The Race

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Before I woke up, I was having the most horrible dream.  For some reason, I was trying to kill Kier.  I couldn’t remember much, just aiming my gun at him and shooting. 

But in the back of my mind, something was telling me that it hadn’t been a dream.

My head was pounding before I could open my eyes.  My breathing was heavy also.  But the heart that was beating wildly in my ear wasn’t my own. 

“Lennox?” Kier’s voice whispered softly in my ear.

I didn’t know why, but I suddenly felt tears running down my face.  My breath hitched when I breathed in deep. 

“Lennox, are you awake?”

“Please tell me that was a dream,” I whispered into his seemingly bare.

I heard him sigh.  That meant it probably wasn’t.  My tears started streaming down heavier. 

“Oh, my God,” I moaned.  “So it wasn’t.”

I felt Kier’s arms tighten around me and he kissed the top of my head. 

I realized then that we were lying down in the sleeping bags.  I wrapped one arm around his waist as we lay there and wiped my face with the other.  I was tired of crying, especially in front of Kier.  But this time, given what had happened, I let myself continue until I felt like I couldn’t cry anymore.  Kier held me the entire time, rubbing small circles on my back and kissing my forehead.  It was the most comfortable I’d felt in forever.

“Thanks,” I said, leaning my head back so I could look him straight in the eyes. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, cupping my face in his hands.  “You haven’t been out for that long, but still.  After I knocked you out – sorry about that, by the way – I flew us out and over the mountain range.  It’s night now.”

I nodded.  “Yeah, I’m okay,” I said.  “Just a little headache, but that’s it.”  I looked into his eyes.  “The real question is are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding slowly.  “It’s just…everything happened so quickly and I didn’t know what was happening.  You were gone.  I looked for you.  But when you finally came back, I knew something was wrong with you before you even aimed your gun at me and shot.  I know you, Lennox, and that certainly wasn’t you.  I…”

“I’m so sorry!” I choked out, my eyes filling with tears again.  “They came up on me so quickly and…and didn’t have time to do anything!”

“Lennox…” Kier started, but I cut him off again.

“And then I was in another concrete room, but this time strapped to a chair.  Then the medical official walked in, said some things about the next obstacle, and then shot me in the arm with something that made me think of you as the target.  I didn’t remember you at all!  All I thought when I saw you was that you had to be killed and I…”

Before I could say another word, Kier took my face in both of his hands and pressed his mouth to mine, effectively shutting me up.  I whimpered and wrapped my arms more securely around him.  He rolled over so that he was on top of me, straddling my waist.  I threaded my fingers through his hair, pulling him closer to me. 

He kissed me until I was breathless and holding him as tightly as I possibly could.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered again.

“Lennox,” he said, closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against mine.  “Stop apologizing.” 

“But I feel like I have to.  If you wouldn’t have moved out of the way in time, you could have been killed.  I…I don’t know what I would do without you now,” I whispered.  “Yeah, you’ve only been in my life for a little while, but that’s how I feel.”