The Protectors; Book 3

A Love Triangle Half-Way

2 months later

Illoha's POV:

Everything was pushed back. Fox didn't get better. She has these... attacks. Nobody can get her out except Dex and I. She almost really hurt a nurse by getting her hands on a syringe. They only made it worse when they tried to restrain her. Now she's starting to remember the incidents. She just shuts people out. Everyone except Dex. I don't know what it is about him. She went from trying to kill him in every waking moment to wanting to talk to him in every waking moment. He just understands her. He doesn't judge her pain. She's not in control of herself and she knows it. Keeva's wedding is in a week. Final date. With or without Fox. If she makes it through the week with no incidents then she can go. That's it.

I decided to take her outside to get air. She always has to be accompanied, so I visit her everyday. There's an awkward tension that just sits between us, like a wall we both don't have the energy to break down.

Fox looks up, "Illoha. Incoming." She rolls her eyes as Mika struts towards me.
"With all this romance in the air it would be nice if the next wedding was ours." He smiles smugly.
Fox gags.
"You have something to say, half-breed." He sneers.
"Yeah. I have a lot to say to you, you're just not worth it." She scoffs. I try to read her mind. It's become impossible. It's just a jumbled mess.
He gets in her face, "I think you're just chicken."
"I can pluck out your antennae like a chicken." She smirks. Mika stumbles back, afraid.
She starts squawking at him and he runs off.
"Yeah who's the bloody chicken now." She snickers.
I stare at her with a big smile.
She looks at me and then looks away quickly.

The awkward tension is back.

"Illoha." Fox breaks the silence.
"Yeah?"
"Why is... he so obsessed with you?"
I look down awkwardly.

    How was I supposed to tell her that we wanted to get off this planet as quickly as possible was so that I didn't have to marry a creep, but Keekos has the best healthcare in the universe, therefore we can't leave.

"Crush." I state bluntly.
She looks at me like she's trying to figure out if I'm lying. She knows. She always knows.

"I'm sorry." She whispers.
"For what?"
Now it was her turn to think. "It's not your fault."
I look at her, puzzled, "What?"
"Malra." Her eyes look glossy. She's fighting tears.
"It's not yours!" I grab her hand. Guess we're doing this now.

"Illoha. Listen to me cause I'm gonna sound crazy." She looks me in the eyes.
"You won't be crazy." I smile.

"I... don't exist. Not really. In every other universe... you fall in love with Malra. It's a thing. Otso showed it to me when I..... when I first started loving you. I changed this universe. I changed everything. It's fate, it's relationships, the whole story is different." She explains, "With me removed from the equation it was just a matter of time. I knew that when I met Mal."

I hug her.

"It's no excuse. You should be mad at me!" Tears stream out of my eyes, "You should be screaming! I treated you horribly! And you never NEVER stopped loving me!"
She wraps her arms around me tightly, "And I never will."
I pull back.

"How?" I laugh.
"How what?" She asks confused.
"How can you still love me?!"

She smiles.

"It's easy." She kisses me softly then stops, realizing we're in public.

"Shit. There's people around." I roll my eyes.
"I can change that." Fox mumbles.
"You can leave the premises." I cross my arms.

I have a feeling that's not what she meant based on her smirk.

"Rules are meant to be broken." She shrugs.
I roll my eyes as she laughs.

"Just survive this week and we can leave." I shake my head.
She salutes half-assed, "Yes ma'am."

"You're a dork." I groan.
"Yes. Yes I am." She smiles. She rolls her eyes, "Ew. Sappy."

My dork.

(700 words)