17. Olivia

Olivia

A nother explosion follows, and all the cars’ alarms go off. Pieces of concrete fall around, and one hits my shoulder, but I barely notice any pain.

The first one, which came from outside, made a hole in the garage door big enough to allow people to get through it. Armed, masked women quickly enter.

Wasp and other hellstars. Many of them quickly spread out through the garage, disappearing up the stairs.

The first time we met, Wasp gave me a piece of paper with her phone number. After I memorized it, I destroyed it, fearing that I’d be punished if any of the guys found it. Asking her for help had not been a difficult decision. She is one of the few people who let me choose what I wanted to do.

Now I’m questioning if I did the right thing because one of the hellstars shot Mose.

Blood gushes from his chest, and I cover the wound with my palms. Fear of losing him grips my heart hard. It clouds my judgment. Tears blur my vision.

How do I help him?

The bond between us starts to fade. A knot forms in my throat, and I swallow hard.

“If you fucking die, I’m going to be so pissed.” My snarl comes out choked. It took him being seriously hurt to realize how much I care about him.

If Mose dies, I can bring him back, as I did with Rueben, but I’m scared something will go wrong since Mose appears to have been consumed by his demon. What if, the moment the body dies, the demon is forced to go to the Catacombs, and I lose Mose forever? I feel like I can’t breathe.

The hellstar who shot him crouches next to me. “I thought he was hurting you.”

How the fuck did she come to that conclusion?

“You are not very bright, are you?” I snap at her. I don’t care if I sound like a bitch. She tried to kill one of my bondeds. Who the fuck gave her a gun?

“He doesn’t even look entirely human.”

What is that supposed to mean? I want to rip her mask from her face and kill her with it. “He is a demon, my demon, and he was protecting me!”

“I’m sorry,” she says.

I exhale loudly. “I don’t fucking care. Just leave us alone!”

She backs off.

The butterflies fly to me. Out of desperation, I say, “Save him!”

My hands glow, and the butterflies land on them, covering Mose’s chest. Slowly, the bleeding stops. I remove my palms only when I feel something pushing against them. The bullet. Does this mean he’s going to live? Even the wounds gained during the fight with Azael have disappeared.

The bond returns in a rush stronger than before.

Strands of his shoulder-length hair cover his face, and I brush them away before I kiss him. His chest rises and falls slowly, and I press my ear to it. The steady beating of his heart comforts me.

“Thank fuck,” I breathe when his arms wrap around me. Losing those dear to me always feels like a crack formed in my soul. I don’t even want to know the agony I would have felt if Mose had died. I tilt my head, and our eyes meet. “Idiot,” I mutter. He grins. I swear my heart skips a beat. Even covered in blood, he is handsome. “I—”

I stop myself just in time. I can’t believe what I was about to say.

I love you.

Impossible.

He shattered my heart, and I swore I’d never love again.

But….

What do I feel toward Mose?

Wasp’s voice has my head jerking up fast. Mose is reluctant to let go of me so I can get up. It feels like he’s making a sacrifice by letting me go. Loving Mose would be so easy, but I can’t put myself through the same pain I endured with him. It took me years to come to terms with the fact that his love wasn’t as strong as mine.

Mose also rises and stands next to me. I know it might sound stupid, but he makes me think he sees me as his equal. This man is so infuriating because I don’t know how to react to things he does for me. Why does he have to be so…considerate?

“Does he need a doctor?” Wasp asks.

She might have helped me before, and I might have even considered her some sort of a friend, but I don’t know why I’m so angry at her right now. She is not the one who almost killed Mose, yet I can’t stop myself from yelling at her, “I called you here to help me get the experiments out, not kill my man!”

Did I just claim Mose as mine in front of everyone? Does it matter? I’ve already bonded with him. He is mine.

“Cicada is new. This is her first mission,” Wasp says. All I hear are excuses. “Besides, your bonded is all healed. Your power is one of the rarest out there. I feel there’s more to you.” Wasp tilts her head. “You’ve changed. When we first met, you were still struggling to accept who you were. You are stronger now.”

I take a deep breath and rein in my anger. As much as I want to kick ass, this is not the time. Once we are out of here, I’m going to take Cicada’s shotgun away from her and smack the back of her head with it so that she will pay more attention next time. “I had to. We need to get out of here. There’s a bomb…that detonated a minute ago,” I realize as everything catches up with me.

