Daughter of the Fallen

Hearts Still Beating Part 2

That night, I knocked on Carl's bedroom door.

He answered it.

When he saw me, before he could say anything, I demanded, "You owe me an explanation. And it better be a d*mn good one."

He hesitated before nodding and moving out of the way so I could come in.

I walked into his room and sat on his bed.

"Where do you want me to start?" he asked.

I sighed. "From the moment I left."

He nodded and sat across from me. He ran through the whole story, from the moment I left to right before I came back.

I took a deep breath and stood up. "I can't believe you went to the Sanctuary. Do you know how stupid that was."

"I do now," he answered.

I exhaled and looked at him. "Well, thank god you're okay."

He nodded. He must have been able to read my mind because he asked, "Are you okay?"

I crossed my arms. I was quiet for a moment before sighing. "I don't know what's going on with me. I feel like I'm a horrible person."

He shook his head in confusion. "Why?"

I took a shaky breath. "I lost my dad a week ago and I'm already going out on runs. Does that mean I wasn't even mourning at all. Also why haven't I given up yet? I've wanted to give up so many times since that night, but I haven't. Why-"

I was cut off by Carl standing up and putting his hands on my shoulders. "Okay first of all, you're not a horrible person. You are one of the greatest people I know."

A ghost of a smile appeared on my face as he continued. "And second of all, you haven't given up yet because you can't give up. You're the daughter of a firefighter and a soldier. Giving up isn't in your blood."

I looked up at him, seeming to get lost in his presence.

He slowly started to lean in.

I've always heard about what a first kiss was like. Or how books or movies made a first kiss seem. They made it seem like butterflies would surround you or a rainbow would appear as the sun broke through the clouds.

Though none of that happened, when his lips met mine, I couldn't even begin to imagine a better feeling existing in the entire world.

And I knew I never wanted it to end.

———
AN: carl and bree finally got together yaaaaay!!!