Undead Paradise

Chapter Twelve: Survivors

I let my eyes wander around the room, they land on a shell of a figure holding themselves, buried under a thin sheet. "Eve?" I shout.

The figure's head lifts revealing a very drowsy and pained looking Eve. "What are you doing here? They don't let anyone see me?" She questions. "We broke in" I shrug back at her.

"You look better, Rina," She says with a small smile. I don't reply and pull my arms around her in a loving embrace. "Rina, you should go back to bed - you've seen her. You're still weak." Seungmin suggests. "I'm fine." "It's okay, I'll try and convince the nurses to let me visit you in the morning. Go and rest" Eve tells me nodding her head in reassurance.

Olivia and Seungmin walked me back to my room. "I'll come see you later, goodnight guys..." Olivia yawns, rubbing her eyes and proceeds to leave the room.

Seungmin sits at the edge of my bed and smiles brightly. "Where's Liam?" I ask only now, occurring to me I haven't seen him, Seungmin turns his face away from mine. "I don't know. We haven't spoken much - he usually comes and goes" He tells me.

"What's wrong?" I ask him. "Did you mean it?" He looks at me once again with an unreadable expression.

"Mean what" He cuts me off by saying "mean what! You said you love me" a small blush creeps on his face. I can't help but smile widely like a Cheshire cat.

"What?!", "It's just normally you have such a bad boy look about you. It's funny - you're the complete opposite, you're so sweet and it makes you look adorable when you blush" I giggle at his embarrassed face. "I'm not adorable..." He groans.

I roll my eyes and sit up, placing my hands on either side of the angelic face. His mossy green eyes light up and are enchanted. I lean in and kiss him softly. "I love you.." I whisper staring into the forest of his eyes.

Morning...

I hear a knock on my door interrupting my slumber. The individual enters and closes the door behind them. "Hey, Rina" I hear and immediately recognize the voice to be Liam's.

"Hey stranger" I smile.

"You look amazing, this is the first time I've properly seen you" He states. "I guess that's what a shower and food do" I shrug.

We talked for a while, catching up. It's been so long since I've had a normal conversation with him that didn't end up with someone being pissed off or upset.

"I have to admit. I didn't come to see you because I was so angry and bitter you chose Seungmin over me." Liam blurts out. "Liam you forced me to choose, do you not remember that?" I say getting irritated, he forced me to choose in a situation that really did not require any more drama.

"You wouldn't choose. You told us you loved both of us. And then Noah got into my head on that day the ranger's station was lit on fire, I needed to know. I fell in love with you from the first moment I saw you from the window" He smiles recalling the memory which seems so far away yet so close at the same time.

"It's always been him, I knew it was before you chose. I can't help it though, and when you say you love me - I feel like you give me some hope. Noah was right, I am hopeless when it comes to you." He laughs coarsely.

"Liam... I don't know what to say, you know I have love for you but-" He cuts me off mid-sentence and says "Let go of me, tell me that so I can move on and stop chasing after you," He says while messing his normal playful floppy locks.

"I love Seungmin. Liam, you're my friend, one of my best. But that's all" I feel my heartache and twist as if someone has just stabbed me repeatedly. It needs to be done, I can't keep stringing him along even if unknowingly he deserves better and to find happiness.

I hop out of the bed and hug him tightly. He doesn't respond immediately to the embrace but eventually gives in and everything feels closed and sealed.

"I want you to be happy" I cry, I only notice now my eyes are wet. I feel more Liam how could I be so careless of his feelings? I know I truly do love him but I have to be fair. "I will be" He offers me a sad smile and hugs me again.

2 weeks later...

Life has been getting better. I'm healthier now, I'm still slim, but I'm on my way to be a healthy slim. I can eat now with less intrusive thoughts, sure I still have an eating disorder having input in my life. Only for the first time in forever, I feel hopeful.

I feel hopeful that I will get better and that maybe life will be better. I've still lost so many people I love, I feel more content with my grief knowing that they will always be with me in my memories.

Liam and I's friendship has been fully restored and everything seems to be healing between the toxic triangle of Seungmin, Liam and I.

The best thing about everything is that Sammy survived this with me, Sammy stayed with Olivia while I was in 'rehab'. I knew he would make it. He's a survivor.

In return for our stay on the government's rescue ship we have chores to do, not much but a little daily. We've even met new survivors - no one has branched out much. We are still mourning Junsu and Sophia, it turns out all the killing and trauma caught up to us.

"What's on your mind?" Seungmin asks while twirling a strand of my hair with his finger. "Just how far we've made it. Never did I think I would be here a few months ago".

"Well believe it, we fought and clawed our way and came out here safely in the end." He states while continuing to focus on my brunette strands.

I look across the crowded room and catch a glimpse of a familiar face. The person rushes up to me, the grasp of my book falters and the book crashes on the ground.

I run-up to the person. "Mum?" I cry happy tears and feel her warm embrace. I can't believe that everything will go back to normal and I will find happiness again around the people that I love, the survivors.