The Bond That Binds Us

36: Watch Me

Thanks to all of my readers for your support! I hope you vote, comment, and share this story; and at the very least, enjoy it! :) I've kept you all waiting long enough for The Bringers of Hell's challenge, but it'll be in the next chapter, and that's a promise! 

Love you all! <3

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As I lay in Axel's arms later that night, a few minutes after our lovemaking and a few hours before midnight, he murmurs one word: "You." That's all he says; just 'You'.

Me? What about me? What did that one word even mean? I'm about to ask when memories of his confusing one word utterances late into the night flood my brain.

We only had three days together, before we had to face The Bringers of Hell. The first night, he'd whispered "I". The second night, he'd muttered "Love". And the third night, this night, he'd murmured "You".

Put it all together, you had a very shocking confession. It was simply three words, eight letters, yet the awareness of this confession hits me like a train.

"I" "Love" "You". Over the course of our last three nights together, Axel had indirectly professed his love for me.

He was probably thinking I wouldn't catch on and hoping I would. Well, I had caught on, and now my breath was knocked out of me, and my heart was pounding loudly, and my palms began to sweat.

"Safira?" I guess Axel can feel my body tensing and hear my thumping heartbeat, because he calls out to me as his hold tightens on me protectively. "Are you okay?"

Was I okay? Tears had begun to well in my eyes, and I have no logical reason for them. I should be happy that Axel loves me back, right? And, before The Bringers of Hell and the complications they brought to my life, I definitely would've been.

But now? With my death looming over my head, I could hardly stand to think leaving of the one person left in the world who loved me. Who truly loved me. Because Axel did love me, and I knew that, even before he said those words. I could tell in every gaze, every smile, every touch, and it warmed my heart and brought tears of joy to my eyes.

But his confession... that made everything more real. I would leave him, just when he'd begun to open up and fall in love with me. I would have to, but as his implied confession replays in my mind, like a broken record, I wonder: Could I?

Could I leave behind the single best part of my life? A part I didn't have nearly enough time to love, care for, be with? He loves me! He loves me. I can't leave him.

And if you don't, both of you will die. Is that what you want?

No, that also wasn't what I wanted. I need to get my head back on my shoulders, and be rational. I love Axel, and I'll do anything for him. Sacrificing myself for him will prove that. It'll be my last and final testament of love for him.

Several moments have passed since Axel's unanswered question of whether I'm okay. It hangs in the air still, so I address it softly. "Yeah. I'm fine, Axe."

"Are you sure?"

No.

"Yeah."

"Okay." He knows I'm lying, but he doesn't press it, for which I'm thankful. "Do you want to take a nap for... the hours we have left?"

"No. I want to be awake." After all, I'd only be awake for so much longer... before I slept... for eternity.

Don't be so dramatic, Safira. I scold internally, although the morbid thoughts take their toll on my stress-ridden mind and body.