"Hey," Mike said. He walked through the door of our hut.
We had made it out of the compound and were living in the woods. We walked for a month to get as far away as we could.
"Hi," I whispered. My eyes were swollen from crying, Mike had dark purple rings around his eyes.
"Giselle misses you," he said in a low voice. "She won't admit it to anyone, but she misses you."
"I miss George, we all miss someone."
"You're not being reasonable, Daisy."
"Reasonable would've been me not making him do it. He didn't want to, Mike, George didn't want to do it but he did because he loves all of us. He did it for us. He saved my sisters life, he took a bullet for my sister and my best friend. I can't even look at them anymore. It hurts. Nyx can still see and talk to him. You-" I stopped. I didn't want to hurt him more then I already was. I knew he knew anyways. I know he was watching my thoughts closely.
"I know, Daisy, I know it hurts, we all hurt. Rose won't even be near Nyx, Giselle won't even go near you." He sat down on our bed. "You're the only one who could bring everyone back together."
"I can't even bring myself together," I said. A tear slid down my cheek.
"Daisy, come out for dinner tonight please," Mike whispered.
Mike kissed my head and left the hut. He gathered and did most of the cooking and hunting since the rest of us weren't in any shape to do so. Gardenia helped as best she could and grew some vegetables and such.
I didn't move from my bed when Giselle walked through the cotton door. Two weeks ago I might've sprung up and left, not daring to look at her. I hated myself for running from her, the one person I love more then anyone. I didn't bother to look at her most days, didn't dare make eye contact. I had felt her eyes burning into my skin, everyone's eyes actually.
"Daisy," Giselle began. "I- we need you to pull us together. We need you to- I miss you."
I sat quietly. She paced around the hut, trying to think of what to say, or what to do. I wanted to yell at her to get out but I didn't have it in me.
"I missed you too," I whispered as she left. The tears fell from my eyes at a rapid speed. She didn't hear what I had said, but I had said it.
When I walked out of the hut all eyes were on me, all except Rose. I sat down next to Mike on a rock and buried my head into his shoulder. I didn't cry when I looked at Nyx, I didn't scream when my eyes ran across Giselle and Rose. I could feel George with us, courtesy of Nyx.
"So, I guess I've kind of left everyone," I said. I kept my voice low and my head down. I was embarrassed at how quickly I was knocked down.
"Hey, we understand. It was our turn to lead you," Nyx whispered. She seemed to be the happiest to see me back. The leading was probably draining her.
"Thank you for understanding," I whispered.
"Can I actually talk to you for a moment?" Nyx asked. She looked between Mike and I. Mike nodded for me to go, I stood and followed her into her hut. "He's been asking about you."
"Who?" I asked. She nodded and I knew at that moment it was George.
"He saw everyone but you at dinners and such, he thought you might've died. When I told him the situation he said, 'Daisy better get her act together before I haunt her sorry ass.' Now of course those were his words not mine."
I smiled as a single tear fell from my eye. George was more confident now that he was dead, I mean what did he have to lose anymore?
"Can you tell him something for me?" Nyx nodded her head. "I want him to know I'm sorry for forcing him into escaping, I shouldn't have done so. I love and miss him."
...
I curled up into a ball in Mike and my bed. He put his arm around me and I shivered. He was warm on my cool skin. I turned to burry myself in his chest and he leaned down and rested his head on mine.
"Thank you, Mike," I whispered.
"For?" he asked. I smiled, I knew he knew what I was thanking him for, he wanted to hear me say it.
"For being there for me, for giving me the time I needed."
"I didn't mind," he whispered. "I love you."
"I love you too."
