Another pause.
“And then one night, while they were babysitting Oscar and me, he snapped. No idea why, but he did. Oscar and I werein bed, but I heard something, something smashing, so I crept downstairs and saw everything. And…” The memory choked me. “I just stood there.”
I watched him as his fists pummeled into her stomach again and again and again until she was sobbing. Blood poured from her nose, seeping into the floorboards. But as I stood and watched, I didn’t think about that once. And when Lana’s teary eyes found mine, I didn’t think about anything other than how much I wished I could talk.
I slowly closed my eyes, the memory blurring, before creaking them open. “He, uh… sorry.” I pressed my palms to my eyes, reigning in my breaths as I dried them, enough so Cora wasn’t blurry anymore.
“I’m here.” Her voice was an echo, and it was everything I needed.
When I felt okay again, I slipped my hands back into hers. “He left, once he saw how bad the damage was, and as he did, I ran back upstairs, dragged Oscar out of bed, and he was the one who called the ambulance. She ended up in hospital. Fractured ribs, a busted nose, and internal bleeding. And all I was thinking when we were standing there, Mamà, Oscar and me, was that maybe if I’d stopped him sooner, made him see that I was watching, she wouldn’t be here.”
Her hand squeezed mine, and it was crazy how something so small made me feel like I wasn’t crumbling.
I met her eyes.
I love hereyes.
“We created Romano because I couldn’t save her. And I couldn’t keep pretending that I wasn’t part of why.”
Her thumb brushed over my knuckles, soft and steady.
“I figured… If I couldn’t go back, maybe I could do something that mattered. Something that kept the next Lana from ending up in that hospital bed.”
Cora didn’t cry. But her watery eyes said everything. “Romano is your Rue.”
I shook my head. “Romano was volunteering at the reaping.” I held her tighter. “You were my Rue.”
I watched her settle into the cushions as she let all of that register, but soon enough her eyes were back on me, curiosity swimming in them. “Katniss couldn’t save Rue. But you… Marcus you saved me.”
“Not the first time.” My head fell. “I failed to do my job and protect you.”
Her hand was on my chin, lifting my eyes to hers. And it was like watching a puzzle being solved. “That’s why you’re here?”
I nodded, lips pulling tight. “I wanted to do for you what I couldn’t do for Lana. I wanted a second chance.”
A few seconds later and her head fell, and then her shoulders were shaking.
“Hey,” My arms wrapped around her. “What’s—”
“I’m sorry.” Her eyes were full of tears.
“What do you have to be sorry for?”
She shrugged, like it was obvious. “For being a bitch. For pushing so hard. For being an arsehole when all you were trying to do was protect me.”
My palms warmed her shoulders. “And I don’t blame you for that.” Her tears were flowing now, and I scooped her in my arms and pulled her closer, practically cradling her against me as my body sank into the couch. “I’ve got you.” I whispered. “I’ve got you.”
I let her cry against me. I don’t know how long, but in the time I had, it had started raining, the soft patter against the window calling out to the sleep I’d lost working into the early hours of the morning.
I think we fell asleep for an hour, maybe two. I wasn’t sure. But we slowly woke up and strings of the conversation we’d fallen asleep to came back.
She leaned forward slowly, forehead resting against mine. “Is she…” Her words broke. “Lana, is she…”
I knew what she was asking, and thankfully I could shake my head. “She’s out East with her husband and two kids. She’s happy.”
“Do you still talk to her?” She asked as her tiny smile peaked.
I love her smile.
