Say You Love Me Again - Choni

Chapter 28

Toni POV

She's alive.

She's alive.

She has to be.

I stare at the woman and try to process the information I have just been told.

I don't have time to ask any more questions before the woman hurries back into her house and closes the door with a slam. I stare at the crack between the door and the wall and note the significance of the space between the door and the wall of the house.

The first thought that crosses my mind is that I need to find her.

I can't lose her for a second time.

Archie is staring at the ground, his eyebrows furrowed his colour still white. I don't think he can comprehend what we have been told.

He also looks.... guilty.

I see him take a big swallow and shake his head as though he is trying to clear the thoughts in his head and swallow down the information, digesting it in one gulp.

"Um... uh... Toni..." his voice is shaky but I can hear the emotion. Archie lets out a sigh and runs his hand through his hair before placing his two hands on the back of his head and I watch as tears form in his eyes and start to trickle down his face.

He looks torn.

I don't have time for this right now.

"Archie, now is not the time for feeling sorry for yourself, we need to get her, we need to save her we owe that to her, you owe that to her Archibal" my tone was sharp, but I didn't care.

He should not have left her there in the first place.

Part of me is glad he is feeling so guilty.

I wasn't going to tell him that though as I still needed his help to get to Fahim.

We were both guilty of betraying Cheryl in some way.

Now it was up to us to put this right.

"Archie we need to get to Fahim, like now" I start to walk back to the direction of the jeep.

I think that shook Archie out of his thoughts, "Toni, we can't just walk into Fahim? We are not exactly locals and if there is going to be a suicide bomber then you are not going and I don't have my gun, we will be collateral damage."

"Collateral damage???? What the fuck are you saying Archie? We leave her there?" I look at them incredulously.

"We don't even know if it is her Toni" he looks at me pleadingly.

I don't recognize the guy in front of me, I thought he loved Cheryl clearly he was someone who was too concerned with losing his own life.
"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" I couldn't control the volume of my voice.

I am yelling.

"You have just found out that your best friend who looks at you like a brother is possibly alive, but you are too chicken shit and selfish to try to save her? Wow... WOW... well, then I will, now get the fuck out of my way" I pushed him out of my way.

"I HOPE YOU CAN LIVE WITH YOURSELF IF SHE DIES ARCHIBAL" I shout as I walk away from him.

Suddenly I hear the crunching of stones and my arm being violently pulled and my body spun around

"I HAVE A CHILD TONI! A DAUGHTER! SHE NEEDS HER FATHER!!" Archie started yelling and shook me lightly. I felt the sting of his fingers digging into the tops of my arms.