Rubies In The Night Sky

Chapter 34

Josh's POV:

"Um, Josh I- I- mmmm....."

"What is it Hannah? You know you can tell me anything," I told Hannah.

Hannah told Lexi that she had to talk to me, then literally dragged me near one of the supply garages.

She's been trying to say what she wanted to say, for five minutes now. She just keeps hesitating.

"Just say it Hannah."

"I-I....."

Then I blink just for one second, and I feel something on my lips.

I open my eyes, and I see Hannah. Her eyes are closed, and I finally realize that her lips, are on my lips. She's kissing me. She's kissing me.

She's kissing me! Hannah Bollard is kissing me!

Hannah breaks the kiss and looks at me in a second, then runs away.

Why is she running? She kisses me, then runs away.

Sadly, she doesn't have the same speed as me. I catch up to her and catch her arm in my hand. Hannah looks up at me and gets a little scared.

"Why did you run away? And why did you kiss me?" I asked her softly.

She sighed, and I let go of her arm. Luckily, she didn't run away again, but she wouldn't look at me. Her face was facing the ground and she was fidgeting her thumbs.

"J'ai eu le béguin pour toi depuis le lycée."

I couldn't believe my own ears. Hannah just said that she has liked me ever since high school. Did she really say that?

And then Hannah finally looks me in the eye. "I should have told you a little earlier. Actually, I should have told you years ago! But, I pussied out. It's stupid how I tell you this now when we're going to be at war in a month. Well, it's better now than never," Hannah finished. She sighed and breathed out, "You don't like me, I know tha-"

I shut her up by kissing her back. How could she say that I don't like her back?

I placed my hands on her shoulders, to hold her from squirming. Once she stopped, she kissed me back and placed her hands on my chest. The kiss felt so great. Finally, after all these years of having feelings for Hannah, she actually likes me back, and KISSES me!

Hannah's hands moves, from my chest to the back of my head. And her arms finally wrapped around my neck.

Now my hands move, from her shoulders to her back. One hand on her upper back and my other hand rests on the small of her back.

How can Hannah say that I didn't have feelings for her? Some nights I would sneak out of the house when my mom and dad were sleeping, and sleep over at Hannah's. Whenever I would sneak into Hannah's room, I would make sure there was no one outside so no one would hurt her. When she was sleeping, I would protect her from imaginery criminals or invisble demons. I even killed a spider because I know she's scared of spiders. After Bonnie was born, I didn't sneak out of my house. But even then, I would protect her in school or whenever we hung out.

I fucking love Hannah Bollard.

Hannah breaks the kiss and looks up at me. She's blushing, and her clear sapphire blue eyes looking up at me, and I'm hypnotized. An ocean's waves break and crash, but in the sun, they shine like sapphires and, merde! Hannah is just so beautiful. Her long hair is like the sun itself, golden. But her hair clearly isn't as golden as her heart.

Hannah places her hand on my cheek. I place my hand on the back of hers and I kiss her palm. She blushes again, and I chuckle at her shyness. The warmth coming from Hannah's hand is phenomemal.

"You actually like me back?" Hannah whispered.

"Mhm," I smile back and kiss her palm again. "I've actually liked you since high school too. Sadly, I also pussied out when I needed to tell you that I liked you. So don't feel bad."

She smiled, and Dieu, aie pitié de mon âme. 

***

Tomorrow's the war. It's sad how we didn't tell anyone that Hannah and I have been together for the whole month. We didn't want to tell anyone because if I die..........yeah. But if I come back alive, we could tell everyone.

The sad part is that on the day we go to the battlefield, we have to break up. It's expected, but well, we have to.

"Are you two really going to fight tomorrow?" Bonnie asked me and Hannah.

"Yes baby, we have to. Maverick has done so many horrible things for the past five years. We have to make sure we stop him from doing any more," Hannah said softly.

"I just can't believe it. He really did those things."

"He did, ange," I said hugging Bonnie. She hugged me back, and as soon as her face hit my shoulder, my shirt felt wet.

"Ange, why are you crying?" me and Hannah ask her. Hannah wipes away her tears and I rub Bonnie's back to calm her down.

"I still can't remember you! I still don't remember any of you! And I really don't believe that Maverick could do those bad things! Oh my God, I'm so horrible," Bonnie cried out. I pulled my baby sister into my arms.

"Don't ever say you're horrible. Don't even think you're horrible. You are an amazing little girl and I am proud to call you my sister."

"Do you really mean that, Josh?" Bonnie asked.

I kiss her forehead and say, "I mean every word."

My baby sister smiles. She hugs me and then Hannah, and tells us she's going to bed.

"I'll try to remember as fast as I can," Bonnie said while running up the stairs.

I smile, then get my switchblade from my coffee table.

I look at the carvings I made on the handle. Two roses, one with an 'A' on the side, and the other rose with a 'B' beside it. 'A' for Adelina my mother, and 'B' for Bonnie.

I visualize my mother, looking exactly like the Disney princess Belle and very much like her. Beautiful, patient, kind. 'I miss you, maman. Bonnie's alive, but she doesn't remember us. I swear, she will remember us soon, and she'll remember how beautiful and loving you were.'

And then I visualize Bonnie, a copy of my mother. She was three years old when she ran away scared, from witnessing our mother being murdered, and seeing my violent reaction with the Sin Soldiers. Now she's back to me five years later, now eight years old. 'You're the only family I have left. I am willing to protect you with my life.'

Hannah hugs me from the back, which comforts me. I turn around and hug her back. Her head rests on my shoulder and I feel her shaking.

"Don't cry baby," I try to comfort her.

"Everything will be okay, right?" she asks me, looking up at me with her blue eyes.

I stare into them and then I say, "Of course everything's gonna be okay. Let's just get some sleep."

Hannah nods and we walk upstairs to my room. There, we see Bonnie already asleep on the right side of my bed. I lay down in the middle, and Hannah lies on the left of the bed, then rests her head on my chest. Bonnie wakes up for a little and she snuggles up to me. Soon after, the girls are asleep. I close my eyes and pray that everything will be okay.

I wake up in the same position, with Hannah's head resting on my chest and Bonnie snuggled up to me. Today is war day.