World on Fire | J. Saltzman - Legacies [4]

T H I R T E E N

Josie knows her sister is worried. Only family has been allowed into Stella's room since she hemorrhaged, and it's true, it's killing her, but Josie can respect that decision. Derek has been in and out, taking calls outside her room before going right back in. She doesn't blame the panic in his voice or the way he can't bring himself to leave her side for very long; he is her father, and Stella could slip away at any time.

To be honest, so can Josie. Her limbs weigh heavily on her body, exhaustion covering her like a veil. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before for obvious reasons, and she has no more anger or tears left to shed. Just numbness.

Lizzie can coax her or try to trick her into taking care of herself, but Josie does not want to, not when her mind is full of what-ifs and guilt. She wishes she had a hammer so she could destroy the walls around her, destroy anyone who dared to disrupt their happiness. They had only just found it and Hope ripped it away.

Josie can feel herself slipping, can feel unconsciousness coming like a freight train, horn blaring. It isn't long before darkness surrounds her and pulls her beneath the surface.

She groans with the realization that the further she sinks, the sooner she'll be trapped in a dream. But this feels different; she no longer dreads seeing JJ's face next to her's, that snake's grin on his face. It almost excites her.

When she finds herself standing outside Hope's bedroom door, she frowns, instinctively opening the door. A girl stands inside, dark hair flowing down her back as she slumps forward onto the bed, her head in her hands as her shoulders shake. Shock fills Josie's gut as the door squeaks, her footsteps like bullets as she walks forward. "Stella?"

The girl jumps to her feet and turns, eyes wide. "Josie?" Stella's voice breaks. "Please be real."

Josie lunges forward, wrapping her arms around Stella and pulling her close. "I'm real," Josie breathes out a sigh of relief. "I'm real, I swear. I'm here."

"Good." Stella's voice is muffled by the embrace. "I knew you'd come eventually, but I thought it'd be memory you and not you you, but you're wearing different clothes, so it couldn't be from my memory. Not this one, at least." Stella pulls back, her hands reaching up to cup Josie's cheeks. "Hi, babe." She smiles as tears line her eyes. "I'm so happy to see you."

"How is this happening?" Josie whispers, shaking her head. "I-I'm asleep. I didn't do a spell."

"Maybe I did." Stella bites her bottom lip. "Doesn't matter how. All I know is that I can feel other people here. I don't know who or what. I was hoping you'd find me first. Thing's are pretty bad, huh?"

"So you know what's going on?"

"Yeah..." Stella nods, the smile falling away. "Not to be corny, but, uh, I think my life's passing before my eyes. It's been a hell of a lot of hey, look at how nice this person—oh, wait they betrayed me or died, but seeing you, feeling you... Sure makes up for it. Are my parents—"

"You're dad's here at your bedside," Josie takes Stella's hands in hers and holds them between them, swinging back and forth. "Your mom was here too but went to find Hope before we knew what happened. She's still out there with your aunt, and she knows now. I don't know why they're still looking, but come back with me, and you can see them yourself."

Stella bites her lip and looks down. "Jo, I don't think it's that easy this time." Breaking away, she looks around the room, spinning in a small circle and spreading her fingers at her sides. "This is when we met, you know." Josie had known the moment she saw Stella's outfit—the same breathtaking grunge tank top, ripped jeans, the flannel falling off her shoulder. "I was suffocating in New Orleans so I came here and found you snooping through tests. Some random girl who held me when I cried, who I honestly didn't realize was incredibly attractive until I thought back on it and realized you were the prettiest girl I had ever seen. Even above my sexual awakening of Leia Organa." Josie can't help but chuckle. "Definitely one of my top three favorite memories."