ME AND HIM ✔️

pt. 57

Rue's POV

THIS DAY TOOK a major fucking turn.

Just out of the blue, Nadine is shaking me awake, telling me I have to leave or I'll die.

So he helped me pack a bag, and now he's not saying anything at all. How do we go from this to that?

He's sitting on my bed, running his hands through his hair.

"Nadine?' I whisper. I stand in front of him, finally being taller for once. "You can still go with us." I crouch down and look up at him. He sits up, pulling me off the ground and onto his lap. My arms immediately go around his neck.

Nadine shakes his head and sighs. "It's my fault." He whispers. "I was drunk. I told him everything." He admits. I feel my chest tighten at the sight of him. He's vulnerable, finally letting me see this side of him he tries to hide so desperately.

"He probably would have found out anyway." I assure. He lets out a forced laugh.

"I don't think so." He looks up at me. His gaze goes down to my lips. "Promise me you won't come back here." He whispers. I find myself leaning down until I feel his breath on my lips.

"Nadine-"

His lips go to my neck. "Promise me." He says again, a little more demanding. I feel a tear fall from my eye. I don't want to do this, but I know he'll die trying to help me and I can't let that happen.

Reluctantly, I finally say, "I promise." Nadine cups my face, forcing me to look at him. My hands go to his hands as they hold my face. I find myself tracing the tattoos on his hand. We never got a chance to lay in bed and do this. We never got a chance to do anything, really.

He probably thinks the same thing, cause when my hand goes to unbutton his shirt, he lets me.

The numbers, 1999 are printed on his collar bone.

This was the year he was born.

I trace the numbers, my fingers finding his next tattoo. A dagger with a snake wrapped around it. The snake wraps around Nadine's waist, as if he's being suffocated. I push his shirt down his arms. A crumbled rose, the vines wrapped around his arm, stopping at his elbow. An Ace card located on his side. The name Elizabeth-His mother- written in cursive. That one is tattooed on one of his muscles.

"Rue." He whispers. I turn my attention back to him. "I-" He hesitates, attempting to get the words out.

I look away, tears falling and a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. "You should leave now. I have a helicopter waiting for you." I turn back to him. He's buttoning his shirt back up, while I stay seated on his lap.

But I don't move. I don't want to move. I've been saying this whole time that I want to leave this horrid place and never come back. Now that I have the chance, I don't want to.

"Please, Tesoro." He whispers "I'm begging you." I shake my head, tears falling as I do.

"I can't leave you." I say with a crack in my voice.

"If you don't, you'll never get a chance to live a normal life." His hands hold my face again, bringing me closer to him. "Don't you want that?"

My chest tightens at the thought. "I don't want it if it's not with you." I bring my hand up and wipe my face. "I love you." I whisper, not wanting to say it too loud.

He doesn't have to say it. I don't care if he does. Because for some reason, in the pit of my stomach, I have a feeling that he loves me too.

Even if he doesn't say.