I stumble. Catch myself. Push harder.
My feet slap against the gravel, and every step feels like the last I can manage. But I reach the gates.
My hands shake so badly I can barely hit the numbers on the keypad.
Once, twice, wrong.
I smack my palm against it and try again, my fingers trembling too much to land steady.
2108
Come on.
The keypad clicks. The gates shudder.
And then, slowly, blessedly, they start to open.
The moment the gates drag wide enough for me to squeeze through, I slip inside and slam them shut behind me.
I should feel safe. I should feel relieved.
But somehow, I’m not.
Not even a little.
My chest still heaves like he’s right there on the other side, waiting. My hands won’t stop shaking.
The relief never comes.
I use what’s left of me to stumble up the long driveway, as the ground tilts beneath my feet, my vision breaking apart into black flecks and white haze. The house looms above me, blurred, and I’m not sure if I’m running toward it or falling into it.
Don’t stop. Just a little more. Don’t stop now.
I pound on the door with both fists, every hit weaker than the last. It feels like forever. Too long.
My body sways.
The door swings open.
Kai.
Wide-eyed. Shock etched into every line of his face.
I catch it for just a second. Just long enough to know he’s there.
Then the world caves in, and I finally let go, collapsing into his arms.
***
“Is she going to be okay?” a voice asks.
Young. Familiar.
“Of course she will,” another deeper voice replies.
I stir, eyelids heavy, lashes sticking together. When I finally manage to peel my eyes open, the first thing I notice is the glow. A fire, flickering low in the fireplace. The couch beneath me is soft, a blanket pulled up to my chin.
I don’t remember lying down.
