Fairytale Green

‘Ella, can you hear me?’

The voice was feminine and familiar. It was warm and comforting. I felt like I could open my eyes and it would all be fine.

A white light was the first thing I woke to. It was extremely bright, and I had to blink a few times before I could focus on anything.

‘Do you know where you are?’ The comforting voice spoke again.

My mouth felt dry, but I managed to let out a laugh ‘From the white light, I would say either the afterlife or the hospital. There is not a massive library consisting of all the books in the world nor a vending machine with unlimited gummy bears, so I am going to guess the second option.’

Another familiar female voice cried ‘She is okay!’

I tried to move my head so I could see who they were, but I could not. My body felt like there was a massive amount of pressure on it and if I moved an inch then I would break.

I started to panic. I tried to move around as I was desperate to sit up. That was when I started to feel the surface I was rested on move. The hospital bed moved until I was sitting upright, and I could see the two figures.

The older woman that I had grown to love that was in her scrubs uniform asked me ‘Do you know who I am?’

I nodded ‘Mrs Lewis.’

She smiled at me, and I could see her relief ‘I thought I told you to call me Mom or even just Kelly. You are family.’

Laughing caused my ribs to hurt and I winced at the pain before looking to the other side of the bed ‘Lana?’

Lana’s eyes were red, and tears were running down her face when she spoke ‘When you are better then I am going to kick your tiny butt for scaring me like that.’

Mrs Lewis was the one to talk next ‘What is the last thing you remember, Ella?’

My head ached so I reached up and put a hand on my forehead as if something was causing me pain while I replied ‘I was at the beach. I was with Stone. I was mad at him.’

‘Do you know what happened after that?’

‘No.’ I answered after thinking about it ‘The last thing I remember before it went black was Stone’s face.’

Once I had gathered up the strength to move my head, I took a glance downwards where the hospital gown covered my top half. My legs were on display, but they were cut and bruised badly. At least ten deep cuts were spread across the skin of both my legs. Some of them looked a raw red.

I let out a cry and tried to move them, but I was stopped by a hand.

‘You need to rest.’ Mrs Lewis instructed, ‘Your body has went through a massive amount of trauma.’

I tilted my head to the side to study my arms and to my horror, they looked the same as my legs.

Mrs Lewis brushed a hair away from my face and she stroked my cheek ‘The cuts are not too deep so they should not leave a mark. Some might take some time to heal.’

Looking from her to Lana to the state of myself, I asked wearily ‘What happened?’

Lana reached out and took my hand and waited like me to hear what Mrs Lewis had to say. The older woman looked hesitant to share.

‘Please Mrs Lewis.’ I pleaded because nothing right made any sense.

She cupped my cheeks and smiled but her eyes were not clear as she spoke ‘When you left the beach after seeing Stone and the fight, you walked home. You must have met up with your father and then got into your car with him. He had been drinking. You both made it as far as a few blocks away before the car swerved into a tree. The police believe your father went unconscious at the wheel.’

‘I do not remember.’ I interrupted with a sob.

A squeeze at my hand and then Mrs Lewis continued “When the paramedics got to you, they found you in a critical condition. You were barely alive. The medics at the scene wanted to prioritise your father as he was still conscious and able to respond. Your father begged them to focus on you. To save you.’

My neck felt wet from the tears, and I could not stop my chest from shaking. I tried to make it stop because it hurt but I could not calm down.

‘You lost a lot of blood. You are very lucky to be alive.’ She smiled sadly.

I knew exactly what that smile meant. It was the same practised look the hospital staff gave us when they were telling us that my mother had died.

I asked anyway ‘My dad?’

‘The time they got you into the ambulance and in a stable condition, your father had already passed away.’ Mrs Lewis delivered the news ‘I am so sorry for your loss.’

With a shaky hand, I covered my mouth to stop the cries from filling the large quiet room ‘No.’

Lana instantly wrapped her arm around me and tried to remove the hair stuck to my face with the tears. I managed to move myself to the edge of the bed so she could get on and sit beside me. I let the heaviness of my head go and I rested on her shoulder while trying to contain my shaking.

I cried and cried for what felt like hours. I cried until I made myself sick. The image of my father was the only thing I could think about. My father before he started drinking. I would never get that back.

‘What am I going to do?’ I told myself as another sob erupted from me causing my body to ache.

My best friend wasted no time in asking ‘What do you mean?’

