When Good Things End - A Novel Series

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I held on to his hand as he led me away from the other men. The both of us quickly made our way past burnt down trees and houses.

"Get down," he said, pulling me with him into what was left of a building.

I'm practically sitting on his lap, my clothes completely soaked and sticking to my skin. My skin flushed hot as he put his arm around my waist as he watched something. I felt my breath catch as I spotted what he was looking at.

Soldiers.

They wore all-black armor, blending into the charred terrain as they slowly crept closer to the beach.

Shouts of alarm came from the beach as I turned away at the first splash of red.

No one was left alive once I glanced back a minuet later.

There all dead.

I could feel Laurent's heart beating even through his clothes. I finally took a good look at him, still feeling dazed that he was here— in front of me.

His light brown hair was darker from the water. He was wearing his combat clothes, the same all-black uniform he wore at the party. The same one he wore when he saved me from that disaster of an arranged marriage.

"Sorry. I didn't want you to see that," Laurent said, leaning his back on the wrecked wall.

"What?"

"Me punching that guy," he answered.

"He deserved it." I would have done the exact same thing if I had the chance. "That's not what matters right now," I stated.

He put his head on my shoulder and groaned, "It's too late. Don't you dare try to send me away from you."

I put my hands against his chest, wanting to push him away. He's so warm. His hand smoothing over my cold skin as I melted into his hug.

I missed him. So much so that my bones feel like they ache at the thought of being any further away from him than this.

Not yet— I won't send him away just yet.

"What matters right now is finding a place we can dry off and safely stay the night. We can talk more when I'm not as exhausted in the morning."

He hummed in agreement. Taking a moment longer before he pulled away from me, still smiling, he said, "Let's hurry up before you catch a cold."

"You're just as cold right now," I said. My teeth started to chatter as I stood up and offered him a hand up. He took it, and the both of us made our way around the dark ruins of what once was a village.

It took us some time to get to the dark outline of where the fire was finally put out. It was a boarder of golden brown dried grass as we stepped off the black ground and onto grass. I still held his hand as we ventured into a living forest.

My skin feels tight and itchy as the water slowly dries off. My eyes feel swollen, and it's painful every time I open them. "Let's take a break," I said, sitting down and letting my aching body relax. Everything hurts; I feel like I was bruised and tossed around. Which actually did happen, if I think about it.

"Don't be falling asleep on me right now; you might have hit your head pretty badly when you were thrown into the water," Laurent said, bending down to look me over once again.

I pat his face away absentmindedly before I stretched. "I'm fine, but I am still mad at you."

"You know I should be the one mad at you, right?"

I nodded, knowing very well that I should be at the top of his hate list. I'm most likely the second since he punched that captain for me. That guy's probably the bigger jerk. "How did you even find me so quickly?"