawn to his warmth like a moth to a flame.
“I know you’re used to people wanting your power, but gods, Bones, all I want isyou.”
