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Excitement and hopefulness filled her. They were actually going to make it, actually going to be able to find a place to call home, a place that they could be safe.
A place Lucy would be safe.
What else could go wrong in one day?
Maybe fate and hope, but most of all luck was on their side and they’d be able to get to the safe haven unharmed.
Because wouldn’t that make for an incredible ending?
Chapter Forty-Nine
One more day… hopefully
Malachi knew if they walked for the entire day, they would make camp or at least make something. It had to be true because his people were running on empty. Tree Man, even as he tried to pretend otherwise, had gotten tired. Millie was pretty much quiet now, reserving all of her strength for the actual walk. Lucy looked like she was always ready to drop and carrying her on his back wasn’t going to be easy. Then there was Sasha. Little by little he saw the hope in her eyes, and he couldn’t be the one to extinguish it.
He’d already decided if they made it to this camp and it wasn’t what they thought it was, he’d kill Tree Man. It would be the least he could do after the journey they’d had. He hoped, prayed, and wished more than anything Tree Man wasn’t wrong. A safe haven after their journey sounded like the best freaking idea he’d ever heard.
“You okay?” Sasha asked, stepping in beside him.
She had on one of the large bags that carried their tents. He hated this. Hated that she had to even do this but if he tried to stop her, she’d be pissed.
“Yeah, I’m fine. You? How are you holding up?”
“I’m doing okay. I can’t really feel my legs. I think this is the most walking I’ve done in my entire life.”
“When we get there, I’m having a bath. I hope they have baths.”
She chuckled. “Look at mister macho man, wanting a nice bath.”
“It doesn’t even have to have bubbles. I just want something to clean myself.”
“You’re cute when you act somewhat normal.”
“I’m always normal.”
She put her arm through his and pressed her head against his shoulder. “You’re really not that macho, are you? You’ve been teasing me.” She chuckled.
He wrapped his arm around her and held her close. “I am macho but you’ve caught me at a weak moment.”
“I like this weak moment.”
“Are you two going to get married?” Lucy asked.
They both stopped and Malachi looked down at Lucy, who was watching them closely.
“I’m sorry?” Malachi asked.
“I’ve seen you kiss my sister and well, when you kiss someone you have got to marry them. Can I be a bridesmaid? I want to be one and I really think I’d make a good one. We can find some rings and you can get married.”
“Lucy, sweetie, it doesn’t really matter anymore about marriage, or any of that,” Sasha said.
Lucy started to pout. It was a little cute but now that Malachi thought about it, would it be so wrong to actually marry Sasha?
He let Sasha go and took Lucy’s hands in his, kneeling down in front of her so she had no choice but to look at him. He saw the tears in Lucy’s eyes.
“What is it, sweetie?” he asked. Again, how far his life had come. Talking calmly to a young girl, trying to soothe her. He was never this kind of guy before chaos hit.
“I … you don’t love my sister and there’s not going to be any more weddings, and they are so romantic and sweet. I think you should get married. You’re both in love and if you don’t get married it means all the badness has won. We’ve got to be happy. Mom and Dad would have wanted us to be.”
Tears fell from Lucy’s eyes, and he knew without a shadow of a doubt he was going to have to get her somewhere safe soon. She was tired and because of it, her emotions were running high.
“Lucy,” Sasha said. “It’s really not—”
He let go of Lucy and turned toward Sasha.
“Malachi?”
“Sasha, I know this is scary and everything we’re doing will always be together. I’m never going to leave you. I will fight for you and Lucy every single day of my life.”
“Malachi, what are you doing?”
“Marry me? She’s right. We can’t let them win. I know I’m not going to love anyone else the way I do you. You’re everything to me and I won’t ever leave your side. You own me, Sasha. No one has ever been able to do or say that. I’m completely, one hundred percent yours.”
His heart was pounding. He’d never proposed to anyone before and with witnesses, especially Lucy, this had to be … one of the scariest things he’d ever done.
“We don’t need to get married.”
“But I want to. Don’t you want to keep a little something from our old life? Marriage is for life. Lucy’s right. We can’t let them win.”
