Silver-Lining (Ghost Riley x Reader)

Chapter Twenty-one

The sun crawled on my skin, the warm wind blew gently against me. I looked up at the sunlight, the bright sun rays seeped through the thick branches of the large tree. The birds chirped, the sounds beautiful and sweet. Turning my head, my eyes land on Emilio's side profile. His eyes were shut, and his head leaned back as the sun shone down on his olive skin. I wanted to speak up but he seemed so peaceful, I didn't dare disturb his restful state.

Although this place was beautiful and serene, I felt nothing. I didn't feel sadness or anger or peace. I felt nothing. Was this death? "Y/n." Emilio's voice was smooth like butter and rich like chocolate. Turning over to him, I smiled.

"Emilio," I said in an almost whisper. "Are we... dead?" I asked him, taking a look around. The park was empty. Although the sounds of chirps filled my ears, there were no birds in sight. The lake was completely still, with no ripples or anything. "I don't feel dead." He told me. "Well, I don't feel anything." He added. "Me too."

Maybe I had rotted in that cell for too long, my body couldn't handle the malnutrition and the beatings much longer. "But you... you're still alive." He told me. "You are laying down and you are giving up."

I shifted my gaze to him, cocking my head to the side slightly. "You need to get up y/n. Do exercises and keep your strength. You need to stay strong." Although he seemed as if he was speaking to me sternly, his voice was still calm. "I can't," I whispered. I had waited for death in that cell. I had waited for it to wrap around me, embracing me. I longed for it even. "No. That's unacceptable. You get up and you regain your strength. I love you n/n." He pulled me in for a hug.

My arms wrapped tightly around me, his warm body heat felt all too real. "I love you too Lio," I told him.

My eyes fluttered open, the coldness hitting my exposed skin. I shivered slightly, my arms wrapped around me as if I were still hugging Ace. I remembered his words and his touch. It all felt too real. I looked over at the silver plate full of food. "Regain your strength." The words repeated themselves in my mind.

I grunted as I forced myself to stand up, my head feeling fuzzy and lightheaded at the sudden pace. I walked towards the silver plate, palming it in my hands. I grabbed the food, scarfing it down. The food was tasteless and the texture was absolutely terrible but I sucked it up and finished it off. Next, I grabbed the water bottle and chugged the warm water.

"Get yourself together," I told myself. I grabbed onto the metal bar, pulling my chin up to the bar. My muscles ached with each slow rep, the burn hurting worse than normal. But even with the burn and the ache I wouldn't allow myself to give up. I only kept going. Sweat beads formed on my forehead, heat rushing to my entire body.

I hopped down from the bar, my feet landing firmly on the ground. I sat down on the ground, positioning my knees upward as I lay flat on my back. I put my hands behind my head, pushing myself forward to bring my chest to my knees. My feet remained planted firmly as I continued this action. Next, I did crunches. My core burned with each crunch and I learned to love that burn.

I was pounding out crunches, my core shaking with each rep. The effort of engaging my abs and pulling my abdomen towards my chest made my muscles burn, but the adrenaline rush of the workout kept me going. With each crunch, I could feel myself getting stronger, and the satisfaction of that was almost as satisfying as the workout itself. I was determined to keep pushing myself, and the sweat on my brow and the burning of my muscles were just proof that I needed to know that I was making progress. I was focused, determined, and strong, and nothing was going to stop me as I continued to build my core strength.

The sound of my grunts echoed off the walls as I continued to push myself. I was now doing push-ups, and my left leg lifted slightly. I brought my chest close to the floor, my eyes trained on the wall in front of me. Using my strength, I pushed myself back up.