Was the second explosion the bomb Anton put in Azael’s office? Did he set it right? Because it wasn’t what I expected.

Most of the experiments are already out of the garage. 919 and a few others stayed behind.

Anton, who is nearby, says, “The bomb wasn’t powerful enough to blow this entire place up. After 666 was rescued, Azael moved the location of the facility. He does it every few years.” That explains why the Lords never found the facility. “Since there were many things that were still missing, I didn’t have everything I needed to make a big bomb.”

“That’s a good thing because it might have killed everyone,” Wasp says. “There’s a doctor with us, and she is more than willing to take a look at your bonded.”

“No,” Mose snarls.

I grab his hand as I don’t want him out of sight until I’m fully sure he’s fine. And most definitely, I don’t want any woman touching him. Am I jealous? I frown. Just protective. I can’t leave him on his own and go with Wasp to the Sanctuary. What if Mose gets injured again before he gets to the farm, and there’s no one around to help him?

“Anton was shot in the shoulder. The doctor you mentioned should take a look at it,” I point out the obvious.

“I’ll take him,” Cicada offers. After Wasp agrees, Anton follows Cicada outside the garage.

“Also, a car would be great; I want to go home.” Home. Do I really see the farm as my home? Rueben kicked me out. He wants me dead. I can’t return there. Maybe I should go with Wasp. “The experiments need a place to live. The things they endured here…I don’t think they will be safe on their own.”

Mose’s thumb runs across the back of my hand, the back-and-forth motion calming me. I can’t go with Wasp when it’s clear that Mose needs me.

After a moment of thinking, Wasp says, “The Sanctuary was created for women who have been abused. But we often forget that men can also be abused, and no one helps them. More often than not, they are mocked. They can come with us if that’s what they wish.”

919 ’s eyes flash purple. “I’m done being locked up.”

“The Sanctuary is not a prison, but a place for healing. You can stay there until you get back on your feet or contact your family,” Wasp explains.

A crease appears between 919 ’s brow. “Family? I don’t think I have one. At least, I don’t remember. I don’t even remember my name.”

“You are welcome in the family I created,” Wasp tries to convince 919 . “As for your name, you can choose one.”

Feeling that 919 and the rest of the experiments will refuse Wasp’s offer, I say, “Wasp and the women that came with her are hellstars. They need protection from Azael. This is why I think you and the others should go with them, to protect them from the Dukes.”

A little manipulation never hurts, especially since I don’t have any ill intentions toward 919 . I only want him and the others to be safe and reunited with their families. I also think that Azael is searching for the hellstars and it’s only a matter of time until he finds them. When that day comes, Wasp will need help to protect the Sanctuary. Azael took a long time preparing the attack on the Garden of Eden. Now, with all the technology we have, planning a war is much easier. Azael had centuries to think about how he would destroy the Lords and gain control over the Garden of Eden. I’m wondering if it was worth rebuilding it after what he did there.

“Wasp helped me when no one else did,” I casually add. Mose pinches my ass. If he doesn’t agree with what I said, he can go pound sand.

“Fine. But if I feel like a prisoner, or if you or anyone else tries to do more shit to me, I’m out,” 919 lets Wasp know. “You will have to ask the others, though, as I don’t make decisions for them.”

After years of never having options, it would be wrong to leave the experiments on their own. Even I struggle with making the right decisions. The first thing that comes to mind when I’m alone is to end myself. If drugs are offered to me, I’m too weak to say no to them. It’s the only way to forget everything.

Wasp taking 919 under her wing, and the others like him is the best solution. Azael won’t hesitate to retaliate for what happened today. The experiments need weapons to defend themselves, and the hellstars have them. If the Lords stand beside the hellstars and the experiments, we might have a chance to defeat the Dukes. Even the new threat, the Blight.

“You are wrong, 919 .” I spread out my arms. “This escape is possible only because you decided enough was enough. Talk to the others. They will listen to you.”

919 clenches his jaw. “I did this so I could find my friend. Angelica. I know it’s a long shot, but do you know her?”

