Under the Gray Willow Tree

Chapter 49

Gray's POV

I pulled her up with all my strength back onto solid ground. You have no idea how relieved I was when she decided – finally! – to take it and for me to pull her up to her own safety.

I pulled her in and hugged her as if my whole life depended on it. Her scent entered my nostrils and I breathed a silent sigh of relief. I'm glad she's safe. I won't know what to do if I watched her die and didn't do anything about it.

I had something inside of me that told me that Willow was somewhat traumatized. And then, suddenly, something clicked in my mind. We weren't alone. And we needed to make a dash out of this place as quickly as we could.

"Willow," I said in desperation, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her to wake her up from her trance.

She looked up at me, her eyes red and puffy as if she had been crying, and her arms falling limply to her side. She nodded in acknowledgement and took hold of my hand and squeezed it.

I returned the squeeze, and guided her to the one and only exit off the roof, the one Desmond left open so that I could exit once I was done with what I was supposed to do on the roof.

I was supposed to watch her die, and make sure that she died.

But the moment I saw her in huge danger of falling and dying, all the hurt I felt inside of me vanished, and I could only think of one thing in my mind at that moment. It was as if my insides were screaming at me to do one thing.

Save her!

We slipped into the building quietly, making sure to let no one see us. I couldn't afford that. Both of us would be in huge trouble if I let us be seen. If our cover was blown or anything.

I had to try and evade all those on patrol duty (I have no idea why there is a need for patrol duties here considering nearly no one knows of this hideout). I almost got caught once.

I watched in horror as a team of people emerged from behind the wall blocking us from the emergency stairs exit. I tugged on Willow's hand and dragged her to behind a pillar.

I didn't think the pillar was large enough to block us both, but to my surprise, they didn't stop us or anything. Actually, they didn't even bother about us, if they did see us in the first place and just walked past us.

I tugged on her hand once again and guided her to the emergency stairs exit. Pushing open the door, I let her go in before I myself went in, silently closing the door behind me.

The two of us raced down the seventeen floors as fast as our legs could carry us, not sparing even a single second to rest and recover our breath. Even Willow knows that we can't waste even a single second.

We soon came to the exit door. I pushed it open and we stumbled out into the open. My hand soon found hers again. I tugged her towards the direction of my car. I slipped into the driver's seat while she slipped into the passenger's.

I ignited the engine and as easy as that, we raced off to the nearest police station. I somehow do not believe that we escaped as easy as that. I almost think that there's some sort of trap somewhere and we didn't manage to spot it, what with all our rushing about and all. But I don't think Desmond is that stupid.

Ah well. If he is stupid, I should savour his stupidity while it lasts.

I told Willow to go to sleep. And she did. Well, that's a good thing. She's probably exhausted or tired or something. I glanced at her once in a while while I was driving.

I do not know what I was thinking at that time. Scratch that. I wasn't. What was I doing on Desmond's side, wanting to kill her? I was so stupid. So, so stupid. I was just like a loyal dog obeying everything it's master says.

What was I thinking? I obviously can't kill. Not her anyway.

I'm sorry Desmond, but I'm not that dog anymore. I do not want to be that obedient dog anymore. I give up. You can do whatever you want to me, but I am not coming back to your side. I am never coming back to your side.

When we reached the nearest police station, I pulled up at the other side of the road. And then, I stopped and started at her. Just stared, doing nothing else at all. Just stared at her. At her and her cute little face of hers.

What was I thinking?

There's obviously no way that I can kill her. And just by staring at her still figure, it made me realise something. It made me realise that I love her a lot, more than I can comprehend. And that I do not want to let go of her.

Not anymore.