Blood remembered

Chapter 15: Pick Me

The fire was barely coals. Mara was on watch outside. I could hear her moving. Jorin’s body was wrapped in a shroud a few feet away. Sarah hadn’t said a word to me since the Hollow. I rolled onto my side.

“You awake?”

Her back was to me.

“No.”

Liar. I felt it through the bond. Awake. Hurting. I sat up. Crawled over. Careful.

“Can I...?”

She didn’t answer. So I took it as a yes and laid down behind her. Not touching. Just close. For a long time, nothing. Then, small:

“You saved her.”

“I saved you too.”

“That’s not the point and you know it.”

She turned over to face me. Eyes shiny in the dark.

“You grabbed her first.”

Guilt punched me.

“She was down. You were on its back already. I—”

“I don’t care about the logic, Ryan.”

Her voice broke.

“I care that for one second I thought you’d choose her over me.”

The bond flared. Fear. Old fear. Of being second. Of being trash. I reached out and cupped her face. She didn’t pull away.

“Sarah. Look at me.”

She did.

“I chose you in Crescent when I could’ve left you to rot. I chose you when the Hollow came through the wall. I chose you when Varga called us a war.”

My thumb brushed her cheek.

“I’m choosing you now. And tomorrow. And every damn day after.”

Tears slipped.

“What if you have to choose again?”

“Then I’ll choose you. And I’ll find a way to save her too.”

She stared at me. Then let out a shaky breath and buried her face in my chest.

“I hate that I’m like this.”

“I love that you’re like this,”

I whispered into her hair.

“Means you care.”

We didn’t kiss. We didn’t need to. She just held me. Tight. Like if she let go I’d disappear. Through the bond, the jealousy faded. Replaced with something warm. Steady. Outside, Mara shifted. Probably heard everything. Well. Let her. For the first time tonight, I slept without dreaming of the Hollow.