Death Valley (Desert Children Series #2)

Everyone Thinks We are Perfect

PHOENIX POV

I laid on our bed and stared up at the ceiling. Things were so perfect before. What had happened? We had broken apart. By the way Ghoul was driving, he would have probably made it to the motel by now. It was four hours later, and my heart was definitely broken. I felt like he couldn’t trust me. Was I that weak?

I felt salty tears leak down my swollen cheeks. I rubbed them away with the blankets and closed my eyes. I hoped that I would eventually be able to sleep. I wanted this nightmare to go away. I wanted Ghoul and I to be okay again. He was so important to me.

There was a soft knock on the door. It was L, coming to talk to me.

 

“Hey, there’s someone on the radio for you. I think you should talk to them.” She said quietly.

 

I got up out of bed, heading down the stairs to go see who wanted me now. I hoped it was Rocket confirming that she was okay and Ghoul had made it.

 

“Hello?” I said into the receiver.

 

“Phoenix.”

 

It was Ghoul.

“I thought we were together.” I sobbed.

 

“We are, Phoenix. I just couldn’t see you get hurt.” He responded.

 

“Are you implying that I’m too weak?” I was angry.

 

“No! Never. You aren’t weak. You are so strong. But if this was bad, I couldn’t let you go. I needed you to be safe.”

 

I didn’t know if I could believe him. I wanted to so badly, but he had hurt me.

 

“Ghoul, I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m so hurt that I don’t know if I can even begin to explain how I feel.” I bit my lip to keep from crying.

 

It was a few moments before he responded. “I’m so sorry. Everyone’s okay here. I’m coming back. I love you.”

 

I didn’t answer. I just smiled sadly at L before going back up to my room and pulling the blankets around myself. I closed my eyes and didn’t allow any more tears to fall.

When I woke up, Ghoul was there beside me. He was stroking my hair. I pulled away from him. He seemed surprised but I was not.

 

“Phoenix.” He said quietly.

 

“You’re…” I tried to think of a bad enough word without swearing. “You’re a jerk.”

 

“I know.” He replied. “And I’m sorry. I knew you needed to hear it in person. I did a shitty thing.”

 

I shook my head. “A shitty thing? It was more than that.”

 

“I didn’t want to lose you.” He reached out towards me and I didn’t move. “You’re my wife. I love you.”

 

“I love you too.” I whispered, wiping my swollen eyes.

 

“Rocket yelled at me.” He looked down at his hands and he picked at his fingernails.

 

“Rocket yelled?” I was shocked.

 

“Yeah. I didn’t know she could raise her voice.” Ghoul smiled to himself.

 

I wanted to take his hands in mine and make things okay. But I wasn’t sure if it was okay to forgive him yet. But I knew if I didn’t now, I might never do it. I took his face in my hands and kissed him softly. Again he was surprised by my actions. We would find our peace here. It was then that I noticed his arm. It was covered with a bandage and looked red and burned.

 

“What happened?” I asked him, carefully touching the bandage.

 

“I was shot. It hurt pretty bad but I’m alright.”

 

Ghoul took me in his arms and held me. I put my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Whatever the aftermath was, it would have to be secondary tonight. I knew Ghoul was still in pain from the shot by the way he held me. I pulled him down onto the bed with me and we laid together, me falling asleep. He stayed awake until dawn.

When I woke up in the morning, Ghoul was gone from bed. I got dressed after taking a shower and went downstairs to find out what had happened to him. L was rubbing a cream on his burn.

 

“For relief.” She explained.

 

“How does it feel?” I asked him.

“Much better.”

 

He looked down at his stitched wound as L replaced his bandages with new ones. I was thankful that she was around to help us. I noticed that as she pushed her hair behind her ears that her roots were a dark brown. She smiled at us both before going to make breakfast.

 

“I need to make it up to you.” Ghoul said to me.

 

“For what?” I asked.

 

“For being an ass.” He replied. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

 

I thought for a long time. “You have to do whatever I say for the rest of our lives.”

 

He groaned. “That long?”

 

“And even after I die.” I crossed my arms.

 

“What do I do first?” He asked, getting up from where he was sitting.

“Well…” I put on an evil smile.