Before I can reply, Wasp chimes in, “Angelica Hernandez?” 919 nods. “She’s married and expecting her first child. The last time I spoke with her, she was on her honeymoon. Her bondeds are,” she makes a small pause before saying, “they love her very much. She’s finally happy. Her words, not mine.”

I smile. Angelica deserves to be happy. What Carlos did to her is horrible, but she got away. She’s going to be a mom soon. My chest hurts. I don’t want children. They are so small and fragile, leaving this world too soon, leaving only pain and broken hearts behind them.

“Give me Angelica’s phone number,” 919 demands.

Wasp points at his arms. “You are bleeding.”

Did she change the subject?

When Wasp takes a step forward, 919 snarls, “Don’t fucking touch me unless you want to die. I’ll go talk to the others,” before leaving the garage.

“A simple warning is enough,” Wasp huffs, then turns on her heels. “Let’s get out of here.”

The winter is less harsh in the desert, but the thin pants and shirt I’m wearing do little to protect me from the cold weather. Mose wraps his arm around me, and I lean my head on his shoulder. He has my back too, not just Wasp. If I return to the farm with him, I won’t be so alone. Ansel and Jasper are there. But Rueben will keep blaming me for what my father did, and I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to come to terms with the fact that Levi is dead.

Making decisions is so hard.

If I had stayed on the farm that day, Levi and the others would still be alive. I could have picked a different day to go to the Catacombs.

As we step out of the garage, Mose presses his lips to my temple. “Shh,” he tries to soothe me. Does he feel the turmoil in my heart?

My butterflies drag the Bitch after us.

Several cars are parked nearby.

Wasp waits for us next to one. “We were going to another Sanctuary up in the mountains when you sent me the message. That is why I was able to get here in time.” She hands me the keys. “Your old bond is starting to heal. I don’t know what’s causing it, but it looks better than the first time I saw it. The second bond is permanent, while the new one is…I’ve never seen anything like it before. Tendrils of darkness surround it, but I don’t feel that it’s evil. Just…different. I don’t know if it’s a good or a bad thing. Only time will tell.”

My bond with Ansel is permanent.

My bond with Mose is…something new, I guess.

My bond with him is healing. Why?

“Be safe.”

A hellstar comes over to us. “We killed all the doctors and nurses we found alive. We also found more experiments locked in cells.”

The ones who 919 probably didn’t have time to get out.

“Once they are free, we can be on our way,” she says next.

I saved Mose, and the experiments will be safe with Wasp.

Time to face Tyson and Rueben and endure their eternal hate. I can do this.

“Thank you for your help,” I say to Wasp and open the driver’s door.

Mose grabs the keys and gets in. “I. Drive.”

I’m not going to argue with him over this. “Just get us home in one piece.” Before I enter the car, I scan the area for 919 . He is several feet away, talking to the other experiments. Anton is also there, his shoulder covered in bandages. “Hope we meet again.”

He nods.

My butterflies dig into the Bitch’s stomach and pull out her uterus before returning to me. “Now, we are even,” I say to her. “Anton, kill her.”

Anton smiles. “I will.”

Mose leans over and closes the door before helping me put on the seatbelt. “Mine,” he growls before kissing me.

His tongue pushes past my lips and licks every inch of my mouth.

“Mine,” he repeats against my lips.

“Yours,” I assure him.

He kisses me again before starting the car.

My heart starts to race. How will Rueben and Tyson react when they see me? Will they blame me for what happened to Mose? Most likely. I’m always the scapegoat.

“Have you driven before?” I ask.

“No,” Mose replies. “Mose. Did.”

Right. I keep referring to the demon as Mose, but they are different. But what else should I call him? “If you crash the car, I’m going to be pissed.”

I get out of the car and slam the door shut. “What did I tell you?”

It only took Mose ten minutes to lose control of the wheel and hit a tree. At least he wasn’t speeding and hit the brakes, and we didn’t suffer any injuries, except some minor scratches.

“What do we do now?”

Mose looks at the road. “Walk.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The Dukes must be on their way to the facility to see what happened. If they find us….” My chin trembles. After being touched in kindness by Ansel, Mose, and Jasper, and shown that sex is not only pain, I don’t want to fuck anyone else except them. It’s not only that. Ansel cares about me. “I’d rather die than go back to the Celestial Heaven.”

Mose gathers me in his arms. “Protect.”

