Returned (Book 2 of the Stolen Collection)

16

"Please," Kore asked quietly. She held the bowl up to be level with my face. "It's been two days. Blake is gonna be mad if I tell him you still haven't eaten."

I ignored her and rolled over, pulling Blake's pillow up against my chest to hug it. I couldn't stop seeing the blood. I didn't want to eat anything because all I could think about was that it wasn't Chef Fellers sending me this food. I only got out of bed to scrub my skin raw in the shower after the horrific bloody nightmares. They came constantly and the panic attacks came in waves. I slept more than anything, but I was still exhausted. I was slowly remembering the events that led to his end and they ran through my head nonstop. Every moment was stuck on repeat and it left me feeling exhausted and broken.

I heard Kore leaving Blake's room and I sank deeper into the blankets. It felt like my life had ended with Gallel. Part of me wished it had. Trapped in this house with a man that acted like he hated more often than not and my only friends were dying around me. I heard the bedroom door open and close again before someone laid behind me on the bed. He put his arm over me and pulled the blankets down enough to see my face.

"Jade," Blake whispered. "Please don't do this to me."

He kissed behind my ear and pulled me closer against him with his forehead rested on the back of my head. He had been visiting me in his room every few hours, but sleeping somewhere else.

"I know this is hard," he continued to whisper to me, "but I need you. You have to be okay. I know you're not gonna eat for me, but at least drink this for me."

He pulled the blankets to my waist and guided me to a sitting postion. He put a glass in my hand. It was half filled with a blue liquid and I looked up at him.

"It's uhm.. it's pedialyte." He chuckled nervously. He raised my arm so the glass was at my mouth. I took a sip and put the glass back in his hands before I laid down again and held the blanket to my chest. "Okay."

"What do you want?" I asked still looking at the wall.

"What?" He asked confused.

"What do you want from me, Blake?"

"I don't think I know what you mean," he sounded confused. I rolled over to look at him.

"You've been so awful to me since I got back here. What do you want now? Why are you acting like this?"

"I want you to be okay," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to let you be put in harm's way or let you see what you have had to."

I rolled back over and covered up again holding onto the blanket like a stuffed animal. I couldn't think about Blake's fucked up mind right then. He pet my face with his fingertips as he sighed before leaving the room again.

I just wanted to sleep, but it didn't help. Everytime I closed my eyes, I just saw blood. The memories were so vivid, I could still feel the hot blood splatter on my face. I just kept waking up smelling and feeling blood on my skin. Nothing I tried kept it off my mind.

There was a gentle knock on the door and I covered my head to avoid any further interaction. The person outside decided my silence was a sign to enter, but I sank deeper into my fortress of blankets to pretend they didn't exist. There were shuffling noises before I felt the weight shift on the bed. A large heavy hand ran up and down my back in an attempt to comfort me.

"Little trouble," a voice said softly. "You always find a way to live up to that nickname."

I knew that voice. I threw the covers off and sat up to see his face. It was him. Ronnie sat in front of me, he was really here.

"Hey there, sweet heart." He smiled at me. I threw my arms around him and heard him gasp as I accidentally knocked the air out of him.

"Ronnie," I sobbed into his shoulder. "Gallel, he's-"

"I know, honey." He pet my back as I continued to hug him. "I heard what happened. Everything's going to be okay."

"It doesn't feel like it," I mumbled. He pulled away from the hug and looked at my face with a small smile.

"I heard about what you did too." He looked impressed. "I'm so proud of you. You were so brave and I know he was glad you were there for him. I know he was happy that he had you in his last moments."

"They shouldn't have been his last." I looked at my hands. "I could've saved him. I should've acted sooner. I knew-"

"You can't do that to yourself." Ronnie shushed me. "It'll never feel any better if you don't accept it. You could not have saved him. What did you plan to do? Stop a bullet? You tried that with your leg and you saw how that turned out."

"I'd do it again. If it brought him back. I'd do anything, I just let him go. He's gone and everyone will move on and forget him."

"Forget him?" Ronnie scoffed. "You think anyone could forget that loud mouth redneck? He touched everyone, whether he realized it or not. Every person you meet, has an impact on you for the rest of your life. You are a beautiful mosaic of every person you have ever met. So no one will ever be forgotten. They created who you are."

"That's beautiful, Ronnie." I sniffled as I thought about it. He was right. Chef Fellers had made changes in me and in my life here. Changes that would be there forever.

"You will carry him with you everywhere you go." He said with a small smile. I already started to feel better. For the first time in weeks, it felt like things would be okay.