The Darkest Minds FanFiction

No

He was standing there, all warm eyed and relaxed. Slowly, slowly, I walked to him. I reached up, pressed my lips against his, and felt his lips move against mine. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer, closer. Finally, we came up for air.
"Hi," I said, breathless and happy.
"Hi." He just stared at me, searching my eyes, looking for something. Anything. Grief glazed over, mixed with anger. I felt his arms tense around me, felt him ready to buck like a wild horse.
What is wrong with him? Liam never gets like this. Something was off. I felt his arms untwine from my waist. They traveled up my back, over my arms, and behind my neck. I kept staring into his eyes, his angry, vengeful, distraught eyes. What happened? I felt his hands wrap around my neck, but they weren't gentle, as they usually were. Then I felt his thumbs wrap around my throat, ready to push down, push my life down and out. Extinguish me like a flame. Cole. I felt a tear streak down my face, but I didn't fight Liam. How could I? I my heart I knew this was right. I deserved to die.
"You! You're the reason I'm an only child! You're the reason Cole is dead! You have no right to live! No! Right!" He began to squeeze, pushing his thumbs into the hollow of my throat. I gagged.
"I know," I gasped. Tears were streaming out. I couldn't stop crying! COLE! My mind just kept repeating his name, sending images of him to the front of my mind. The time I first saw him use his abilities. His face when we sparred. His dead body, tied to a chair, burning and bloody. Dead. Dead, dead, dead, dead, DEAD!
"I know, Lee. I know! I'm SORRY! I'm sorry, Lee, I'm so sorry." My vision was going black at the edges, and Lee's face was starting to blur. The tears didn't help my vision, but they just wouldn't stop. Underneath the pain and sorrow, I swear I could hear Liam's quiet sobbing. His hands didn't seize up on my neck. I gasped for any amount of air, but it just kept getting darker and darker and darker.

I woke with a start, something wet coating me. Sweat. A cold sweat. And tears. My throat felt raw. I must've screamed. I curled in on myself, clutching my knees to my chest, sobbing lightly. Liam burst into my room, his hair a mess, pj pants hanging loosely from his hips, his face full of fear and worry. He glanced around the room looking for a threat. Not seeing one, he slowly walked over to me like he was approaching a scared animal, looking upset and...was that worry? I felt his hand rubbing circles on my back, but I shrugged it off. He looked hurt and confused, and that made me feel even worse. What was I doing to this boy? Why was I hurting him so much?
"Ruby?" That's all he said. We stayed silent for another moment, both of us still as stones.
"Sit for a minute. I need to tell you something." He looked scared, but he sat.
"Lee,I'm sorry." I couldn't think of what else to say. He looked confused. Then his eyes widened and he said,"No. Ruby, no. Don't you dare make me forget about you again. You said you wouldn't!" I almost cringed. Even after all we'd been through, he would never be able to trust me again. I broke it. I did it. I hurt him. I swallowed.
"No. That's not what I meant. I-" I couldn't talk. Couldn't breath. "Do you hate me?" He looked at me like I was insane.
"What?! Ruby, where is this coming from?"
"I had a dream." I went on to tell him, in detail, about my dream, and everything that happened. He looked down, almost ashamed at himself, though I couldn't understand why.
"Darlin', is that what you think? I promise you, as upset as I am about...his...death, I know you didn't cause it." His voice cracked and wobbled saying his.
"But don't you hate me? I ruined your life. I played with your mind, put you in more danger than you already were. I was extra baggage, Liam! How could you not hate me?!"
He looked at me, his eyes so full of pain it hurt, black circles starting to show.
"I love you, Ruby. Since I saw you in the back of that black van, I loved you. A few mishaps aren't going to change that. I promise." The thing is, I wanted to believe him.
"Don't promise." He understood what I meant. I knew he did. Don't make a promise you won't be able to keep. He stared at me, and then pulled my hands away from clasping my knees. He pulled me towards him, until I was sitting in his lap, my legs splayed on the bed, my left side against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close, but I knew the dream wouldn't play out. Not today, at least. He kissed the top of my head, cradling me against him. Just holding me. Rubbing soft circles into my back.

I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, but eventually, Liam moved my back under the covers so I could sleep again.
"No, stay," I whispered. He stroked my hair, and then climbed into bed after me. I put my head in the crook of his arm, and he wrapped me into his body, holding me, protecting me from the night terrors. We fell asleep like that, making sure the other was still there, still alive, still safe.