That’s what I’m afraid of. Each time Mose protects me, he gets injured. He has no self-preservation instinct. “I know you will.” If we make it into the city, maybe we can find a way to call Tyson. I saw his phone number in Jasper’s phone, and…it was easy to memorize. “Let’s go.”

Mose lets go of me, not entirely, as he holds my hand, and we start walking.

It’s cold, and my bare feet are already frozen. Wasp could have at least left a blanket in the car. Or some bags that Mose and I could have used to put on our feet.

We keep walking until we hear gunfire coming from down the road. The Dukes are here.

“We need to find a place to hide,” I hiss.

But we are in the middle of the fucking desert, and except for some trees and a tall cluster of cacti, there is nothing here. I’d rather take my chances with the cacti than the Dukes.

I pull Mose off the road. “Duck!” I say when we get behind the cacti. We sit there, listening to the gunfire getting closer to us. I bury my face into Mose’s neck. His arms are around me, protecting me from what’s to come.

I shouldn’t be so scared when I know my darkness will protect us, but I can’t help imagining that I’ll be dragged back to the Celestial Heaven. Mose hums softly in my ear.

Cars pass by us, shouts coming from them. Bullets hit the ground near us. I whimper against Mose’s neck. He rubs my back, but it does little to calm me. It feels more like a goodbye.

They found us.

My fingers dig into his skin. My heart pounds so fast, I can hear it. His hold tightens around me.

A car pulls off the road and crashes into the cacti, missing Mose and me by an inch. It stops a few meters away from us. At least two cars stop on the road. People get out. A dog barks.

“Olivia!”

Tyson?

I refuse to look in case I’m wrong.

A last exchange of gunfire happens. “They are all dead,” a man says. I don’t recognize his voice.

Another speaks. “Except for the ones that got away.” He sounds like Rueben.

Fuck. If Rueben is here, I’m in so much shit.

“My blood-brothers and I will hunt them down,” the first man says.

Strong arms peel me away from Mose. I scream but stop when I realize it’s Tyson.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Tyson says before embracing me. The air leaves my lungs. Why is he hugging me? “I was so fucking scared that something happened to you.” I keep quiet, not trusting the words that come out of his mouth. “Your heart is beating so fast, Little Rabbit. You are safe now.”

Safe? No.

Little Rabbit.

Bile rises to my throat. I hate being called that. I continue to keep quiet, not knowing what to say.

Tyson grabs my face between his palms. Why is he looking at me as if he’s concerned?

Someone yanks me away from Tyson, spins me around, and buries my face in his chest. I didn’t get to see his face, but his scent lets me know it’s Ansel. My body relaxes instantly. I wrap my arms around him.

“How is your back?” I ask.

Ansel chuckles. “You must have been through hell, and yet, the first thing you ask is how I am.”

I look up at him. “I was worried. What the demons did to you in the Catacombs was awful. They ripped off your wings because of me.”

“Who ripped off your wings?” Tyson asks.

Didn’t Ansel explain what happened in the Catacombs?

Ansel ignores Tyson and kisses my forehead. “I would gladly give my life for you. Don’t you know that I love you?”

Each time he claimed he loved me, I thought he was lying, but I’m starting to think he is telling me the truth. I wish I could return the feeling, but I’m so broken. I have nothing left to give to Ansel.

Rueben approaches us, and I shiver. I don’t know if it’s from the cold or because I’m scared of what he’s going to say next. “Olivia,” his voice quivers as he says my name. My gaze rushes to him. Did he suddenly remember my name? No more Diseased Cunt? His eyes are full of anger and hate but also with sadness. Despite everything he did to me, I want to give him a hug and tell him that everything will be alright. But I can’t. “I was wrong.”

About what?

I don’t ask.

Rueben reaches out his hand, and I tense. Is he going to hurt me? Rueben’s hand drops.

Mose growls. “Leave. Her. Alone.”

“What happened to you?” Rueben asks.

I whimper. Rueben and Tyson are going to hate me even more after they learn what happened to Mose.

Tyson takes me away from Ansel. “Are you hurt?” He studies me from head to toe. “You are freezing. No wonder you’re whimpering,” he says as he takes off his coat and puts it around my shoulders. “I’ll take you home and prepare you a warm bath and a big cup of hot cocoa,” he keeps talking as he picks me up.