‘Both my parents are dead.’ I voiced ‘I have lost them, and I feel like I have lost part of myself.’

Taking my other hand, Mrs Lewis gave it a gentle squeeze ‘Please try and relax. You should not be putting too much stress on yourself.’

‘You need to time to process this, but everything will be okay.’ Lana inputted.

With the back of my hand, I attempt to clean myself up and stop the urge to break down further ‘I do not know why I am feeling like this. I lost him a long time ago.’

‘You just lost your dad, Ella.’

They both tried to reassure me further that everything was going to be fine, but I did not believe any of it. I could not stop myself from crying. All I wanted to do was curl up on the bed and go back to sleep. I did not want to be awake, and I did not want to deal with everything.

‘What about my apartment?’ I breathed out in small pants ‘My dad always paid the expenses, and I was living off his life savings. Where am I going to live? What am I going to do—?’

‘Ella.’ Lana called my name and cut off my rant ‘Of course you are coming to live with me. You do not need to worry about that or anything else.’

‘College.’ I spoke with a gasp ‘I was budgeting with what I had for living expenses and I was putting money away. Now it is pointless. I cannot afford it. Not when it is just around the corner.’

I was listing insignificant things that did not really matter but I could not help it. Worry after worry piled on top of me.

‘You are the smartest person I know. You will get a scholarship without a doubt.’ Lana affirmed.

After a while of comforting me, Mrs Lewis excused herself ‘I am going to go and see if the results from your blood tests and CT scans have come back.’

She shut the door behind herself which left a hollowing silence in the room.

I turned to Lana and apologised ‘I am sorry that I never told you about my dad.’

‘I wish you did.’ She replied while holding me tighter against her ‘I understand though why you did not. You wanted to handle this yourself. You did not want pity.’

‘I am sorry.’ I said again.

‘You have always been the strongest person I have known. You have always wanted to stand on your own two feet with your head held high, but I wish you turned to me.’ She repeated, ‘I would have been there to help you.’

I used to think that I was strong, but I was not.

What I needed was one person there with me. I wanted one particular set of large arms around me.

‘I wish I told you too.’ I said, ‘I just could not admit to myself that I was struggling and that everything was not okay.’

‘It is okay for you not to be okay. It is okay to admit that you are struggling.’

‘It is not.’ I argued before trying to change the subject ‘I also should have told you what I was doing last night but I thought that it was maybe better you heard it from Brennan. I know that I would rather have heard about everything from Stone.’

Lana went quiet until she wiped her new tears away and broke the news ‘That was not last night. Ella.’

‘What do you mean?’

She told me ‘You have been unconscious for three days.’

‘W-what?’

Her arms held me tighter, and I almost let out a hiss at the pain, but I did not say anything. I needed the warmth she provided.

‘The dance and the accident were on Friday night.’ She explained, ‘It is Monday today.’

I hated myself at that moment because my main priority was something that it should not have been. Someone. The person that had been on my mind every single second of that night and since I had woken up.

I questioned her ‘Did Stone get arrested? Is he still in jail?’

‘No. He is here.’ She let out gently and then motioned with her head to the chair in the corner of the room ‘He sat in that chair for three days. He did not move once. All he did was watch you like a guard dog and scare all the nurses.’

‘He did not leave for three days?’ I asked, my voice shaking.

Lana shook her head ‘He was like a statue. He never even slept.’

‘Where is he? Is he okay?’

‘When we saw your arm twitch and when we saw you move for the first time then we convinced him to let you have some space.’ She told me ‘It did take us four hours to get him to leave you. He refused until he finally moved to the waiting room.’

I tried to sit up but as soon as I did, I started to feel dizzy.

Lana gently pulled me back ‘You heard Mrs Lewis. Your body has been through so much trauma. You need to rest.’

‘I’m such a hypocrite.’ I affirmed as my head hit the pillow ‘I shouted at Stone for keeping secrets, but I kept things from you.’

‘That is not the same thing.’ She scolded ‘I searched Litora Bello, and I watched his fights. He is ruthless. He enjoys fighting. He is not a good guy.’

‘Stone is a good guy.’ I defended ‘It is not like he has went and attacked a random person. It was a consensual fight. The other guy and his opponents train too and were also part of it.’

Her face contorted to disbelief as she spoke ‘He has anger issues. I think he takes pleasure in fighting. You should have seen him the three days you were not awake. He was crazed. Almost deranged. He was lashing out at everyone. It was terrifying.’

