Fight With Me

Chapter 41

⸻

Hope's POV

It is Hope's idea.

That is the part she will hate herself for later.

Josie is pale, curled into her side on the couch, breathing shallow like every inhale costs too much. Hope keeps rubbing circles into her back, trying to ground both of them, but it is not working. Every time Josie winces, Hope's stomach turns with her.

"This isn't helping," Hope says quietly, more to herself than anyone else.

Josie lifts her head. Her eyes are glassy. "I feel sick because you're sick."

Hope swallows. The thought sits heavy and terrifying in her chest.

"What if," Hope starts, then stops. She closes her eyes. Forces the words out. "What if we step away for a bit. Just us. No spells. No watching. If the bond is reacting to us feeding it, maybe space helps."

Josie stiffens instantly. Fear flashes sharp and bright.

"I don't want that," Josie says. Her voice cracks. "I don't want to be without you."

Hope cups her face. "I know. I don't either. But look at you. You can barely sit up."

Josie hesitates. Her breath stutters. She is always trying to be good. To fix things.

"If it helps you," Josie says finally. "If it makes you feel better. I can do it."

Hope's chest tightens. "We do it together. We check in. We stop if it hurts."

Josie nods, trusting her completely.

That is what makes it so much worse.

⸻

Josie's POV

They start small.

Hope goes upstairs. Josie stays in the living room. It is the same house. The same air. Josie tells herself this is fine.

It is not fine.

The second Hope's footsteps fade, Josie's stomach flips violently. She presses a hand to her mouth, breath coming fast.

No. No no no.

She tries to stand. Her legs buckle. She drops back onto the couch hard, vision swimming.

It feels like something has been ripped out of her chest. Not emotionally. Physically. Like a limb missing that her body keeps trying to move.

"Hope," Josie whispers, already crying.

Her skin goes cold. Sweat breaks out along her spine. Magic sparks painfully under her ribs, misfiring, useless and wild.

She hears Hope's voice in her head. Or maybe she imagines it. She cannot tell anymore.

She lurches forward and throws up onto the floor, gagging, sobbing through it.

"I'm sorry," Josie cries, to no one. "I'm so sorry."

⸻

Hope's POV

Hope makes it five steps into the hallway.

Then she doubles over.

The nausea hits like a punch. Her vision tunnels. Her heart starts racing so fast it scares her. She braces herself against the wall, gasping.

"Oh god," she whispers. "Josie."

Her knees give out. She slides down the wall, clutching her stomach as pain twists sharp and cruel through her. Her magic flares instinctively, panicked, and slams back into her like feedback.

She hears crying.

Josie's crying.

It is distant and muffled but it is unmistakable.

Hope crawls toward the stairs, hands shaking. Every movement makes the pain worse. Her body screams at her to go back, to fix this, to stop whatever is happening.

"I thought this would help," Hope sobs. "I thought I was helping."

She retches onto the carpet, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry," she says out loud, voice breaking. "I'm so sorry, Jo. Please don't hurt."

⸻

Josie's POV

Josie is crying so hard she can barely breathe.

Her chest hurts. Her head hurts. Everything hurts.

She hears Hope crying too. She knows she does. She feels it like pressure behind her eyes, like grief that is not entirely hers.

"This is my fault," Josie says, rocking back and forth on the floor. "I should have said no. I should have stayed with you."

Her magic pulses erratically, flaring then dying, like it cannot decide whether to fight or surrender.

She presses her forehead to the floor, sobbing. "Please come back. I don't care if it's bad. I don't care if it hurts. I just want you."

Her stomach twists again and she vomits, shaking violently.

"I'm sorry," she cries. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I never wanted to hurt you."

⸻

Freya's POV

Freya hears it before she understands it.

Crying. Not normal crying. Desperate, broken sounds coming from two different parts of the house.

She freezes.

Then Keelin is moving. Rebekah is already on her feet.

Freya does not cast a spell. She runs.

She finds Josie first, collapsed on the living room floor, pale and shaking, tears soaking into the carpet.

"Hope," Josie gasps when she sees her. "Please. She needs me."

Freya does not argue. She scoops Josie up carefully, heart pounding, and carries her toward the stairs.

They find Hope halfway there, curled on her side, eyes red, breathing shallow.

The second they see each other, both girls break.

Hope reaches for her like she is drowning. Josie sobs her name, clinging to her neck.

"I'm sorry," Hope cries, holding her too tight. "I thought space would help. I was wrong."

Josie shakes her head frantically. "No. I agreed. I hurt you too. I'm so sorry. I'll never leave you again."

They cling to each other, shaking, sick, crying so hard it steals the air from the room.

Keelin turns away, eyes wet.

Rebekah presses a hand over her mouth.

Freya stands there, helpless, watching two girls apologize to each other for pain neither of them knows how to stop.

And she realizes something terrifying.

This was them trying to be careful.

And it almost destroyed them anyway.