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“Fuck. No. Never again. You know I’m not that monster now. Right? You remember that time at Nirvana when I gave you my gun, and you held it tomyhead, right?”
She nods slowly. “No one else knows about Nirvana,” she whispers, and I nod.
“No one but you,” I rasp, taking another step closer.
“Oh, my god.” A sob lurches from her lips. “It’s really you.” She slaps her hand over her mouth and a guttural cry escapes and she slides down the wall until her ass hits the floor, and not once does she take her eyes off me.
I rush toward her, falling to my knees, but before I get close enough, she flinches away, scooting closer to the corner again.
Shit.
“Zoe.” Alana’s voice registers then, and fuck, I forgot she was here. She just heard us speak about Nirvana. Come to think of it, I left the fucking door open. Everyone probably heard us bring up my secret place.
Alana stands from the bed and moves to squat in front of Zoe, handing her some tissues. “Gray won’t hurt you, Zo.”
My princess shakes her head, not speaking as her gaze darts between me and Alana again, and I can tell the whole situation is too much for her to handle right now.
Fuck, I’m barely handling it.
“You don’t trust me?” I ask her, still on my knees near where she had been slumped before.
Zoe nods, but then shakes her head, only to rake her hands into her hair again to start tugging at the roots.
“Maybe we should sedate her. Let her sleep it off and give her mind time to heal a bit.”
The suggestion comes from Rose just outside the door, and while it is a good idea, the way Zoe stiffens, and the sheer terror that contorts her expression tells me it’s not a good idea to her.
“No. No.” Zoe shakes her head, finally scurrying right back into the corner. “No. No. No.”
“No sedation,” I growl. “No drugs of any kind unless Zoe asks for them. And even then, I will be the only one dealing with that. No one is to come into my apartment until further notice. No one is to touch Zoe,” I snap, even as Alana and Zoe hold hands, so I add. “With the exception of Alana.”
My words have the desired effect, and work to ease Zoe’s mind as I watch her shoulders relax and the fear fall away from her gaze.
“I won’t lay a hand on you, Princess. Not if you don’t want me to, but all I ask is that you stay here with me.” My eyes flick to the bed we shared before the explosion and Reapers attack months ago. “I’ve been searching for you for months and I…” Shaking my head I take in a steadying breath before I admit, “I don’t want to spend another moment without you, even if I need to stay on the other side of the room.”
She regards me for a few long beats, and I think she’s going to tell me to get out when her words say the opposite.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” I ask to confirm, and she slowly nods.
We stare at each other for another few long moments before Alana’s voice breaks our spell.
“Zoe, do you need a shower or anything? You have some scrapes on your legs and stuff.”
Zoe’s eyes drop to her legs as if only just noticing, but she shakes her head.
“I’m tired. I want to go to sleep.”
Alana’s gaze softens, and she nods. “Let’s get you into bed then.”
“Y-you won’t go though? Right? Y-you’ll stay with me?” She starts shaking her head again, her breathing increasing like she’s terrified. “Please don’t leave me.”
Alana’s concerned gaze darts to me and then back to Zoe as she rubs her arms in comfort. “If I’m not in this room with you, then I’m not far, okay? You only have to ask and Gray will message me and then I’ll be right here. I promise.”
Seeming to accept that, Zoe’s head shaking turns into nods and her breathing slows down.
Alana moves to help Zoe stand then, and I excuse myself when she offers to help Zoe change out of whatever the fuck costume outfit the Reapers had her dressed in.