That sounds so wonderful. I burst out crying because I know that instead of that, I’ll be taken to the shed and tortured for hours.

“Olivia, what’s wrong?” Tyson asks.

“I am so sorry,” I sob. “I tried to get him out in time. I failed him, just like I failed Camila.”

“What is she talking about?” Ansel asks.

I cover my face with my palms. I even stop crying, not wanting to anger them even more.

“Mose. Gone,” his demon says.

I stop breathing and get ready for a beating.

“Fuck,” Rueben mutters. “If that’s true, why didn’t the link between us break?”

“Bond,” Mose explains.

It was the only way I could save him.

“You bonded with Olivia?” Ansel asks.

Mose replies quickly. “Yes.”

Tyson walks away with me. “You are amazing. The bond might have saved Mose.”

He is not angry?

I peek at him. He doesn’t look angry. “What happened to your eyes?”

Didn’t Rueben say that Tyson was blind? That he and Jasper don’t want to see me again?

Tyson appears to see, but his eyes look tired.

He smiles a bit sadly. I reach out my hand but stop myself before I caress his cheek.

“Your father made Rueben hit me in the head with a baseball bat. It affected my vision.”

Rueben lied about Tyson being blind. I should have known better than to believe Rueben.

I bite my bottom lip. “I am sorry.”

He gets us inside a car and sits me in his lap. “It’s not your fault,” he says, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I saw the videos. Oh, Olly, what did I do to you?”

Tears run down my cheeks. He knows. This is why he’s so sweet to me. His sudden change toward me feels so fake. He would still hate me if he hadn’t seen the videos. “What I had to do; it was to protect those I love.”

His fingers wrap around my neck. His thumb caresses my skin. “It’s not your responsibility to protect me. Or anyone else.”

“I didn’t know what to do. I had no one to turn to,” I try to explain what and how I felt back then.

“You had me, Olivia. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was supposed to be there, protecting you and Camila. I failed both of you.”

His lips capture mine. I don’t want to be kissed by him, but I can’t escape him. My lips move against his. I missed this. I missed him not hating me so much. Not him. Tyson. My Tyson.

There’s no need to keep referring to Tyson as him, as he already knows everything. As my heart still yearns for him.

Don’t be a fool, Olivia. Just because he knows the truth, it doesn’t mean our love has survived. There’s so much pain between us.

“You still belong to me, Olly. Can you feel how you tremble against me?”

“I’m cold,” I reply.

His fingers slip beneath my shirt. “We both know that’s not true. You belong to me. You’ve always been mine. And I’m yours.”

I never had you.

Wanting to change the subject, I ask, “How did you find Mose and me?”

Something shifts in Tyson’s eyes. “Sean and Leo told us.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “They did?”

“They needed some convincing.” Oh, he tortured them. Good. I hope he made them suffer. “They revealed to us the location of the facility and told us Mose was there. We didn’t know you were with him. We were on our way to save Mose when we encountered a few cars belonging to the Dukes. Good thing Alekos, Reyes, and Stefan came with us, or else we would be in serious trouble.”

I don’t know who they are, but I don’t interrupt Tyson.

“We started shooting each other. I think you heard that; that’s why you were hiding behind the cacti. That was stupid because you could have been seriously hurt. Actually, you should have never left the farm. What were you thinking?”

I press my lips together before replying, “I had no choice. Rueben didn’t want me there. Jason took me to the facility and it just so happened that Mose was also there.”

His eyes flash red. “Rueben told me everything he told you before he kicked you out. He had no right to say that.” His lip brush against mine, “It’s not your fault your father is a sick bastard. But what does Jason have to do with this?”

“Jason won’t stop until I…until he breaks me. He took me to the facility because….”

“Because that’s where I was broken with the help of drugs and took your virginity.”

My shoulders tense. “Yes.”

“Olivia, where’s our son? Leo claimed Spencer is dead, but I don’t believe it.”

Blood rushes to my ears. My eyes fill with tears.

Spencer.

Thinking of his name is so painful, so I chose to call him my little boy with turquoise eyes.

“Can we talk about this when we get home?” I dare to ask.

Tyson has me rest my head on his shoulder. “I don’t want to pressure you. When you feel ready.”