‘When I lost my mother and my father started drinking and resenting me, I was devastated.’ I revealed, ‘However I never really felt like I lost my home until that night and that was long before I got in the car with my dad.’

‘You can’t want to stay in a relationship with him?’ She gaped at me like I was mad

‘I was mad when I confronted him. I was angry and it was the heat of the moment. I never meant anything that I said to him. It was always in the back of my head that I would get back with him. I cannot just stop feeling from him.’ I admitted to her ‘All I can think about is that I could have died and one of the last things that I would said to him would be that I hated him. Which is the furthest thing from the truth.’

‘I am just worried about you.’ Lana expressed as she waved her arms around dramatically ‘What if one day he gets angry at you and lashes out and hurts you?’

‘He would never hurt me.’

‘Not intentionally.’ She argued again and then she sighed ‘I know he loves you more than anything but is that enough?’

I kept quiet and listened.

‘Litora Bello is going to be massive. The last fight got two and half million views.’ She pointed out before she spoke again ‘I just want you to be sure that he is right for you. That he is what you want.’

‘What happened to you being Team Stone?’ I asked, ‘You were all for him the other day.’

She shook her head ‘I knew he was slightly aggressive, but this is a whole new level. From the couple of fights, I watched with him in it, he almost killed the other guy.’

Tears start to drop down my face again and I nodded my head in agreement ‘To answer your question, I do want to be with him. I want him and I cannot think about not being with him. I want to be with him, but I can’t be.’

‘I just want you to be happy, Ella.’ Lana voiced quietly ‘Whatever that is. I will support you.’

Stone did not deserve it. He deserved better than someone that was a mess.

I was broken and I could not see myself ever being fixed again. I had already relied on him too much. I could not do it to him. I could not put him through all of what I was going through and be a burden.

I knew what I had to do.

After Lana seen that I had settled and I was no longer such a mess, she spoke up ‘My mom is waiting outside. I am going to go home for a quick shower and then I will stop off at your place for a change of clothes for you.’

I nodded and that left me wincing at the smallest of movements.

‘Mrs Lewis said that you will not be discharged today.’ She informed me before questioning ‘Is there anything you want me to grab for you?’

‘Go home, Lana.’ I instructed softly ‘I am fine.’

‘Of course, I am staying.’ She sent a stern look my way and for the first time, it was a semi-scary one ‘I’m coming back as soon as I can. I already feel bad for leaving you now for an hour.’

‘Would you be able to get my laptop while you are out?’ I sighed ‘I really need a distraction right now.’

‘Anything you want.’ She replied before smiling with tears in her eyes as she walked to the door ‘I love you, Freak Show.’

Matching her smile, I responded with ‘I love you too, Barbie.’

As soon as she was away, I was getting ready to hoist myself out of the bed. The room was starting to feel claustrophobic, and I needed to move. Ignoring the inflictions of pain that got more excruciating every millimetre I moved, I finally managed to manoeuvre myself, so I was standing and holding the bed for support.

I hissed every small step I took. The pain was the least of my concerns because I was too busy focusing on my balance. My legs felt like jelly. I only made it halfway across the room until I needed to stop.

A deep growl came from behind me ‘What the fuck are you doing?’

I stilled. I was about to face him and turn around, but it was too late.

Large hands gently scooped under my knees and hoisted me up. Stone pressed me against his chest in bridal style. His touch was so soft and delicate like he was trying not to hurt my body.

I did not look up at him. I studied his hands as they tightened their grip under my legs and around my waist. He was holding on for dear life like he was afraid that l would disappear. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and buried my head into him. I still did not look at him. I could not.

I knew if I did then I would go back on my word and I would stay in his arms and never leave.

He reciprocated my action as he buried his face into my hair and inhaled deeply.

Stone pulled back and his touch moved under my chin ‘Ella, let me see you.’

My head moved back away from his chest, but I did not look at him. I closed my eyes as he stroked my face and let out a deep breath.

After what felt like a good hour, he moved his hand that held my legs an inch and I could not help but let out a noise at the pain. That was when he also let out a noise that mimicked mine like he was hurting too.

He walked with me in his arms and then set me carefully down on the bed. Once he had made sure that I was comfortable, he let out another deep breath and stumbled back a few steps until he could study me fully.

That was the first time that I saw him properly since I had woken up. I started to feel my chest ache at the sight.

