The Defiant

Alone

Roan

I love you. 

That was all I heard from Levi in my head before everything went silent. His voice was filled with fear, and exhaustion— a final goodbye that I had dreaded hearing.

I looked to Ezra who had gone deathly pale in the seat next to me. 

I shook my head. 

No.

He slowly looked over at me, trembling slightly. 

"No... He's not- He's not gone, baby."

His words were phrased to comfort me, but it sounded as if he wanted me to say them too. 

The feeling that ripped through me-

I gasped as my heart broke into pieces. 

I sob built in my throat, and I covered my mouth with my hand as if to hold it in— to hold in this scream of pure pain. 

I clutched at my chest and leaned into Ezra. 

He shakily wrapped his arms around me. I felt his body shake before I heard a soft cry come from him. 

"He's not gone," he cried brokenly. 

But then why would he say it like that? Why would his words reach all the way to wherever the fuck we were? Why did he sound so hurt?

"What's going on?" Asked one of our bodyguards. 

"He's not gone!" Ezra yelled at him, his voice ragged and harsh. I cried into his chest harder.

The guard stayed silent. 

Nothing. Levi said nothing else. 

Just those three words. 

'I love you, Levi,' I thought, hoping, begging for a response. 

But there was no response.

The thought of my bold, level-headed, wholehearted boyfriend... gone?

No. We were supposed to be all together at the end of this! We were supposed to be happy together. All seven of us. 

I was tired. So tired. 

Tired of running. Tired of not sleeping. Tired of the pains in my heart.

My wails became muffled and soon, I was so tired, I could only wine into Ezra's chest. 

How long had it been since I slept?

Three days? Almost four?

My eyelids drooped, unable to stay open. My brain slowed. 

I didn't want to sleep, but no matter how hard I tried...

It was like my brain wouldn't let me stop falling into that peaceful darkness. 

A defense... to stop me from crashing like I knew I would if I continued to think about him.

Ezra continued to sob above me, and I wished to join his lament, but my brain was forcing me to shut down. 

When I woke again, Ezra had already passed out beneath me. Some of the guards were still awake, others were nodding off. It was dark outside. 

I let out a long breath before grabbing Ezra's phone and checking the time. 

Nine-fifty-four.

I looked down at the line on my chest. It had moved.