The Tangled Web | Peter Parker

Chapter 35

The ride back to Queens was mostly silent. Neither one of us knew what to say. If I'm being honest, I wasn't sure I wanted to say anything more about our close encounter with death. I had experienced a lot of events over the course of a few months, almost all of them life-threatening. But the one today felt...different. The van crashing into the parked car wasn't the same as Dr. Connors.

This was personal.

Intentional.

I pressed my back into the hard plastic seat, crossed my arms over my chest, and stared at the grimy floor of the train car, allowing the movement and hum of wheels on the track to rock me back and forth. I was in an almost trance-like state as my mind wandered in and out of thought. The occasional movement or glance from Flash was all that was keeping me present at the moment.

My eyes flicked up to the scrolling letters on the screen, indicating our stop was next. I let out a slow, quiet exhale and pressed my lips together. I turned my head to look at Flash, startled to find him already watching me. My eyes narrowed as I studied his face. This was a look I was not familiar with.

Flash stared intently, his blue eyes burning a hole in me. His leg bounced lightly, hitting his hand every time his knee shifted. Besides his anxious jittering, he was otherwise still and staring. Just staring. He somehow managed to appear exhausted, worried, and frustrated all within a single look.

The train slowed, coming to a complete stop on the platform. I quickly looked away from Flash, my head hanging low, and pushed myself out of the uncomfortable seat. I pulled on the sleeves of my jacket as I made my way to exit the train, sliding past people as I stepped onto the platform.

The sun was setting and the air was begging to grow cold from the lack of light. I pulled my jacket around me tighter, hoping to block some of the wind as I turned in circles, searching the platform for Eddie.

Where is he? He was adamant about meeting us here. Surely he's around here somewh-

My breathing hitched as I turned to face the setting sun, my eyes landing on Eddie.

He was standing a few paces away, hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket. His eyes were scanning the crowd of people exiting the train, no doubt searching for me. The golden-hour light cascaded over him, bathing him in sunshine. His expression was serious; lips pressed into a thin line, scowling as he continued searching through the sea of faces.

I felt a wave of warmth flush over me, the ache in my heart growing deeper and deeper with each moment that passed between us. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, his eyes landed on mine. His hard features softened as he looked at me.

I didn't think. I just ran. I pushed my way through the swarm of people, desperate to make my way to Eddie. I crashed into his chest, burying my face in his shirt, and almost immediately came undone.

I cried into him harder as I felt his protective arms wrap around me, sheltering me from the evils of this world. He became a barricade, pulling me closer to him, placing a hand gently on the back of my head, not allowing any men in suits to come and harass me. He stood stiffly, holding me up as I continued to weep.

I finally felt safe enough to let my guard down. My emotions, all of them from the past few days, hit me all at once. Permitting the gates to open, even the slightest amount, meant that the water came rushing for me, threatening to drown anything in its wake. It was all too much to bear. It felt as though the dam had failed and millions of gallons of water were washing over me.

"It's okay. You're okay," Eddie whispered as he placed a kiss on the side of my head. "I got you."

His assurances were like that of a hand reaching down to pull me from the water, allowing me to breathe once more as my head ascended from the dark depths below.