I pick up my hand to deliver the last blow. But right as I do, I hear the one voice I thought I’d never get to hear again.
My savior. My heart. My soul.
My eyes connect with his across the ice and I finally feel at peace.
I finally feel…done.
For the first time, I’m not scared.
Just as this revelation hits, I feel the ice give out under me.
The first thing I feel is the ice cold impact, chilling me right to the bone. I immediately gasp, flailing my arms to reach for the edge of the ice. Reach for Elijah. Reach for anything that’ll help. But the weight of my clothes is heavy in the water as it drags me down.
And as much as I try to stretch out my arms, they feel hard and numb. The cold water is too much. It’s too cold to think. I can’t…doanything.
If I die here, at least I’ll die knowing Elijah’s here.
Derricks gone.
And it’s all over.
41
Elijah
Numb.
My body feels absolutely hollow. Like the last of what was keeping me together has been sucked out.
I’ll never know happiness again. I wouldn’t want to even if I could.
Tobias. My angel. My precious perfect angel.
I watch the water from the hole, blurry from the tears in my eyes. Waiting. Waiting to see movement. His hand. Anything.
Firefighters and police officers rush around me. But I can’t see them. I can’t see them. Gwen’s voice breaks somewhere behind me. Hands pull at my arms, but I’m frozen. Unmoving.
Waiting.
Waiting for him to reach for me.
Come on,reach for me.
I bat hands away as they put me in the back of the ambulance. I need to see him. I need to know if he’s okay.
I hear voices trying to calm me down but I can’t hear them. They sound like static in my ears. Sirens wail, but all I hear is the rush of blood in my ears. The blinding lights of the ambulance make everything go white. I can’t listen to anyone or anything. Not until I see him. I need him.
He’s my home.
Tobias. My angel. My precious angel.
Someone sticks me with something sharp but I don’t care.
Bleed me dry. Take everything from me. Just give me my Tobias.
Everything sounds so faraway and muffled but I hear them say “one is responsive”.
My heart swells as my eyelids grow heavy. “Stay with me, Tobias,” I whisper.
