𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 || 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭

𝟏𝟕: 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐰

  She was clumsily caught by her waist and her arm, then pulled back up into a standing position.

"Soph? Soph can you hear me?!"

The world swung into focus again, and for a second her sight connected with blue eyes staring into her own. The hat that was once on his head was long gone, and his curls had relaxed into messy waves. But it was still the very person she had willed to find her.

"Walker...?"

The image slid away as her head lolled backwards, but his hand caught it, fingers burying into her hair as he tilted her face back towards his own.

"Woah woah okay, I got you. What happened?" His words screamed concern, but they were muffled as they reached her ears.

"Who did this to you?" He asked, pulling his other hand from her waist and brushing away the hair that stuck to her forehead.

Sophia's breathing was shallow as she shook her head. "Uhm...Archer...a drink..." she scrunched her eyes shut, listening to her own slurred words. "I can't think."

A hand that made her skin crawl clamped onto her shoulder. The voice that followed was worse. "I got her man, you can go."

She forced her eyes open, and though she couldn't see Archer behind her, Walker's expression said it all. Protectiveness and anger radiated from his face. His voice dripped with venom.

"Stay the hell away from her."

Archer's grip tightened on Sophia's shoulder. "Oh yeah? Why would I do that?"

Walker's hand moved from the back of Sophia's head to her waist, pulling her to his side and out of Archer's grasp.

"Because she came here with me." He replied evenly. "Now fuck off."

Sophia looked up through heavily lidded eyes and saw Archer's fists were balled in anger, but even through his drunken rage he knew he wouldn't win this fight. In a second he had disappeared back into the crowd, and she released the breath she was holding, slumping back against Walker.

"Idontthinkicanstayawakewalker-" The words tumbled from her mouth with her exhaled breath, and she took in another one as her heartbeat thudded in her chest.

"Yes you can. I'm gonna get you to Charlie, just hold on."

He readjusted his grip on her waist, pulling her arm over his shoulder as he raced through the sea of people.

"Why'd you come looking for me?"

"It's my fatal flaw I guess."

All she could see was her own feet stumbling across the dirty floor.

"Charlie! Charlie!" They were almost to the balcony as Walker continued to yell. "We need help over here!"

They burst outside, the breeze feeling like a splash of freezing water as it hit her face. She wished she could lift her head enough to see the skyline, but it stayed slumped against Walker's shoulder.

"Holy shit guys what happened?" She heard Charlie's voice at the same time that his steady hands grabbed her shoulders.

"I realized she wasn't out here and went back in to get her. Found her like this."

A rush of footsteps surrounded them, their owners murmuring in concern. She cracked her eyes open again to see Aryan, Leah, Dior, McKenna, and Momo surrounding her.

"Back up, she needs to sit down." Walker knelt as he lowered her against the wall, his own body falling into place besides hers so she could still use his shoulder as a headrest.