The End of Her World

Chapter Twenty Nine: Love

Katrina woke on the ragged leather seats of Jason's jeep. Rain lashed against the windows, in a calming thrum. She lay on soggy towel, stained with random splatters of blood. The pain from her bullet wounds had subsided into a nearly ignorable throb. Twisting to see her wound, she saw that it was bound in a simple linen cloth. Shrugging she looked around. The Jeep was idling; it's motor humming from deep within its maw. Jason was nowhere to be seen. But Cooper sat in the passenger seat; his head tipped back, his eyes half closed. Katrina remembered the feeling of his lips pressing against hers. A funny little jolt sprang up in her chest, one that she used to only feel around Fade.

"Hey," Cooper murmured. "How are you feeling?"

"Not to bad. What did you do to me?"

"Battle field first aid," he answered, a cocky smirk playing across his lips. Her stomach did a strange twist as he smiled at her.

"Where's my dad?"

"Out there, checking into a hostel. He wants to safeguard it before we get a room."

"Typical Dad," sighed Katrina. "I guess it's reasonable as we are being hunted by the government and the police and the army."

Cooper laughed quietly. "Yeah."

Jason flung open the door, grasping a poncho around him. His hair was plastered to his face. "Come on," he shouted above the wind.

Cooper wrapped an arm around Katrina, and pulled her out into the freezing rain. She took an unsteady step forward on wobbly knees, and tottered toward the lights of the hostel that spilled out across the darkness.

Banging open the door, Jason wiped water from his face, grumbling. "You guys have a room to yourself. The room number is 201. I'm sleeping alone." He lumbered off down the hall.

"Want something to eat?" Cooper tilted his head toward the wood paneled corridor where boisterous voices emanated from.

An hour later, Cooper and Katrina was sitting at a table together, chatting amicably over fish and veal and a bottle of rum (Katrina thought the rum burned too much on the way down, but she had drunken two glasses). Cooper laughed at her last comment, and then fell silent. The restaurant was comprised of sturdy oak tables, which people crowded on and a low, low bar slung across the other side of the room where a bartender served up drink after drink.

         "What's wrong," queried Katrina in response to his length silence.

         Sucking in a deep breath, Cooper looked deep into Katrina's eyes. Swirling in his multi faceted eyes, Katrina saw emotions boiling in a storm. "Katrina, I'm in love with you." He ploughed on, ignoring her gasp. "I know this is the wrong time to say this, because Fade, your love has been captured, but I am deeply, truly in love with you."

         Katrina sat speechless. Then a roaring, panting, loving monster seized her chest and she nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "Come on," she beckoned to him. Once they were out of the restaurant, Katrina spun him around, and shoved him up against the wall, and kissed him, hard and deep. Their tongues danced together seamlessly, and as Cooper fumbled for the room key, Katrina held on to him, their lips passionately wrestling for dominance.

         They fell into bed,  and he climbed on top of Katrina, stripping off his shirt, and then pulling off hers. She could taste his sweat; feel the blood pulsing through his veins. Katrina leaned up, and pulled him into her. Their bodies danced in a fiery dance, and sweat poured off her as she was consumed in love for him. Maybe it was the painkillers or the rum or pain drunk as she was but she forgot about Fade and the world ouside as the moment came to a climax. 

         "I love you, Katrina." Cooper whispered. 

        "I love you, Cooper," Katrina murmured. Her eyes fluttered closed.