Afterlight (Fanfiction) ✓

chapter fifty

Jay

     I watched the taillights disappear into the night, my pulse thrumming in my ears. Every rational part of me told me to let her go, to give her space, to let her figure things out on her own. But then I remembered—every damn time I took my eyes off Chloe, something happened to her.

She got hurt. She got taken. She ended up in some fucked-up situation that I wasn't there to stop.

And I wasn't having it.

There was only one thing I could do—follow them. I wasn't about to give Chloe up, not after everything we'd been through. I would follow her across the entire continent if I had to because there was still a chance. A chance that she'd come to her senses, that she'd realize I wasn't the one who killed Brad, that all the shit standing between us would fall away, and we could go back to how things were supposed to be.

That was what I was going to fight for.

"I'm going after her. Get your stuff, we're going."

Nick stood beside me, his arms crossed, his jaw set. But he didn't move. He didn't even look at me. "No."

The word hit me harder than it should have, sharp and unexpected. I swallowed hard, my hands clenching at my sides. "Don't, Nick," I warned, my voice low. He was my best friend, a brother, and I needed him.

He exhaled, shaking his head. "I think it's better for her to return to her gang. The more important thing is getting the truth. Proving you're innocent."

"I get that," I snapped, "but we can do it while she's with us. Nick, she's your friend too." My voice hardened as I stepped closer. "What you just saw? That's not my Chloe. You saw it in her eyes, the way she hesitated when I told her to stay. She listened, Nick. She wanted to stay." I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay calm. "I know her, and I know she's hurt and confused, but she'd always choose me in the end. So get your shit and help me get my girl back."

Nick ran a hand over his face, looking away for a second before exhaling heavily. "Jay... I get it. I do. But what she's doing to you? It's torment." His voice dropped, quieter now, but no less serious. "The girl you love thinks of you as a murderer. Not just any murderer—her brother's." He let the words hang in the air between us, letting them sink in like the knife to the gut they were.

I looked away, my jaw tight. I knew that. I fucking knew that. But it didn't change a damn thing about how I felt about her.

Nick sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I understand, really I do. I've been where you are. May thought I killed her cousin once. Do you have any idea what that's like? Watching the person you love look at you like you're the worst thing that ever happened to them?" His voice cracked slightly, but he recovered fast. "I wanted to fix it. I needed to fix it. And if I had to go through hell to do it, I would've."

I let out a slow breath, tension easing just slightly from my shoulders. Nick stepped forward, offering his hand. The handshake we'd had since we met, the one that meant more than words ever could. "I just want you to be happy, man." His voice softened.

I clasped his hand, gripping tight before pulling him in for a quick pat on the back.

"Fine," he said, pulling away with a small smirk, "let's go find that girl of yours."

* * *

Chloe

Once Raven pulled onto the main road, he wouldn't shut up. His constant bitching about Justin and their fight was already grating on my nerves, and we hadn't even been driving for ten minutes. If this was how the entire ride was going to be, I was pretty sure I'd lose my mind before we even made it back to the house.