He was angry. No, he was worse. Stone was furious. He was not looking directly at me. His gaze dragged from my face to my marked arms and then my legs. The bone in his jaw kept ticking, like a bomb and it was about to go off.

His whole-body stance screamed predatory and gave away that he was enraged but his eyes were something else. If I had thought that I had seen him vulnerable before then it was nothing compared to what he was currently. His black irises were full of torment. The area around his eye was a bright red and his hair looked like he had run his hand through it far too many times.

Stone studied me briefly. It was like he could not bear to look. It was almost like seeing me in such a state caused him physical agony.

He eventually chose to meet my tear-filled eyes. The way he looked at me made me gulp. I could feel myself heat up as he took a step forward towards me.

In two large steps, he was towering over my from. Both of his hands slammed onto the pillow at each side of my bed. He leaned down until he was face level with me. I could feel his warm breath on my face. So close that I could see how bloodshot his eyes were and how his usual angry black orbs were filled with vulnerability and desperation. I could feel the tension simmering in him.

Every shaky word of his hit me in the face as he gruffly spoke ‘How could you do that?’

I kept quiet and tried to avoid his gaze, but he did not let me. He was so near that I could not escape. His wide shoulders enclosed me in, and his eyes held me captive.

‘W-What?’ I uttered.

It was not anger that left his mouth. It was some other stronger emotion that escaped him as he voiced “Why did you get into the car?’

My lip was trembling when I mustered up an answer ‘I do not remember exactly what happened.’

He did not calm down. He moved back and ran both of his hands over his face.

His bloodshot eyes met mine again as he repeated roughly ‘Why did you get into the car?’

I trembled over my sentence ‘I don’t know.’

‘How could you do that?’ He roared as his chest heaved.

A few minutes later and he still had not calmed down. He looked so distressed, and I wanted to reach out to him.

‘How could you do that to me?’ He asked, his voice growing quiet and deeper ‘You might as well have ripped my heart out.’

I matched his loud volume as I slammed a hand on my chest ‘He was still my father. I don’t remember that night, but I do know that I was probably thinking that he was still my dad. He was the one who read to me before I learned how to. He was the one that got me interested in making up theories. He was the one to spin me around or mess up my hair when I was feeling down. He was my dad.’

After my outburst, I realised that I was crying again. It was more volatile than last time.

A sob left me and that made Stone move quickly. He was in front of me instantly. He sat in the bed and lifted me up and onto him. I climbed into his lap immediately

‘I’m sorry.’ He said repeatedly as I sobbed into his chest ‘I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled.’

The pain did not matter. I wanted his arms wrapped around me more than anything. It did not matter how much my body hurt It would be more painful not to feel his warmth on my skin.

I buried my face in his neck until every sense of mine is filled with him. He rubbed my back as he whispered sweet nothings and reassurance in my ear.

I almost forgot that I was meant to be ending us. It was selfish and horrible, but I indulged. I needed him.

His head leaned down until it was buried in my neck. He was holding on so tightly that I did not think he would let me go. All I knew was that I did not want him to.

Gripping his t-shirt while not moving from my place in his embrace, I admitted to him ‘I feel guilty.’

Stone kissed my forehead and lingered there ‘Why?’

His shirt started to feel wet against my cheek when I finally plucked up the courage to explain ‘A small part of me feels relieved. I am no longer worried about where he is or what he is doing. Also, when they told me when I woke up that my dad wanted to save me over himself, I felt a small bit of happiness because I knew that he cared. I am a horrible person.’

His hold on my body grew tighter as he replied sternly ‘No. You are not.’

A few more breaths later and I explained what was running through my head ‘I think he might be in a better place right now. That is what I am telling myself. I hope he gets to meet up with my mother and finally find some peace. That is what I am telling myself. That is the only thing keeping me going.’

My face was pulled away from his chest by his hands so that I was looking up at him. He studies me. His distraught gaze flicked over the whole of me. He did it multiple times and I could feel his handshake on my cheek.

I had not seen the condition of my face yet but if it was anything like the rest of me then I could assume I did not look my best.

‘I would have left you my apartment if I died.’ I said at my attempt at a bad joke to lighten the mood.

Stone was not amused. He looked to be thinking about something with a scowl, yet his wide eyes give away that’s he was still scared of something.

‘If something—’ He stopped and closed his eyes to take a deep breath ‘If something happened to you then how can you not see that it would be the end of me?’

‘I am sorry.’ I apologised because I hated seeing him so defeated ‘I am so sorry.’

