continue.
“Yeah…the last thing I remember was bein’ in a trench near the Belgium border. We were gettin ’ pounded by the kr — u h…the Germans,” he says , watching my face and seeing my confu sion. “We had been there for week s. It was miser able, ‘cuz guys were dyin’ all ‘ round us from bein’ shot, but the medics were havin’ a hard time gettin ’ to our position at t he front. I had a picture of you …it was spattered with mud and grime. I was holdin’ it, when the clo uds came rollin’ in…” he trails off , looking pale.
“Clouds?” I ask , confused.
“S ome kinda gas…chlorine maybe…the first hint of it smelled like a swimmin’ pool, but then it was…” he shakes his head, running his hand through his hair like he does when he’s upset. “The next thing I can remember after that is being mad at my little sister, Scarlet , for knocking over my green , plastic army men I had set up in the backyard . I was about si x …in this lifetime ,” he says , looking at my face across the island between us. “ So when y ou asked me before, ‘ bout why I think I’m here… I’ m sure that it’s ‘bout you ... ‘ cuz it’s always ‘bout you . ”
Listening to the rain softly hitting the panes of gla ss outside, I can see the pain that I’m causing Russe ll because of my love for Reed. “Russell… I’m not sure why we’re here, but th ere’ s one thing that I do know: n o one is safe around me. ”
“You think I care ‘bout that?” he asks calmly. “I’ve died so many times in so many ways…but I think there’s only one way to dest r oy me…so I’m gonna fight for you , ‘cuz that’s all I got, Red.”
“Russell,” I say , bursting into tears and covering my face with my hands. “You don’t understand…you ’ r e fighting for a time bomb! I’ m going to blow up in your face! It will be worse than chlorine gas…it will be Hell.”
Coming quickly around the counter, Russell put s his arms around me, hugging me to his body. “Shh…ahh, c’mon now…don’t cry ,” he whispers , kissing the top of my head.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper back. “I don’ t know what happened between us, but things are different now. Can’t you feel it? Just because I’ve been the only one for you forever, doesn’t mean that things can’t change. Look at us…we’re not the same, not now. We have wings, we can fly— conjure f ire and make it rain…” I trail off, sniffling.
“And we can love eternally,” he r eplies , leaning down like he will kiss me.
P ulling back from Russell, I say , “ You want to kno w why I think I’m here?” I ask , not w aiting for him to answer, I go on, “It has to be because of Reed. I know now that I’d risk anything, everything, to be with him. So stop fighting for me, please.”
Letting h is hands drop away from me, I see the tragic twist of his mo uth , while his brown eyes scan my face . Looking away from me, he pauses , before turning and walking slowly toward the door of the kitchen.
Stopping at the threshold , he doesn’t turn around as he says , “Eternity is a very long time, Red. You should be sure that you’ r e makin’ the right decision before you push me away.”
As he leaves the room, I can feel something inside of me recoil ing and urging me to go after hi m— to beg him to stay with me — to love me. It’s my soul letting me know th at I still love him , even if I can’t remember the echoes of time between us.
CHAPTER 4
Rude Car
I watch the rain falling outside through the glass doors of the kitchen before open ing the m wide and feel ing the cool breeze rush in . As I step outside , I cross the shelter of the stone porch and begin to walk in the rain. T he water fall s on my face and mix es with my tears. Sitting down on the stone steps of the terrace , I put my face in my hands. In minutes, I’m completely so aked. Silently, Reed appears next to me and picks me up , cradling me to him . My
“Yeah…the last thing I remember was bein’ in a trench near the Belgium border. We were gettin ’ pounded by the kr — u h…the Germans,” he says , watching my face and seeing my confu sion. “We had been there for week s. It was miser able, ‘cuz guys were dyin’ all ‘ round us from bein’ shot, but the medics were havin’ a hard time gettin ’ to our position at t he front. I had a picture of you …it was spattered with mud and grime. I was holdin’ it, when the clo uds came rollin’ in…” he trails off , looking pale.
“Clouds?” I ask , confused.
“S ome kinda gas…chlorine maybe…the first hint of it smelled like a swimmin’ pool, but then it was…” he shakes his head, running his hand through his hair like he does when he’s upset. “The next thing I can remember after that is being mad at my little sister, Scarlet , for knocking over my green , plastic army men I had set up in the backyard . I was about si x …in this lifetime ,” he says , looking at my face across the island between us. “ So when y ou asked me before, ‘ bout why I think I’m here… I’ m sure that it’s ‘bout you ... ‘ cuz it’s always ‘bout you . ”
Listening to the rain softly hitting the panes of gla ss outside, I can see the pain that I’m causing Russe ll because of my love for Reed. “Russell… I’m not sure why we’re here, but th ere’ s one thing that I do know: n o one is safe around me. ”
“You think I care ‘bout that?” he asks calmly. “I’ve died so many times in so many ways…but I think there’s only one way to dest r oy me…so I’m gonna fight for you , ‘cuz that’s all I got, Red.”
“Russell,” I say , bursting into tears and covering my face with my hands. “You don’t understand…you ’ r e fighting for a time bomb! I’ m going to blow up in your face! It will be worse than chlorine gas…it will be Hell.”
Coming quickly around the counter, Russell put s his arms around me, hugging me to his body. “Shh…ahh, c’mon now…don’t cry ,” he whispers , kissing the top of my head.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper back. “I don’ t know what happened between us, but things are different now. Can’t you feel it? Just because I’ve been the only one for you forever, doesn’t mean that things can’t change. Look at us…we’re not the same, not now. We have wings, we can fly— conjure f ire and make it rain…” I trail off, sniffling.
“And we can love eternally,” he r eplies , leaning down like he will kiss me.
P ulling back from Russell, I say , “ You want to kno w why I think I’m here?” I ask , not w aiting for him to answer, I go on, “It has to be because of Reed. I know now that I’d risk anything, everything, to be with him. So stop fighting for me, please.”
Letting h is hands drop away from me, I see the tragic twist of his mo uth , while his brown eyes scan my face . Looking away from me, he pauses , before turning and walking slowly toward the door of the kitchen.
Stopping at the threshold , he doesn’t turn around as he says , “Eternity is a very long time, Red. You should be sure that you’ r e makin’ the right decision before you push me away.”
As he leaves the room, I can feel something inside of me recoil ing and urging me to go after hi m— to beg him to stay with me — to love me. It’s my soul letting me know th at I still love him , even if I can’t remember the echoes of time between us.
CHAPTER 4
Rude Car
I watch the rain falling outside through the glass doors of the kitchen before open ing the m wide and feel ing the cool breeze rush in . As I step outside , I cross the shelter of the stone porch and begin to walk in the rain. T he water fall s on my face and mix es with my tears. Sitting down on the stone steps of the terrace , I put my face in my hands. In minutes, I’m completely so aked. Silently, Reed appears next to me and picks me up , cradling me to him . My
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