I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to talk about Spencer, but Tyson deserves to know the truth. I promised myself that I’d answer any question he has if he ever asks me about Spencer. When they found me in the forest, and I realized how much Tyson hated me, I decided never to tell him about our son. It was Ansel who convinced me to let Tyson see the videos of our first time together and of me being pregnant with Spencer.

Ansel opens the driver’s door. “Rueben is going with Reyes and his blood-brothers to the facility.”

“I doubt they will find anything useful there. The doctors and nurses are dead, and Azael is gone. The experiments are safe,” I say.

Ansel looks confused. “From the looks of it, you and Mose were together in the facility.” I nod. “How did you get out?”

I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to get some rest and take that warm bath Tyson promised me. “The experiments had planned an escape. Mose…he fought with Azael. I blew up his brains.” I twitch my nose. “I’m sure the blood stains on my shirt are from Azael. I’m not even talking about Mose.” I look out the window. Diva is sniffing Mose. She can tell something is different about him. “Can we go home?”

“Give me a moment to tell Rueben and the others what you told me,” says Ansel.

I nod and close my eyes.

“Sleep,” Tyson whispers.

I don’t want to sleep, but I’m so tired I fall asleep in seconds.

The sensation of being carried wakes me up. I look around scared, but I relax when I see that I’m in Tyson’s office.

Tyson puts me on his sofa bed.

“Go back to sleep,” he tells me, and I obey.

A nightmare wakes me up in the middle of the night. “Spencer,” I sob and sit on the bed.

Tyson wakes up. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asks as he wraps his arms around me.

I shouldn’t tell him anything, but I can’t live with this pain that is eating me alive, day and night.

“Our Spencer was born two months early. He was so tiny, so perfect. I begged the doctor to save him, but my father wanted him dead. The doctor did nothing to help. Spencer died in my arms a few hours later.” Tears stream down my cheeks. “I lost our baby. The pain of his loss kills me everyday.”

“You did everything you could,” Tyson says. His words comfort me. It’s good to know that he doesn’t blame me. “Where’s our son buried?”

“I don’t know. Jason refused to tell me.”

“Now I understand why you drugged yourself.” Tyson sobs. “I failed you and our son. I am so fucking sorry.”

“Make this pain stop,” I beg.

“For you, I’ll do anything. Even take away all your pain.”

“I’d like that, but then you will be the one suffering. And I can’t allow that to happen.”

Tyson kisses my wet cheeks. “I hate what I did to you.”

Me, too. “Only for tonight, I’ll let you comfort me. Tomorrow, you can go back to hating me.”

We hold each other for a long time, until the crack of dawn. We don’t talk about Spencer anymore, but we cry together until we run out of tears.

When Tyson speaks again, about a different topic, I understand because I prefer not to remember how much it hurts to lose half of my heart. No matter how many years pass, nothing will fill the void in my soul. Does Tyson feel the same way? That he lost half of his heart, of his soul?

“I love you, Olly, with all my heart.”

“You don’t know what love is.”

“I know what love is, but I didn’t know how to love. Until you. If you let me, if you give me one chance to prove it to you, I’ll never make you cry again.”

I close my eyes. “What if I say no?”

“You know that I can’t let you go. You are my bonded.”

He knows about the bond as well.

“You broke my heart. You thought I cheated on you,” I whimper.

“I always feared that one day you would realize you can do better than me.”

The only one I ever wanted was him.

“You deserve someone better than me, but I need you, Olly.”

Talking to him has made me realize that I need him too, but I don’t think I can do this.

“It’s too late for us,” I whisper.

“You are wrong. I’ll do whatever it takes for you to love me again,” Tyson promises, and I believe him.

Let the Stockholm Syndrome begin. Maybe I already suffer from it.

We lie in bed. The raw pain between us pulls us closer.

“Lie to me,” I ask him. “Tell me that everything is going to be alright.”

Tyson hovers over me and cups my cheek. “This is not a lie, but a promise: everything is going to be alright.”

I nod, but I don’t believe him. His promises mean nothing to me.

How I missed our conversations and how open we once were.

His mouth finds mine, and we kiss. His fingers tug at the waistband of my pants. “I’m going to fuck you.”

I don’t want to be fucked by him. It will break me completely when he goes back to hating me.

A strange sound comes from outside.

I push him away. “Did you hear that?”