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I don’t know why I think of myself as a lesser man now that Orpheus violated me.
Mackenzie doesn’t look at me as though I’ve changed at all. She looks at me the same way she always has.
Like I’m her savior. The love of her life.
Like I’m her hero that didn’t fail her, even though I did.
The tingling sensation in my hands and feet diminishes as the anxiety abates. Reaching over, I turn on the facet and splash my face with cold water. Grabbing a paper towel, I stare at my reflection as I dry my pale skin.
You’renota failure.
Hopefully, if I say it enough times, I’ll actually believe it.
A strange, gnawing sensation forms in the pit of my stomach. I straighten, my gaze darting around. Something is wrong.
The feeling expands, a deep ball of anxiety and worry that grows larger, like a snowball rolling down the hill, gaining momentum.
It hits me like a kick to the stomach.
Mackenzie. Something is wrong with her. I feel it.
Paranoia rolls through me like a tidal wave as I spin, eyeing the exit. Adrenaline courses through me, thrumming beneath my veins, preparing me to sprint into battle, fighting fucking Goliath and the entire Roman empire to save her.
Tossing the paper towel in the trash, I spring down the hallway to Dr. Lawson’s office, my sneakers sinking into the plush carpet, danger symbols flashing everywhere I look.
The closer I get to it, the more the sensation grows.
Fuck. She needs me. I can’t let her down again.
Pushing through the door, my heart stutters inside my chest the second I lay eyes on Mackenzie’s prone form on the blue couch. Dr. Lawson hovers over her, checking her vitals. I eat the distance between us, dropping to my knees beside her, pushing him out of the way.
“What happened?” My voice is strangled from the worry that is suffocating me, making it hard to breathe.
“Mackenzie came in here, looking for you. When she didn’t see you, she stared at the coffee table and began hysterically screaming. She was as pale as a ghost and exhibited signs of hysteria and a panic attack. I tried to comfort her and tell her it was okay. Her voice was hoarse when she said, ‘No, it’s not’ before she fainted.”
“Ok, Kenz.” I grab her small, cold hand, wrapping it in mine. “I’m here, angel. Open your eyes, sweetie. Come back to me.”
She lies there, unresponsive. Fear slithers up my throat like a serpent as I squeeze her hand, pleading with her to wake up and come back to me.
Her hand lightly curls around mine before her long lashes flicker. When her lids pop open, amber eyes flying to mine, relief fills me.
Mackenzie drinks in my face as though I’m an apparition. “C-Chase.” Her voice is a reverent whisper. It’s as though she can’t believe I’m kneeling beside her.
“I’m here, angel.” I kiss her hand before flashing her a relieved smile. “Thank God you came back to me.”
“Thank God you’re here.” Her lips quiver and tears well in her eyes. “I saw a tombstone… It had your name on it.”
“What?” My brows raise as I stare at her in disbelief.
“When I… Came in here looking for you. I was in the clearing. In the w-woods. The tombstone in front of me… It had your name on it.”
“Oh, sweetie. It’s not mine. I didn’t leave you. I’m right here.” Gathering her in my arms, I held her tightly, knowing she was hallucinating, and saw Gage Thornton’s grave, not mine.
“I love you, Chase. Don’teverleave me. Please,” she mumbles against my neck.
“Never, angel. Where you go, I go,” I whisper back.
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