‘Three days.’ He bit out ‘Three days you did not speak. You did not smile. You did not move. You did not do anything.’

I closed my eyes because I could not see the sight of him with his head hanging low. I could not see the sight of him so destroyed.

‘For three days you were not here with me.’ He said lowly’ If you were to go then you would take me with you.’

The dampness of my cries reached my chest, and I could feel my tears soak the hospital gown as I repeated ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘I could have lost you. I have never been so fucking petrified in my life.’ He said as he held on tighter to my weakened body ‘Then again nothing in my life has ever meant so much to me.’

The ache in my chest worsened and I could not help but take one hand that was wrapped around him and clutched my chest. The physical anguish was nothing at that moment as what hurt most was to see him hurt.

‘Ella.’ He said so quietly that I almost did not hear him ‘Are you scared of me?’

‘Of course, I’m not.’ I shook my head ‘I could never be scared of you.’

He sighed in relief and pulled me back to him.

I rambled on ‘I am sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I do not—’

‘There is nothing you need to be sorry about.’ He told me as he wiped my tears away ‘I just cannot bare to see you this way.’

I was right earlier. I could not hurt him anymore. I had to end us.

‘How does this always happen?’ I let out a sigh and then breathed him in.

‘What always happens, baby?’

I pulled back and stared up at him ‘I try to fight it. I try to push you away. I try so hard, but I always end up in your arms.’

‘Because that is where you belong.’ He said to me sternly like it was some sort of universal truth ‘You belong with me. Always.’

‘Stone?’ I called quietly, knowing that there was a massive elephant in the small hospital room ‘You would not hurt anybody outside of the fight, would you?’

He frowned when I moved back from his embrace. I decided to remain on his lap, but he did not look content that I was away from him.

The question made him stay silent until he could come with an answer ‘We do not need to talk about this now.’

‘Yes. We do.’

‘I am going to kill Chase.’ He declared nonchalantly.

‘He should not have told the police.’ I agreed

‘I do not give a fuck about that.’ He growled ‘I told him not to even think about you let alone approach you. He has the nerve to speak with you and think he can try and take you from me.’

I did not get angry. My voice was neutral when I pointed out ‘Maybe you should have told me then. Why didn’t you?’

‘I did not want to risk losing you.’ He uttered in his deep voice ‘I can’t lose you.’

‘Let’s flip this.’ I argued ‘How would you feel if I kept something from you? How would you feel if I was leaving you in bed every night to go somewhere without telling you?’

His eyes narrowed at the thought ‘You could not. I would know if you were to leave then I would not let you go.’

He had a point. If I was not sleeping on top of him then his vice-like grip was always around my waist all night so I was stuck to his side. I never once tried to escape from it. Probably because I knew I could not and because I always loved the feeling of his arms being around me.

I was going to miss that.

‘You never tried to tell me.’ I whispered ‘You never sat me down and tried to explain it to me. I would have listened.’

‘I’m so fucking sorry, baby.’ He let out lowly and hoarsely like the words were leaving the bottom of his chest ‘You will never know how much. I hate myself for hurting you and I will never ever forgive myself.’

I shook my head and closed my eyes.

Stone spoke again ‘Ultima Ictu is the final blow of the fight. One time when I had the other guy ready to knock out, he pulled out a knife and jabbed me right in the side—’

‘What?’ I exclaimed in horror before looking him up and down in concern ‘I have not seen a scar on you.’

‘I got a tattoo to cover it.’

I did remember feeling something when I traced it with my hands. I loved his tattoos, but I could not help but hate them also. It was a reminder that he had got hurt.

His jaw clenched and he explained, ‘The pain of that knife pales to this.’

‘It pales to what?’

‘This.’ He said while looking at my face and while he took one finger and lightly trailed down to my marks on my arms and then my legs.

I tilted my head at his expression ‘They are not deep. They will heal.’

‘Since I met you, I have been trying to get Litora Bello legalised.’ He delivered gently ‘Brennan’s dad Baron helped make a case. A sporting company based in Vegas are interested in making it a mainstream event. That is how I did not get charged at the police station. It is under investigation.’

‘Why are you trying to do that?’ I asked at his motive.

His stare was so unfaltering as he pronounced every syllable of his next sentence ‘I want to be somewhat of a better man. For you.’

‘Stone, I never wanted you to change. I don’t want you to ever change.’ I said with all the energy left inside of me, so he knew that I meant it ‘I just wanted you to tell me.’

