✓ Chaos Theory | Diego Hargreeves [1]

【CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN】

—chapter thirty-seven.

  ❛ til the end of the world, do us part. ❜

"IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO GET OUT OF HERE."

"No! Not without you!"

"Ellis--" Elodie whirled around, stopping to grip her brother's shoulders. "Ellis. This is fucking -- this is -- neither of us are meant for this. But I would rather not have you die because I couldn't protect you. I-I can't put you in danger."

He shook his head, blearily staring her down. The wind howled cold and blusterous behind them yet still, Elodie burned at what felt like a thousand degrees. She begged for even a flicker of fear in his large, honeyed eyes, but all she saw was the boy she had raised. Determined, wise, and braver beyond his years.

"I'm not leaving your side. That's not what family does."

"Ellie..."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Elodie sighed and hung her head. All of her efforts would be wasted on him, and she knew it. There was no bit of his mother's cowardice running through his veins, nor his father's selfishness. He was too stubborn to listen to her. And as much as she would like to force him into a taxi and send him back home...she'd seen the state of things. He probably wasn't safe there. 

She might not be able to guarantee the eye of the storm was any better, but at least she would be there with him. She could protect him.

She would protect him.

"Fine. But you listen to me, and you do everything I say. No arguments. Got it?"

"Hey, no--"

"--I fucking mean it, kid." Elodie pulled him to her, squeezing at his frail shoulders. Tears threatened to prick, but she dared not let any fall, focused on just his face. She glared him down. "I'm serious. If I tell you to run, you run, no matter what I'm doing or what's happening."

His face crumpled and she could tell thinking about that was hard for him, too. But nevertheless, he nodded. "Okay."

Elodie smiled grimly and let go. "Good. Then, let's go, Ellie, save the world." She tried to look less dismal, repeating the same thing she had said only hours earlier. "Or...something."