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“I would love that, Ry," I can't help how quiet my voice sounds, nor can I control the tears building behind my eyes.
His face falls. "Why are you crying, baby?" A watery giggle escapes when his eyes flare with panic. Amiri steps closer, his own anxiety flooding the kitchen.
I wave my hand in front of my face before it lands on his scruffy cheek. "Because I am so happy and-" I hiccup, unable to control the emotion rolling through me. “I dreamed of the day I would finally be able to spend Christmas with my family again. Now I have all of you, and I f-forgot how much I hoped this day would come."
"Oh, Angel," Mir murmurs before they surround me with their arms and gratefulness. My watery eyes tip skyward, and I send Momma a silent "I love you" knowing she is watching over me right now. I can practically feel her support and joy settling over us in our group hug.
I fought for so long...now I finally get to have the Christmas I always hoped for. A small smile graces my lips while I snuggle my face into Ryan's neck, soaking up their love for a little bit longer.
Chapter 14
Amiri
How I wish I could tell my brother that he's wrong. I wish I could step over to Nolan, wrap my arms around him, and tell him that it's not true. That Eve did not fall off the cliff that, just minutes ago, he almost threw himself over as well.
I wish so fucking badly I could take away the devastation on Ryan's face, the terror on Nol's, and the blank paleness of Korren's. I wish I could conjure up even a touch of doubt...but the facts and likelihood are battering around in my brain, telling me that my brother is right.
I want to take all my suffering and fear, tell it to go to hell, and have Eve come up behind me and tell us she's okay. That she did, in fact, spot the cliff before it was too late. None of that happens. Instead, we all just stand here, fighting to come up with any amount of disbelief.
"Do you think she's-" Ryan can't finish the question we are all wondering. Is she dead? Is she down there? Will we be able to see her if we look over the edge?
Korren takes a step, making my aching heart skip a beat in response. Another step, just a couple more until, he can look down. At his second to last step, I lurch forward in an attempt to stop him from seeing what we are all afraid of.
"Kor, stop!" Ryan and Nolan rush forward on my heels, the urgency in my voice urging them into action.
Toolate. Tooslow.
The strangled roar that releases from his scratchy throat is one that will haunt my dreams. The sound his knees make as they crash into the ground will stick with me for the rest of my life.
The next thing I know, he's up and shoving me around, trying to get inside my backpack. He snarls unintelligent words, and my pleas for an explanation go unheard. Ryan and Nol are in my eyesight, their gazes flicking from me to Kor and back to the cliff. Their faces are pale, their feet hesitating to move and see for themselves. Their bodies’ self-preservation is on high alert to keep them from further trauma.
Korren's voice has me jumping, his words sounding garbled from the blood pounding in my ears. The words "helicopter," "Eve," and "now" are the only ones I can make out in my current state.
The clatter of the walkie-talkie being thrown at my feet finally brings me back to the present. It's Korren rushing to sit at the edge and throwing his legs down that truly snaps me out of my frozen state.
"What the fuck!" Rushing forward, I reach for his shoulder to stop him, but my plan fizzles out and bursts into flames of pure agony.
Below us, about eight feet down, is Eve. Her crumpled form lays still on a rock ledge protruding from the cliff face. The pain of my knees slamming to the ground doesn't register as I take in the way her dark hair is fanned out around her, some strands hanging over the edge. Her skin is purple and blue along her legs and arms. The dress she wore last week is ripped and dirty, part of her butt burning in the harsh sun.
Her bound hands are cradled under her head, whether they broke the hit to her skull or she curled up that way after she landed...I don't know. Dried blood coats her abused body, one leg clearly broken.
I tune out the sounds of Nolan's screams and Ryan's sobs as my brain tries to compute that Eve is the woman lying broken and unmoving below us. My Eve. Our Evie.
My Angel.
She's not moving. She's not fucking moving!
The horrific realization that we might be too late has me shifting my legs over the side, determination and adrenaline riding me hard as I place my feet and hands in the same spots Korren did before me.
Looking between my knees, relief sparks through the raging dread, seeing that he made it down safely and is tending to Eve. Focusing back on my task, trying not to injure myself, I descend the jagged wall. The second my feet touch the platform, I immediately swing around and kneel next to my battered girl.
I swear my whole body goes numb while I watch Kor try to find a pulse in her neck. I gently tug her dress down to give her some sense of privacy, trying to do something useful without hurting her.
Loud whirling from the helicopter gets louder the closer it gets to us, but my focus is solely on my brother, who's struggling to find any sign of life.
"Stop!" Smith's roar reaches my ears, drawing my attention skyward. Seeing him holding back the other two sets my mind at ease. They have someone there with them to keep them from following us down. The rock is too small to fit more of us, and someone needs to come down from the helicopter to load her up.
"Mir, I-I can't find a pulse!"
