𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄'𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 | an apocalyptic novel ©

Chapter 84

Scarred Heart

2035

Valencia

We are here, in safety. That's what I want myself to believe. I can feel my mind drifting from time to time to Henry.

Is he safe? He will be.

I can see Aidan glancing at me sometimes, although I try to push away the recent things between us.

We are strangers. Nothing more. There is nothing between us. And there will never be. I already know the actual answer to that, I don't believe myself here.

The night eventually comes over us. It's been a long time. Or maybe that's just me being aware of every minute I now spend with Aidan. We make our way through the entire mall, back and forth, two times. At one point, we reached the end that was possibly affected by one of the anomalies, the third floor.

There is trash on the floor, but not just things from inside the shopping mall. No, there is an overturned park bench and a fence. And everywhere are puddles, leaves, branches and tree bark.

A tornado. That's my first thought. I look up to the ceiling, my mouth leaving wide agape.

The roof has a huge crack. There is something that could have been a glass overhead window. Now it's shattered and an entire tree is leaning inside. We are up three stories.

So it must have been a tornado that brought an entire tree in here. The tree is so big that it blocks the path to the second half of the shopping mall on the third story - the one we are on.

I look past the branches of the tree into the clear night sky. Aidan sees me staring.

"So, you like stargazing?" His low voice surprises me.

I nod. A smile spreads on his face. Suddenly, he is pointing upwards, to the outside of the roof. "You know, we could find a way up there. Somehow..."

I shake my head. No, no, this must be the stupidest idea I could ever have.

And yet it sounds daring.

Don't get your hopes up.

But I know that I have already done that. I catch myself noticing how much I have stood in one place, overthinking the possibilities without answering.

I'm being yanked in one direction. Aidan grabbed my arm and pulled me toward a clothing store. "What are you doing?" I ask, halfway complaining but Aidan ignores my question.

"I want to see the stars." is his simple answer. I scoff.

"It's not my problem when you throw yourself off of the building, you know?" I murmur to myself. I've been too loud.

"Ah, sure. And you would not throw yourself off of it too, to go after me."

I blink, confused.

"See, got you speechless."

I shake my head. "No, no, you fucking haven't!" I inhale, to argue.

But Aidan looks at me, really stares into my soul. "I guess we both know the answer to that."

I sigh, giving in. Yes, yes, I guess we do.

Just when I close my eyes to calm down the frustration rising in my blood, I'm being startled by a crashing noise. "Come on, we're seeing the stars either way. We could die at any given point. Why not end it with a nice view?" Aidan says, pulling me toward something.