We're Fine

Page 16

I slid soundlessly to the side to make room for Adrian, only to have him push me back to the middle and hover a few centimeters above me. I chomped down on the inside of my cheek and sucked in a breath. Adrian's hand closed over my mouth and I didn't take the time to react. I was just thankful that there might have been a chance of stopping the screams that were brewing in my chest. 

The footsteps got closer and closer and closer until a light shown on the ground outside of the record room. Adrian covered my eyes as well and lowered his body onto mine. I couldn't see and I couldn't scream. I was breathing in dust through my nose and I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. I wanted to cry and scream and plead for forgiveness from someone who was still unaware of my presence. The fear only intensified when Adrian's head dropped down on my shoulder and I heard the woman enter the room. 

I felt Adrian's heart rate quicken against my back and his breathing go so shallow I almost couldn't feel it. The person walked around the table and I heard her shove the packet back into the box. She pushed it back onto a shelf, did one last walk around the room, and then left. I didn't calm down any until the door to the stairwell closed. Even then Adrian kept my sense dimmed. I soon found out why. 

"Hm, I guess I'm just hearing things." The woman said and really did walk into the stairwell. 

Adrian let go of me and I let my face fall into my crossed arms. I let out an agonized, dry sob followed by a pitiful whimper. I felt like I was going to faint.  

"Crying isn't going to do any good." Adrian informed me and then rolled out from under the table. He jabbed at my shoulder a few times until I felt composed enough to look up at him. He held out a hand, his expression blank. I had half expected him to just leave me there. I took his hand and he carefully pulled me up. At that point the floodwall broke. 

I threw my arms around him and sobbed uncontrollably into his chest. A hand on my lower back kept me from crumpling to my knees and he reluctantly raised the other to my head. "Gale." He groaned before letting out hopeless sigh. I just kept sobbing. "Please stop crying." He begged unkindly. 

"I c-c-can't." My sob was desperate and genuine. There really was no way I could stop crying. I was swept up into a vortex of horror and the belief that I was going to be murdered one way or another. I didn't want to die. I wasn't ready. 

"Come on, just calm down a little." He sounded a bit calmer, but he still didn't get that there was no way that was happening anytime soon. As much as I wanted to stop crying and run for shelter I couldn't. 

"I'm sorry." I apologized in a choked voice and shook my head. "I'm sorry, Adrian." By this point I was begging for him to be patient with me. There was simply nothing I could do. 

A groan escaped him, but this one was different. This one was sympathetic and I didn't have to have my head together to know that. He wrapped one arm tightly around my waist and the other hand gripped my shoulder, where he massaged it with his thumb. A few whimpers and one tear sodden shirt later, I was done bawling my eyes out. 

"You're kidding me? That was all it took?" He asked looking down at my exposed face in frustration.