+ marks the grave {Completed}

Chapter 72

•~••~•~•~•*change in POV*•~•~•~••~•
I was trained from young to go weeks without sleep.
I could go months on just water.
But with her soft body pressed against mines, I couldn't help but feel hungry.
Hungry for her.
I felt drowsy.
At peace.
At home.
So I let myself drift into slumber, for the first time in more than a week.
Funny to think of it.
She was the main reason I went without sleep.
But now she was the reason I fell asleep.
Ironic.
I needed her. And I got her.
You would think I would give myself a break.
That was exactly what happened.
I fell asleep with her.
I woke up with her.
I took her to the kitchen.
I made us breakfast.
And now we were huddled up on the sofa watching some sort of cartoon.
Trust cable to give you the stupidness nonsensical shows that could've ever be possibly made.
She seemed to enjoy it.
She seemed to enjoy me subconsciously carrying her to the kitchen too.
I hadn't even realised that she was in my arms.
She fit so perfectly.
Her tiny body hunched into the mold off my body as if it was meant to be there.
Sitting on the counter chair hurt her injuries on her back so I moved her to the couch hoping that I would be more comfortable.
She lent her body against me so that she wouldn't have to hold up the pressure as she ate the pancakes.
Speaking of which, I didn't tell her what I was making yet.
Brad made the batter yesterday and left it there so I decided I might as well finish it up.
I'm just glad he could actually make it the way I taught him to.
The first person I taught was Kent.
He was so happy to make it for his sister that he begged me to teach him.
He was so much younger.
I met him when he was around ten.
He was in my class even though I was older.
That shows how intelligent he was.
When I left and went back home, he begged me to stay.
Jason was with him from even then.
Both of them waited until I came back a year later.
My father sent me with the others to get familiar with the island and our new base.
Kent didn't believe my lies.
He found the base without me telling him.
But he refused when I offered him admission.
He said he had no reason or purpose to get involved, but he'd always be my friend.
Later on that year, he found out the real reason behind his mother's death through my subtle guidance.
He showed up at the base and requested initiation.
He did every mission I gave him.
Jason followed quickly behind.
Both became my best men here on this island.
They watched over the base when I had to make trips back home for resources.
They had a big impact on the recruitment process.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
They made our name notorious.
That's why I couldn't help but try my best to help them out.
But they'd always refused.
Kent always talked about Amber.
The first time I saw her was when Kent was crawling through their bedroom window.
Jason and I were waiting in the car and she poked her head out the window in shock.
She whisper-yelled all sorts of stuff at the same time in disbelief and somewhat shock.
"Are you gonna jump?"
"Please don't jump- I'll never- ever eat your candy again!"
"I'll miss youuu-"
Kent simply laughed, dropped his bag down, and told her,
"Amber, I'll be back, don't worry!"
She wasn't convinced. She even started to cry.
He wiped her eyes.
"You'll see me at school tomorrow okay?
I pinky promise, now I need you to do me a huge favor,"
She stopped crying and looked at him with bright eyes.
"What flavor?"
"I need you to pretend like I got ready for school early, so nobody would know I left, can you do that?"
She slowly nodded.
"And you'll be at school?"
He nodded.
"Pwinky promise?"
He nodded again.
"Sealed with a kiss."
They locked pinkies and Kent 'sealed' it with a kiss.
She was so small.
She still gasped when he jumped down.
But after she waved him goodbye, she looked over to the car, made direct eye contact, and waved me too.
It was the cutest thing ever.
From that moment on I knew that she would be special to me.
She would be all I'd never need.
I waved her back, mimicking the same wave she did.
I heard her giggle as she closed the window.
Kent snuck out to do missions and just chill often.
He hated his step father with a passion.
But Henry wasn't just a regular disgusting man.
He owned all the motels on all three islands.
Which meant that he was extremely important.
Which also meant that my father placed him on my 'do not kill' list.
With all honesty I did try to kill him numerous times.
As a result, his movement, as well as Amber mother's movements became more random and less choreographed.
He spent a fair amount of time at the south pole, which meant that Amber was a bit safer.
But thats not necessarily now it worked.
There was a lot she didn't know.
And that stopped her from being free.
She never understood why her parents divorced, or why her brother left.
It took her a while to move on from trying to understand.
Kent had to keep his distance.
If Amber found about his involvement then she would've been an easy target.
So even though I loved her, even though I wanted to help her, I had to hold back myself just as Kent had been doing.
He found comfort in my own sister, and because I secretly found comfort in his,
I let it be.
He deserved to be happy.
But he happiness was cut short when she was murdered in cold blood.
From then on I loosened my shackles on him.
He was allowed to check up on his sister from the shadows.
He did his best for his sister.
And I continued to love her from a far.
I watched her grow, mentally and physically.
I watched her laugh and I watched her cry.
I stepped in once or twice where I couldn't help myself.
Like when the girls ganged up against her after the tennis game.
They mercilessly beat her with the rackets all over her body until I stepped in.
That was her first match.
Kent, Jason and I secretly went to watch and cheer her on.
But she started to shake because of the large crowd of people and missed the ball.
The players were all trash.
But they blamed the loss on her.
If I hadn't gone to take a peep, she might not have lived to see another day.
She wasn't awake when I rescued her.
I gave the credit to Kent.
She didn't question the lie.
She was happy to see him after so long.
She was so small and premature.
She came a long way.
With Kent and I, and even Jason cheering her on from the sidelines.
Now, she was safely in my company, but I hadn't the slightest idea where her brother was.