Unbroken

Chapter Nineteen

I feel broken.

The impact of the train makes it feel like all of the bones in my body are broken. I'm pretty sure my whole body is bruised. I'm covered in blood.

At first I think I'm dead, and when I realize I'm not, I wish I was. This pain is unbearable, and I don't want to feel it. But then I remember Gracee, and I manage to crawl onto the side of the train. I have to save her. I have to save my friends. I have to stop Beck.

I use all of my strength to open a window and my fingers smear blood on the glass. I limp through the dark, empty train, towards the seats. When I can't walk any further I collapse into one of the seats.

I try to keep myself awake by reminding myself of what Beck said about killing my friends. I have to keep them safe. I have to keep Gracee safe. If something happens to her...

I can't let Beck kill her like he tried to kill me. I won't. I'll kill him before he can touch her. She has to be okay. She has to. She can't leave me. I can't live without her. I need her.

I think back to my favorite memories with her, and if I wasn't in so much pain, I might be smiling. My mind replays the time her and I were driving Flash's car after we left homecoming and were trying to find Vulture.

"I'm sorry, Gracee." I say, and she speaks at the same time.

"Did you mean what you said?" She asks.

We both laugh half heartedly and then look back to each other. She waits for me to continue.

"I didn't mean it at all. I'm so sorry. That was so fucking stupid of me."

"Better be thankful Cap isn't here to hear you say that." She smiles, but I still see the hurt in her eyes.

"I knew if I had let you off easily then you still would have followed me. I couldn't risk that. You mean so much to me and if anything happens to you I don't know what I'll do. I know that doesn't make it right, and I know I can't control you, but I just want you to be safe."

"It's okay, Pete. I understand. It just seemed like what you said was the truth. I'm not saying you can't care about other people, but it hurt. Saying that you cared about Liz more than me. And I know that's selfish but I guess it's just because..." She trails off, unable to finish.

"I have feelings for you too, Gracee." I finish for her.

She smiles at me and I realize I have never seen anything more beautiful. Even though she can't see me under the mask, I smile.

Gracee's POV

Something is crushing my leg.

Dust hangs in the air, and I am surrounded by debris. I look around and realize that I am in a warehouse, but the roof has collapsed. I am in my homecoming dress, and a piece of concrete is on my leg. I scream as I use my other leg to kick the concrete off and then struggle to stand up.

Standing in front of me is Vulture.

"Aren't you going to make sure he's okay?" He asks, as if I know what's going on.

I look at the debris and then back at him, hoping he's not talking about what I think he is. It's so silent I can hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears.