Echoes of Wonderland

Stay with me

Chloe's POV

We step back inside the barn, the warmth immediately wrapping around us as we leave the cold rain behind. The storm still rages outside, a steady drum of rain against the roof, but here it feels like a different world—quiet, warm, safe. Celia and Dizzy are still fast asleep in their corners, curled up in their makeshift beds of hay and blankets, oblivious to the storm and to everything else that's happened tonight.

Red and I move as quietly as we can, changing into dry clothes and trying not to disturb them. I pull on a loose shirt, still damp from the rain, and glance over at Red as she finishes, her movements slow and deliberate, like she's in her head again, wrestling with thoughts she won't say out loud.

She settles down first, sitting with her back against one of the wooden beams, her legs stretched out in front of her. Her hair is still damp, sticking to her skin in soft waves, and her face—god, her face looks so peaceful. Her eyes are closed, her breathing steady, and for the first time in what feels like forever, she's not running. Not moving. Just still.

I sit down across from her, leaning back against the opposite beam, my eyes tracing the lines of her face. There's something in this quiet moment, in the way the tension has melted from her shoulders, that makes my chest ache. It's so rare to see her like this—at peace, even for a little while—and I can't help but let my heart swell with the familiar ache that's been there for as long as I've known her.

The way she looks right now, serene and calm, like the storm inside her has finally eased—it's beautiful. And I don't want to break the stillness between us, but the words are there, pushing up from deep inside me before I can stop them.

- I don't think I could ever love someone the way I love you. - I whisper, the words slipping out before I can catch them.

Red's eyes flutter open just slightly, her head turning toward me as if to make sure she heard me right. Her gaze finds mine, and for a moment, there's something vulnerable in her eyes, something raw and unguarded.

- I'm here. - I add, softer now, the words almost a promise. - And I'm not going anywhere.

She closes her eyes again for a second, taking a deep breath.

- Chloe... I'm sorry. For everything. - Her voice is quiet, shaky.

The apology hits me like a punch to the chest, but not in the way she probably expects. There's so much weight behind those words, so much pain and regret, and I can feel it all in the way her voice trembles.

- Enough. You don't have to apologize anymore, Red. - I say gently, shaking my head. - Not for this.

- No, I do. - She insists, her voice stronger now, like she's forcing herself to push through the hesitation. - I've spent so long running away, pushing you away, and it's not fair. Not to you, not to me. - She pauses, her hands clenched into fists in her lap. - I thought if I kept you at arm's length, it would hurt less. But all I did was make everything worse.

I can see the guilt written all over her face, the way her body tightens under the weight of it. She's been carrying this for so long, holding it all inside, and now it's spilling out, raw and messy.

I move closer, shifting so I'm sitting right next to her, my hand reaching up to cup her cheek. She leans into the touch, her eyes fluttering shut again, and when she opens them, I see the conflict in her gaze—the war between what she feels and what she thinks she deserves.

- You don't have to do this alone anymore. - I say, my voice steady but soft. - You never did.

Her eyes search mine, like she's still trying to make sense of what I'm offering, still not sure if she can let herself trust it.