I don’t regret it.
I feel… free. For the first time in years, I feel completely free.
I didn’t just kill my ex; I killed the version of myself that believed the world could be saved through talk therapy. That version of Emily was gone the moment I felt the knife sink into her chest.
And there’s comfort in knowing that Eli doesn’t judge me forit. He accepts me. Accepts what I did.
Another realisation slithers down my spine, then wraps itself around my heart.
“I love you,” I say, before I can think better of it.
Eli’s body turns rigid.
“W-what?” he breathes, his voice quiet but hopeful.
“I love you, Eli,” I repeat, looking up at him so he can see the sincerity in my eyes.
“Angel,” he chokes out.
I cup his jaw, smiling softly. “I love you.”
His throat bobs. “I love you. You know I love you.”
I nod. “I know.”
Exhaustion presses behind my eyes—the blood loss, the adrenaline. Both.
I yawn, snuggling down to rest my head in his lap.
Before I succumb to slumber, I hear him whisper, “I’m never leaving you again.”
When I wake again, Eli is no longer beside me. Neither is Graham.
My body trembles, fingers digging into the soft sheets, desperate for something to anchor the panic rising inside me.
The door opens as my vision blurs and my breath turns to jagged gasps.
“Angel,” Eli calls out, his voice warped. His figure rushes to me, hands outstretched as they run up and down my arms, warming me. “What’s wrong, Em?”
It takes a moment for my sharp breaths to slow enough for me to speak. “Sorry,” I murmur, my cheeks reddening. “I got scared when you weren’t here.”
Eli’s face darkens for a moment before a brilliant smile crosses it. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”
Relief settles into my bones.
Eli reaches out beside him, and a mug appears in front of me.
“What is this?”
“Honey and lemon. Ty said you’ll need sugar.”
My heart melts at the care in his voice.
The day passes with me barely moving except to use the toilet, which Eli helps me to with an arm around my shoulder. This time, he refuses to leave the room. He brings me meals in bed and keeps my sugar levels up by pressing orange juice into my hands every few hours.
The thing is, he doesn’t leave our room to do any of this. He called Tyler and has had him cooking so Eli can keep me in his sight. I worry it might be overkill, but I don’t voice it. I like having him close.
Graham doesn’t stray far either. Turns out Eli took him outside to do his business when I first woke. Since then, he’s barely left my side.