Page 38 of Petals of Blue: Part Two
The closer I get to the tree line, the more I focus on what I'm seeing, what I'm hearing. I'm nearly there.
I don't question the bright light showing me the way. I use it to my advantage and study the nightmare in front of me.
Sitting atop my dainty, dirty woman is a large man. I dismiss his face and sagging gut because he doesn't matter. He'll be dead soon. I don't hear his vile words; they don't matter.
Only Blue's gasping, choking sounds as she struggles to breathe matter.
A beast, lain dormant for many years, roars to life inside of me. I would give my breath for her. The clothes on my back are for her. My water and food, all for her. Every organ and item I have, I will give to Blue Bennett. I just have to make it a few more yards.
Three...
Blue's arms drop to the ground.
Two...
Body twitching, she weakens.
One...
The whites of her eyes become visible as they roll backward.
BANG!
I drop, knees spattering mud all over my pretty woman's pale face and blue lips. Teeth rattling from the impact and nerves buzzing with shocked terror, I kneel by her head.
Time speeds up as the man teeters, and red taints Blue's face and chest. My arms reach forward of their own accord to keep the dead man's body from falling on Blue. Shoving him away, I despise the fact that I can't get his bleeding forehead far enough away from my Petal.
Acting on instinct and pure alpha energy, I dig my hand through the mud beneath Blue's abused neck tocradle the back of her skull. She's cold. Sosocold. Eyes closed, she doesn't react to my touch. Still wheezing ever so slightly. I battle with worry and happiness over the fact that sheisbreathing.
"B—" I try to say her name, but nothing comes out besides a croak of a traumatized man.
My other hand glides across her dirty T-shirt that I'm pretty sure was Jared's at one point. Not thinking through my actions and how I could hurt her more, I drag her closer to me by pulling her side. I'm gentle and slow, but still, there's a worry in the back of my mind that it might not be a good idea to move her.
Is it possible for a person to lose a noticeable amount of weight in four days? I'm not sure, but her cheekbones seem more prominent, and the feel of her hip bone digging into my knee is concerning.
Or maybe I'm just hyperaware. Thewhoomp whoomp whoompof my blood pumping through my ears slowly fades away as I continue to stare at her still body. Thunderous voices rattle my brain with the sheer volume, and the air shifts around me.
Nothing matters beyond Blue. My Petal.
Blood and dirt. Bruises and cuts. Blue lips and closed eyes.
I'm scared. "Blue? Open your eyes, Blue."
Whoomp. Whoomp.
What I wouldn't give to hear her heartbeat. Bending, I hold my breath for fear that it won't be there. That her heartbeat has stopped. It's irrational, considering I can hear her breathing.
With the touch of my face to her shuddering chest,my eyes begin to burn and fill with four days’ worth of tears. Hell,elevenyears.
"I-I'm here now," I whisper before my throat closes over.Whoomp, whoomp, whoomp.
My chest fucking aches as I ground myself against the love of my life. It's as if my heart is straining to grab hold of hers and hug warmth back into it.How long have you been so cold, Petal?
Words filter through my other ear, disrupting my time with Blue's heartbeat. "That's...brother...boyfriend...want...okay."
Something touches my shoulder—I think—but I don't move. I can't. Nothing else matters. I have to keep making sure she's alive.Please stay alive.
"Rome...alive...paramedics."
