to love too late

chapter 35 || the past is the past

I stood behind Newt, neither of us making a sound, but I knew that he knew I was standing behind me. The sun was setting, but it was still very bright, and we had a few hours til our next mission in the city.

"Sorry about that. Back there" Newt said, breaking the silence. I took that as my cue to sit beside him.

"Don't be sorry, but what's been going on?" I asked worry in my eyes.

"Yeah, I guess I can't hide this anymore"

Newt rolled up his sleeve, revealing a hole with black, blue, and purple veins growing. A Crank mark. I gasped loudly as my eyes met up with Newts. My eyes watered, this can't be happening. He never got bitten or anything.

"Newt..." My voice trailed out. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Didn't think it'd make any difference" He said, shrugging. It scared me how calm he was about this. The blond didn't display any form of concern. "All I know is that Wicked put me in the maze for a reason. Maybe it was to see the difference from immunes like you and people like me"

"You know we can fix this, Newt. Okay? We're going to fix this" I said as I lay on my head on his shoulder. I wanted to cry. I wanted to do anything that I could to help him. I felt useless. Hopeless almost.

"Don't worry about me, Love." Newt whispered into my ear. I remember when he called me 'Love' in the maze. 

"This is about Minho. Now he needs us and if we have even the slightest chance of saving him, that we can get out of there, then we have to take it. No matter the cost." Newt said sternly, bringing my head up to look directly at him.

"Newt, you're dying, we can't just let you die" I said, my voice cracking. He looked at me intently, before opening his mouth and closing it again.

"Did I ever tell you about when I broke my leg?" He asked. I shook my head no. I knew it had to do with his limp, but I never asked him about it. To be fair, I never really noticed it much.

"Way back in the maze" He paused. "I had just come up from the box, like everyone else. Didn't know where I was, didn't know who I was, you know?" The blond smiled softly at me.

"And even though all my memories were gone, I still had this feeling. The feeling that something was missing... I felt empty... And I just, I just couldn't take it" He said as he stumbled over his words.

I looked at the boy, my eyes filled with sadness. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"So, one morning, I got up early and I snuck up into the maze. And I went, and I found the tallest wall I could. And I climbed up there and..." Newts voice stopped, staring straight at me. "I jumped off it."

My heart shattered, not for myself, but for the pain that Newt had been through. 

"Newt, you've got to be kidding me..." I said aloud, my voice cracking. He didn't turn to face me, but instead stared up at the sky.

"But of course I got completely tangled in all the ivy" He exclaimed with a small laugh. "Snapped my leg in three different places like a proper shank. Landed hard on the floor. Yeah, I thought that was it for me."

"But that wasn't." I spoke up. I hadn't taken my eyes off of Newt at all, I felt tears trickling down my face, but I didn't move. I couldn't take my eyes off of Newt.

"Yeah, Minho then found me. Somehow. And he picked me up and brought me back to the maze. And we never told anyone about the truth about what happened. Minho saved me. He gave me a second chance. So yes, if there is any chance that we get to save Minho, I'm taking it."

I had no words for Newt. Nothing in my head correlated together. How could someone like Newt, go through all of this? 

"Newt?" I asked.

"Yeah?" He questioned as he looked down at me. I embraced him in a hug. He hesitated before hugging me back. 

His heart was beating fast, but I couldn't tell why. It was either from the hug, or the emotional experience we just faced with one another.

- - - - 

We walked back together into the conference room to meet with the rest of the group. Gally pulled me aside, as Newt gave him a small glare.

"Are you hurt? Did he do anything?" Gally asked as he glanced from across the room over to Newt.

"I'm fine Gally, I can handle myself" I replied, patting him on the back before turning back to walk to Newt.

I stood next to Newt, waiting for Gally to tell us about our new plan. I didn't know much besides the fact that we were all going into the city, to some secret hideout spot. 

"Okay, first things first. Thomas and Y/N are going to be a pair. They're going to walk together... holding hands" Gally said, pausing in the middle of his sentence so he could see if Newt would throw him to the wall aswell.

Newt stayed put, but he bit his lip. A sense of jealousy? I'm not sure, but he didn't look happy.

"What, why?" Thomas and I questioned.

"We need Teresa to be drawn to you guys, and she was closest with the two of you." Gally explained. I only sighed.

- - - -

Thomas and I made our way through the large and busy streets. Everyone rushed to get to their homes before curfew came into place. He held onto my hand securely, making sure he wouldn't lose me in the crowd. We stopped at a crosswalk that was stopped, and made our way through the large crowd. 

From across, a certain long haired brunette came into view, her eyes dazed on the concrete before looking up, and meeting my gaze. Our eyes both lightened up at the sight of each other, but my eyes quickly remembered I couldn't show her emotion. Teresa's eyes landed on our hands, her eyes definitely surprised. Honestly, I wished it was Newt. Teresa should be holding Thomas' hand. 

A bus passed by in the few minutes that we waited, giving me and Thomas the chance to walk away slowly, just enough time for Teresa to follow behind us. I heard her yelling sorry to people as she bumped into them, trying to get to us.

Thomas and I lead her through a bus station as no one else was in there. 

"Y/N?" She cried from behind me as her heels clicked against the floor. I turned around to make eye contact with her, but quickly turned forward right after.

"Y/N!" She yelled out again.

We got to an open empty spot as the sign that curfew was in place rang out. She finally reached us, turning my body around to face her. I quickly let go of Thomas' hand.

"Hey Teresa" I said to her.

"You guys shouldn't be here. If Janson finds you guys are here..." She began. Her eyes glistened with tears that were on the verge of dropping.

"Look, we're not staying" I explained.

"It's just uh.. I had to see you" Thomas said as he grabbed her hands. She looked at me, I only nodded. 

"I had to see you" Thomas said. "I have to ask you something... Do you regret it? What you did to us?" Thomas' eyes also had tears that wanted to fall.

She let out a breath. "Sometimes... But I did what I thought was right. And I'd do it again" 

"Good" Thomas said breathlessly.

"I'm sorry, Teresa" I added. 

Gally emerged from behind a pillar, pulling a sack over the girls head and taking her with him. 

published : february 3rd, 2023

A/N : I LOVED WRITING GHIS CHAPTER. anywho i hope you all enjoyed! I love you mwah <3