“Aren’t you?” I ask, and he nods, pulling me closer, so my back is against his chest.
“Of course I am. But I know we are on the right side of this. I know that whatever happens, we are the winning side, and are doing what’s right for everyone.”
Oh, my sweet angel.
“I want to be selfish.” I hate myself for admitting that out loud, but if I’m going to be truthful with them, they should know I’m not as good a person as they think I am. “I want to run away and hide. I just want us to start over somewhere far away, so we can live our lives and pretend this isn’t happening.”
Orion nudges his nose against my cheek, and I pet his head.
“It’s okay to feel that way,” Colten assures me, and I snort.
“No, it’s really not. If I was a good person like everyone believes, I would want to fight for what’s right. But I would rather run and hide with everyone I love than do that. I don’t care about anyone else that comes after us, as long as we can be free.”
Bry sighs behind me and kisses my head.
“That’s the fear talking, and you know it. Even if we could run, our families would never be safe, and they would just keep killing others that wanted to go against the idea of what they think is acceptable.”
“Why do you have to be so sound and reasonable all the time?” I mutter, and Colt laughs.
“Because someone in this group has to make sure emotions don’t run the show.” Orion hisses at him, and Brian laughs. “Sorry, one of us has to let emotions ring true, but still have common sense to stay balanced.”
I pet Orion to calm him down and shake my head.
“Why do I feel like this is all going to blow up in our faces like everything else has since I showed up at this school?”
Colten slaps his chest.
“Ouch.” He gasps. “I am truly offended, babe.” He starts to tickle me until I’m laughing and wiggling around, fighting to catch my breath before he stops.
“You know what I mean. I love you guys more than anything in this world, and I don’t regret this for a single second. But they’ve been out to destroy me at every turn, and now everyone I love is in danger. My best friend is a vampire for fuck’s sake!” I groan, and flop my head on Bry’s shoulder.
“You can’t control how others act. Just focus on being the Harleigh we all fell in love with, and everything will work out.” He kisses my head as my phone chimes.
“Addy says the truck is here and everything is clear.” I take a deep breath, sitting up between them, and Orion changes back into himself. “Let’s go get this done. I need some loving.” I wink at them, and they let out collective groans that make me smile.
“Geez, Mark. How much food did you order?” Colt complains as he and Orion work on taking the boxes into the school.
Dad’s still with Addy and Darren keeping watch, so he can’t hear him grumbling, but I laugh and look at him.
“Most of it is non-perishable, so we don’t need a ton of deliveries this summer. It’s smart,” I tell him before walking over to where Bry is standing, going over the order list and ticking off the boxes. “Everything here?” I ask, leaning into him.
“Looks like it. I’ve never really done this before, but I’m going to say yes?” He gives me a sideways glance, and I laugh.
Before he can answer, I’m suddenly thrown into the stack of boxes, the wind knocked out of me before I fall to the ground, something heavy landing on top of me.
There’s so much yelling happening, I’m trying to shake my head to clear the shock, when I feel something wet and warm dripping onto me.
Blinking, I open my eyes to see Bry on top of me with a silver dagger sticking out of his chest, weird glowing markings etched on it before I scream and back away.
“Brian! Brian, no! What the fuck!” I can’t stop screaming as I shuffle back over to him on my knees to see him staring up at me. “No! What’s happening? You can heal yourself. Do that!” I’m screaming in his face as his hand comes up to cup my cheek, his entire arm shaking.
“I can’t, beautiful.”
I choke on a sob, feeling the tears running down my face as everyone is screaming behind me.
“What do you mean, you can’t? You have to! You’re an angel, Bry. You healed me, so heal yourself!” I’m crying, my hands covered in his blood as I grip his face. “Please, Bry, please. Don’t leave me.”
“I love you so much.” His hand drops as he coughs, and blood pools in his mouth making me sob harder.
“No! I love you. Why isn’t anyone helping me?!” I take my eyes off him for a split second to yell at the others as they watch on in a mixture of horror and sadness. “Stop standing there and help me!” Bry grabs my hand and squeezes.
“Harleigh, there’s nothing we can do. It’s too late. I’m too late.” David’s hoarse voice comes from beside us and I cry harder, punching him in the chest.
“Yes there is! There has to be. He can’t die on me, he can’t! Angels aren’t supposed to be able to die!”
“It’s—too…late, beau…ti…ful,” Bry gasps out, and I let go of David, falling back on Bry and crying.
“It’s not. It can’t be. You’re not supposed to die. I love you.” I feel my entire body shaking as I watch Brian struggle to take his last breaths.
“Love you… always,” he says before his body stills, and I lose all control.
Colten
Fuck.
I’ve never wanted to cry in my life, but this moment? Watching the love of my life lose one of hers, is destroying me. I look to Orion and Mark as the ground starts to shake, her body vibrating with sobs over his prone body, David crying along with her.
“Harleigh, baby. He’s gone,” I tell her, wrapping my arms around her and holding her tight for comfort, pulling her off his body.
