Fly Away To Chicago (Completed)

Chapter Seventeen- Lazy Day

"Run! Run fast! Don't stop! Hayden listen! Go now!" Bennett yells and pushes me forward as the silver Honda came slowly down the street.

I stumble before regaining my balance and turning to him.

What? What's happening?

"Why? What's going on?" I ask him quietly.

He shakes his head and looks back. "You have to go. I can't let you get hurt again. Please, go!" He says & he pushes me again just as the Honda is 10 feet behind us.

This time I listen & I run. I run fast & I don't stop. Not even when I hear gunfire & screams of pain behind me. Not when I hear the screeching if tires. I do not stop because I fear what I will see. I can't stop. Not now, not ever.

I've gotten to an alleyway & I quickly dial 911.

If Bennett's still alive I have to save him.

After telling them everything I run back to him. I run faster than when I ran away. I run because if he's dying I want him to know how I feel about him. I owe him that much.

Once I'm close I can make out his body lying still except for e ragged breaths he is taking in. The dark red blood pooling around him looks like something out of a horror movie.

People can't have that much blood inside them, can they? And if they do they probably aren't supposed to lose that much. No, I have to do something, anything. Stop the bleeding.

Once I reach him I immediately press on his wound. As a result he groans in pain. It's only know that I realize the tears are streaming down my face. Continuous & ragged, shaking my body violently with the sobs that come. I never waver my hands. In fact I press as hard as I can while my body shakes & convulses.

I have to save him. He can't die. He can't die. Not now.

I sigh in relief as I hear the distant ambulance siren getting closer. Thank god. Please save him.

I look down at him & realize he's been looking at me.

"I told you to run. Why did you come back?" He asks shakily.

He's right. Why did I come back?

"Because you're my friend. I care about you. You took care of me once, now I'm returning the favor. Just let me. I won't let you die. You don't get to die and leave me here. You don't get to do that to me. You can't leave me. I will not let this happen. Just hang on, please." I rush out between sobs & pause before quietly continuing. "I think... I think I might actually love you. And that scares me because you're destructive. You saved me and sacrificed yourself. You're trying to ruin your relationship with Grace. I don't want to love you. Hell I barely know you. I can't do this." I say & I start crying heavily again.

Then I feel a warm, soft touch on my cheek & I look up to see Bennett smiling sadly at me. "You know more about me than Grace ever will. I know you Hayden. You're scared because you don't even know if you'll stay out here, but guess what. If you move back home, I'm going with you. I can't stay here after everything that's happened & Kenny and I get along well. He even offered me a place to stay if I'm ever in Lancaster. So all I need you to do is love me. I'll take care of the rest. All I want from you is love. Hayden I love you so much. You don't know how much I need you. You're the only one who gets it other than my friends at school. Mark doesn't understand. He's never went throughout that kind of tragedy, none of them have except Jackson & you. I can't do this alone. I need you. Please don't leave me. Not yet. Don't deny me your love because I'm not doing that to you." He says as his eyes bore into mine & my heart swells with joy.