Healing Hearts

39 || blades

Emmalyn ⋆｡°✩

I notice him slightly opening his eyes, his face battered and bruised from the brutal blows inflicted by those men he tried so desperately to fend off.

"Mateo, Mateo," i whispered, my voice barely more than a breath, but i couldn't help myself.

After days of silence, speaking feels strange, almost foreign. Fear courses through me, a deep, paralyzing fear.

Though they haven't harmed me physically, being tied in the same position for days has left my body aching and exhausted.

I used to endure long periods without food, but now the relentless hunger gnaws at me, draining my strength with each passing moment.

Mateo slowly shakes his head, and i look at him, my eyes filled with worry and concern. I try to move my arms, but the ropes binding me to this old, creaky chair cut into my skin, holding me in place.

"Emma..." he whispers, his voice strained with pain.

"I... fuck, i'm so sorry i couldn't get us out," he mutters, his gaze darting around the room, avoiding me.

"I tried, i really did." His words hit me hard, my heart aching with the shared weight of our despair.

"I know, i know," i say quickly, trying to calm him even as i see the anxiety and guilt tightening his chest.

He still refuses to meet my eyes, his body straining against the ropes.

"Look at me," i urge, and he finally turns his gaze toward me, his dark eyes softening the moment they meet mine.

His hair is disheveled, his skin paler than usual, making his injuries stand out even more starkly. I study his face, noticing the dark circles under his eyes, evidence of the sleepless nights he's endured.

"It's okay. I know you tried. What happened out there? How did you end up here?" i ask, my voice gentle, and he visibly relaxes at my words.

"Ash," he breathes out.

"Ash? Oh," i say, realization dawning on me as i recognize the name.

"He and his guys helped me get here, take out a few of the guards outside. I was supposed to get you out, but... the universe just hates me, doesn't it?" he says bitterly, recalling how his father had interrupted their plan before they could complete the rescue.

"Do Melina and Elias know?" i ask, fear creeping into my voice, knowing how reckless Mateo can be.

He hesitates before slowly shaking his head, and my anxiety spikes.

"Why?" i whisper, my heart pounding.

"They wouldn't have let me do this," he explains, and i nod, understanding that Melina and Elias would have stopped him for good reason.

"For a reason," i exclaim, my hands trembling as the reality of our situation sinks in once more.

Mateo sighs, his gaze dropping back to the floor, and i follow suit.

"Well, at least you're here now. It was getting pretty lonely," i joke, attempting to lighten the mood with a forced smile, though i know we're both consumed by the chaos of our thoughts.