Fire In Our Bones (NovaHD)

Chapter 30 (Final)

Kyle hadn't spoken since they dragged Sam into the forest. Cooper kept glancing at him, nervous that he was going into shock. He had no doubt that killing Sam had been the right thing to do, but he had always wanted to protect Kyle from the pain of seeing his brother die, and he had failed. 

Wiping his hands on his jeans, Cooper kicked one last clod of dirt and leaves onto the makeshift grave. Behind him, he heard Kyle sigh deeply, the sound of many years of pain being released. Before he could turn to console him, Cooper felt arms circle his chest and the warmth of his best friend pressed against him. Closing his eyes, Cooper sighed too, relief flooding his chest.

"I'm glad I shot him," Kyle said quietly after a moment. "He didn't love me. He used to, but he forgot how."

There was a silence until Cooper couldn't stand it any longer. "I'm sorry I left," he blurted out. "It was stupid. Maybe the stupidest thing I've ever done."

He felt Kyle shake his head, his hair tickling his neck.

"It's ok. Things worked out in the end, didn't they?"

Cooper turned around, breaking out of Kyle's embrace. He made eye contact and held it.

"I mean it. It was unbelievably selfish. I belong with you and Charlotte, wherever that will be now."

"Thanks," Kyle said raggedly. "I missed you, man."

"Me too."

They began their trek back, Cooper thinking as hard as he ever had before. He had to make things right for Kyle. Whatever went down with Kate and the others, he was going to get Kyle, Charlotte and himself out of there for good.

He nudged Kyle, who was walking beside him.

"Hey, when we get back, go to your tent and get everything you want. I'll find Charlotte."

"She doesn't even know you're alive!"

"Well she'll have a nice surprise then, won't she?"

Kyle was silent for a moment before asking, "What about James and Aleks?"

"They have their own plans. James has wanted to leave for a while. They'll be fine."

The rest of the way back, the two men stayed silent, wrapped up in their own thoughts. Soon, everything that they knew would be changing. For better or for worse.

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Aleks watched James and Charlotte interact out of the corner of his eye. Despite the warmth their cute exchanges brought him, there was still tightness in his chest. He kept staring out at the woods, uneasy. Cooper and Kyle should be back soon. Sam might be gone, but things couldn't be so simple, he knew it. Every time a branch snapped or a bush rustled, he started, expecting the two men, or even Kate. He kept imagining her coming towards him with a gun in her hand and a mirror of Sam's smile on her face, and it wasn't helping.

He hadn't noticed James' and Charlottes' voices stop, so he startled when a hand gripped his shoulder.

"Hey," James said in a hushed voice. "You look tense. Looking for them?"

Aleks nodded, glancing back to where Charlotte sat, swinging her feet over the side of the log.

"What do you think they plan on doing when they get here?"

"I don't know for sure, but I imagine they want to leave as soon as they can. As we should be doing too."

"Not until they get back," Aleks almost snapped.