Defying the Odds (The 4th Quarter Quell) [The Hunger Games Fanfiction]

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Layla 

I awaken out of my deep slumber what feels like days later.

I don’t open my eyes; the weight pressing against my head feels like a ton. Instead, I let out a low whimper of pain. Fingers brush over my hair and on my skin. Without opening my eyes, I can tell that I am lying in Asher’s lap.

“I’m so sorry,” I mumble, my words feeling heavy and sticky in my throat. “I shouldn’t have gone... This is my fault.”

I muster up all the strength I can, and my eyes peel open. Asher’s pale and gloomy face is hovering above me, his eyes lined by dark circles and puffiness. They look red from here. I blink and feel a sharp pain running through my skull.

The light poking out from the trees turn the pain in my head into a dull throb, and I almost want to close my eyes. I won’t, though; Asher will be the only one closing his eyes.

“Shh, Layla. None of this was your fault,” he says, his voice breaking off at the end. Another sharp stab runs through my head and I watch him as my vision begins to blur and my face gets hot.

“No, no,” I say, my throat drying in my response. “It was mine. I was stupid to think-” I stop, and grit my teeth together as weak tears fall down my face. I was stupid to think that we could get out of there whole. “I thought we were one step ahead of them but I was wrong. I’m always wrong.”

His fingers brush against my jaw and his hand cups around my cheek, holding me so softly. My eyes flick away from the trees and I look back up at him. His thumb brushes against my cheeks.

“Layla, don’t you dare give up,” he says. “Don’t give up on me now. You aren’t wrong. You aren’t stupid. You were right when you volunteered for that girl. You were right when you showed everyone you weren’t to be messed with.” His lips touch my forehead. “You were right about us. It wasn’t your fault, okay? It just happened. We weren’t expecting it. But we’re okay.”

Strange sobbing noises escape from my throat and they hurt my ribs but I can’t stop them. My vision is so disoriented by my tears and I can barely make him out over them.

“I thought I was going to die.”

“I wouldn’t let that happen.”

“That’s not something you can decide.”

“But I can do everything in my power to prevent it,” he says, persuasion leaking through his voice.

“No.” My voice comes out soft and small. “Asher, I wanted to die.”

My heart breaks open as I watch his eyebrows pull together in confusion. Doesn’t he understand what I’m trying to say? His lips drop into a frown.

“What? How can you-” He stops, a horrible look settling on his face. “How can you say that, Layla?” His voice breaks off. My head is spinning and I spit words out faster than I can think of what I am saying.

“I thought I was going to die and I wanted to die and I wanted to be anywhere but here,” I cry, sobs enveloping my body. Now I want nothing more than to bury my throbbing head into his chest.

His eyes dig into mine, and I watch as they fill with tears. “What about now? God, Layla. Are you just willing to throw away everything?!” Tears fall from his eyes. “We said we wouldn’t leave each other!”

I break my eyes away from him and tears flow down my cheeks more rapidly. I should have never told him what I did. I should have known how he would react.