‘The fights were my sort of twisted fucked up idea of therapy.’ He informed while turning his head to the side and not meeting my eye ‘Litora Bello started a few years back in San Francisco. It was small and it was only meant to keep the fighting in the area to a minimum. There was a set time and place where us guys could fight and take out our anger. It was the one time and place I could just let it all out.’

I listened intently as he told me the history of his fighting with a look of shame on his harsh features.

‘That was until I met you. I could be on the brink of hell but as soon as I seen your face then it would all change.’ He continued, his gruff voice lowering ‘You alone are my salvation. Ella venit primus.’

I remembered what the Latin meant. Ella comes first.

At the last line, I felt myself start to feel suffocated again ‘Can we talk about something else?’

Stone nodded ‘My dad had this theory.’

‘I would have got on well with him.’ I smiled sadly.

‘Yeah. You would have.’ He agreed before speaking again ‘He had a firm belief about love.’

Part of me did not want him to tell me. The other stronger part needed to know.

I asked, ‘What did he say?’

‘He said that Stone is a suiting name for us. We do not move for nobody, and we don’t let ourselves feel easy.’ He told me ‘It takes a strong force to move a stone. The men in the Stone family only love once.’

‘I can’t believe that. I can’t.’ I muttered sadly, tears starting to roll down my face again.

‘It is true.’ Stone stated like it was undeniable.

I knew what I had to do next, so I breathed out so harshly that it felt like my lungs were going to collapse.

Rubbing my eyes, I told him ‘I meant what I said on the beach. It is over. We can’t—’

‘No.’ He growled.

I tried again ‘We can’t—’

He interrupted again with another gnarl ‘No.’

‘We cannot be together.’ I rushed out.

Another soft growl emerged from him ‘Wrong.’

‘We both know that this is not just a high school fling.’ I voiced ‘This is so much more and whatever it is, I know that it is not going to end well.’

His anger did not seem like it was aimed at me as he looked away and barked ‘Why?’

I loved him. Too much. If I got hurt by him then I did not I would survive it. I also did not want to hurt him again. I was so scared that I would not be able to piece myself together and that would affect him.

Instead of the truth, I remembered what he said earlier, and I told him ‘One of the reasons you moved here was for your fight club. You will be here, or you will be in Vegas making it big. I never had any intention of staying here after graduation. I might not get into a big fancy college, but I want to try.’

‘The practical thing about fighting is that you can do it anywhere.’ He raises a brow, not looking any less maddened ‘Also did you know that I qualify for a mechanic in every corner of America?’

‘Please Stone.’

His eyes and stance were full of determination ‘You are going to have to do better than that, Drizella.’

Saying the first thing that comes to mind, I blabbered ‘We are young. You do not need to be held back and tied down by me. You might be fighting and becoming massive in Vegas in the near future. You should be able to do things without looking back.’

The giant arm muscle and his jaw ticked in a rhythm as heard what I had to say.

‘I don’t want to be your setback.’ I said to him ‘Without me, you can bar crawl and hook up with beautiful girls hanging around casinos and—’

Murderous. That was the only way to describe his expression. I stopped talking because of his obvious fury.

He gently held under my chin, so I had no choice but to meet his intense gaze.

The words of his were more of a statement as he spoke gravelly and strictly ‘I am not capable of looking at someone else. Not that I would ever fucking want to. My eyes never leave you and that will never change. It is you. Nobody else. Nothing else.’

I continued shaking my head.

‘I will never stop loving you and whatever wild theory you have about the afterlife then I will love you there.’ He grumbled out determinedly.

His face was not so clear anymore. He looked fazed out and blurry. Splashes of colour danced around him.

I closed my eyes and pleaded through the form of more sobs ‘Please do not make this any harder than it already is.’

Stone did not move an inch.

‘I will not leave, and I will not give up. I am never going anywhere, Medusa.’ He declared resolutely ‘I will be here every second and there is nothing you can do about it. You can push me away all you like but I will not move. You can make up millions of excuses why I should go but that will not matter. I only need one reason to stay and that is you. I need you.’

Then he told me the same he used to whisper to me every night before I went to sleep. The three words that always made me feel better.

I whispered it back because it may have been the last time, I said it aloud.

My head was going to explode. It felt that way anyway and I could not ignore my body pains any longer. The weight of my eyelids was too heavy. It was too much of a chore to keep them open.