It’s only been a week and I hardly recognize the man standing before me.
“Cameron,” I whisper, unable to say anything else as I rush to his side.“Cameron.”Tears fall down my cheeks as I fumble with the chains to no avail. A large padlock is secured there, requiring a key.
“Em.” His voice is raspy and weak. I return my focus to him, gently touching his arms, afraid to hurt him any further. He groans and starts coughing up blood.
A puddle of dark liquid is already established beneath him.
The color in the room seems to all fade into red as a knot grows in my throat.
Cameron breathes heavily for a few seconds before wincing and forcing an agonized smile that breaks my heart. His weary green eyes look defeated, like he’s ready to give in, but a ray of light flickers through him as he stares at me.
“Cameron,” I murmur his name again with a trembling tone. It seems to be the only thing I can manage to say. “I-I’m so—” I cover my mouth as I choke on my words and try to wipe away the tears.
“You’ll get locked up t-too if they catch—” he groans in pain. “Y-you. Leave now.”
My hand trembles as I carefully press it against his cheek. His eyes flutter closed like he couldn’t bear to keep them open a moment longer. “Are you in pain? Can you feel it?” I ask in disbelief. I never thought I’d see such an invincible force such as him broken down like this. He’s flesh and blood, suffering like I always imagined he was on the inside. Human.
He slowly nods. The scarlet of the skin around his eyes and the bruises across his cheekbones are difficult to look at, especially knowing that he can feel it. I can’t bear seeing him in pain like this.
“How?” My voice breaks with dismay.
Cameron coughs again, then replies quietly, “Your father had the experimental pills”—another cough—“he had the effects rev-versed.”
Bile looms in my esophagus. I’ve never been more appalled by my father’s actions. My eyes widen as I think back to Reed asking for the pills to give to his mysterious biochemistry team. Is that what they were after all this time?
Bryce’s words flutter back into my head:“My objective was to return with intelligence on the test drugs the Dark Forces are using.”
“He was after the death pills this entire time,” I mumble, looking down at my pocket as I pull out the pink bottle. Cameron nods, sorrow threading his brows.
I bury my teeth into my lower lip and taste iron blooming over my tongue as I shake out four pills and try to give them to him.
Cam tightens his lips and refuses to take them.
“What’s wrong?” I plead. “I’m running out of time before Greg sends someone to come find me.”
“They’ll know I can’t feel it a-anymore if I take those, Em. They’ll know”—another painful sigh—“that you were here.” His labored breaths make the ache in my chest grow.
I put the pills in my mouth and lean forward, kissing him as brutally as he had me when he decided he wouldn’t let me die.I won’t let him die either.He inhales sharply, taken by surprise, and parts his lips. I use the opportunity and push the pills into his mouth.
Cameron jerks back and gives me an astonished look.
“Now we’re even.”
I hold his jaw tightly so he can’t spit them out, and massage his throat just as he did to me the night he forced me to take them. He tries to shake me off, but the chains don’t allow him much movement. He’s weak. I try to hold back the tears, but they stream freely down my cheeks. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper against his forehead after he finally swallows them.
His head drops and his shoulders tremble as he chokes back his emotions. His tears pepper the floor. “Em, if they hurt you because of me… I’ll n-never forgive myself.”
I carefully tilt his head so he looks up at me and brush strands of hair from his face. “Nothing will happen to me. I’m going to get you out of here, okay?” I wipe my sleeve over his face, sweeping away his lovely tears. I set to looking around the room for the key, only finding a chair in the corner. It’s not much, but at least I can offer him some relief from standing.
I retrieve it and set it beneath him. Cameron lowers himself down with his arms still stretched over his head, but a gasp of relief escapes his parted lips. His body shudders as he grits his teeth, worry evident in his expression.
His words come smoother now. “I never stopped caring about you, Em. I just wanted you to be safe from me.” The sound of him broken and in this state sets something loose inside me that I didn’tknow existed until now. I want to burn the entire world down for what it’s done to him. For what it’s done to both of us.
I’m going to kill my father for doing this.
My eyes lift to a mirror at the back wall, my reflection shows a primed soldier in expensive clothing. Her eyes are jaded.I hate the woman I see.
I lean in close and wrap my arms around his shoulders. Cameron’s head is heavy as he lets it rest against mine. My voice breaks as I murmur, “As mad as I am that you pushed me away, not very many people get to fall in love with the same crazy person twice.”
