6

25

"Emerson?" Aubrey placed a hand on my back. Shocked, I looked up at him.

"Yeah, sorry."  I could've been sitting there for a minute or an hour, I didn't know. In the time I had been deep in thought he had dressed completely and laced his shoes up.

"Are you okay?" Aubrey sat next to me on the edge of the bed, keeping his hand on my back. "You can stay here if you want."

"No, I can't." I ran a hand over my face. "Aubrey, I can't let you and Jace put yourselves in danger if I'm not willing to."

"You seem to be having second thoughts on this whole thing though. You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I do, and I'm not having second thoughts. I'm just thinking about it." Something felt off to me, I wasn't sure what but something was wrong. We couldn't halt now, we needed to end this. I had a feeling that tonight would be that night. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess." He shrugged. "It's not the first time I've put myself in these situations. I'm as comfortable as someone knowing they could die could be."

"How do you deal with this? It's scary." I looked up at him and he had sympathy in his eyes. "You could loose everything and it doesn't phase you?"

"It normally doesn't affect me." He sighed. "I learned long ago to detach yourself from emotions. That's why I've been fine in the past. But it's different now, I have something to stay alive for." His hand grabbed mine and gave it a squeeze. "Please be safe tonight."

"Only if you do." I gave him a small smile.

"If we don't die tonight we should..." He trailed off.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"We should what, Aubrey?" I said shyly.

"Maybe hang out some more."

"Is that your way of asking me out?" I let out a small laugh.

"I guess so."

"Well, if we live then yes, we can hang out some more." He smiled at me and squeezed my hand once more.

"I was serious though, be safe." He spoke quietly.

"So was I." My had came up and cupped his face. "When you said you cared about me, I wanted to say I cared too. I mean I've said it before, but I don't think you know what I meant." My fingers traced along his jawline.

Before I knew it his lips were smashed against mine. His arms were wrapped around me, not allowing an escape. The word kissing didn't due this justice; this was like we were never going to see each other again. His tongue was forceful, yet passionate. My arms were wrapped around his neck, trying to pull him closer, if that was even possible.

The kiss was the longest one we'd shared and defiantly the most memorable. We pulled away his finger brushed my hair from my face and he looked me in the eye when he spoke.

"I don't want to loose you tonight."

~~

The warehouse was rundown and boarded up. It reminded me of the night Aubrey and I went into the shady part of Toronto together. The feeling was similar, but not the same.

The mood between the three of us was different then it had been in the past. Jace didn't crack wise jokes and Aubrey hadn't been warning us to shut up as we approached the building. My complains weren't heard either. All of us knew what we were walking in to may be the very last time we see each other.

I walked next to Aubrey and Jace walked a little behind. Alex stayed back and I couldn't blame her. This wasn't her war to fight and it really wasn't the boys' either, this was mine. I knew my protests for the boys to stay behind would've gone ignored anyway.