Don't let go: Joel Miller x OC

Wilted Roses

⚠️ There is a scene near the end of this chapter between Joel and Ava, that some readers may find triggering/ upsetting...
————————————————————————-
It felt like a lifetime before he eventually managed to force out a shaky word. As if to question his entire reality he narrowed his eyes, doing everything in his power to tune out the ringing within his ears, ignore the sudden dizziness of his head and pain within his chest, "Tess?"

He could feel the blood draining from his body, his skin ashen as he watched the woman's face contort to concern. Her brows knitting together as her eyes attempted to search his. Her voice was steady and eerily calm as she spoke, "Joel, it's me..."

Joel cautiously edged towards the iron bars of the cell that this hallucination was locked behind, a subtle uneasy tremor to his limbs. His arm gingerly reached out through the gaps of the metal grill and with a trembling finger, he gently grazed it over her dirt stained cheek. If it was a dream, he wouldn't feel it... He felt everything. His finger tips lingering as his mind processed the sense. Warm and slightly clammy, he could feel the grit from the dirt chafing his prints but most importantly, it was real. She was real.

He let out a shaky breath as he removed his touch from her skin. He could feel each and every muscle in his body drop at the realisation of what he was looking at. A thousand thoughts racing through his mind, none of which falling into the realms of coherent as he fumbled with the keys, eager to embrace his long lost partner.

Without any further hesitation he swung the bars of the door open and rushed to wrap his arms around her. He held onto her tightly- maybe a little too tightly, squeezing her shoulders into him but he had to make sure that she was really there. Her familiar warmth and scent almost making him choke up. Her face buried into the crook of his neck, her arms equally taut around his middle.

Joel wasn't one for emotion but fuck, he was feeling a whole lot of it right now.

His hands moved to grip each of her shoulders as he carefully peeled her away from him. His eyes seemingly searching hers for a silent logical answer but not one coming to mind. How could this be?

"Shit." He muttered to himself before incoherently spewing out his thoughts.

"How- I- shit... Fuck! I thought you were dead! How the fuck...?"

Tess swallowed thickly. She looked somewhat relieved to have found him... Had she been looking for him this whole time? Had she been in her own? How did she make the trip alone? But most importantly how on earth was she still alive? The image of her body sprawled limp within a small puddle of blood on the tiles tearing through his mind. He saw her. Why didn't she shout? Was she unconscious? Had she just accepted her fate? He should have gone back... should have checked but even if he did... she was infected, wasn't she?

Joel's brows knitted together as he continued to look into her soul, "I saw your body...they shot you...n' the bite. How in the goddamn hell are you alive?"

"It's a long fucking story..." She trailed off as she briefly dipped her head from his intense stare.

He dragged a disbelieving palm down his face, half expecting her apparition to vanish as he cleared his eyes. She was still there, just inches in front of him. The shock, the thrill, the panic then all morphing into one and contorting into a tidal wave of guilt ready to pull him under. A deep breath was taken as he shook his head, "Shit, Tess. I swear to god that I thought..."

She shook her head as she gripped his chin, tilting his head back up to meet her eyes, "I know...It don't fucking matter..."

"Tess..."