Undefeated

Chapter Fifteen

"Did you know that school's starting back next Monday?" Pepper asks as we sit around the table, eating our burgers.

"No," Peter and I say, looking at each other.

"But you don't have to go if you don't think you're ready," says May.

Peter and I stare down at our food, not looking up at them. I take a sip of water, my glass clinging against his when I sit it down on the table.

"We're excited to see our friends," I say.

"Have you called Ned and MJ yet?" May asks.

"No," Peter answers, when I don't.

No one questions him. I look up to see Happy looking at me, and the sadness in his eyes makes me look back down at my uneaten food.

I want to talk to MJ, to make sure she's okay. I need to ask her if she blipped, which is what they are calling the disappearance of half of all living things in the universe. It's anticlimactic, if you ask me.

What if MJ didn't blip? What would that five year age difference do to our friendship? What if Ned didn't blip? Would he even want to be friends?

I've had my phone powered off since the day I got back, not wanting these questions answered. I don't have an appetite, so I take sips of water. I faintly hear the TV playing in the background, and I look up to see a picture of my dad on the news.

"Earth's best defender, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, Tony Stark has died-" Pepper picks up the remote and turns off the TV before the news anchor can continue.

I stand up from my chair and walk up the stairs, not making eye contact with anyone. I hear Peter stand up to follow me, but May stops him.

"Is Gracee okay?" I hear Morgan ask, before I shut the door in Tony and Pepper's room.

I walk to my dad's closet and sit in the corner of it, leaning my head back against the wall and staring at the ceiling. It smells like him in here. I breath in deeply and close my eyes, my mind going back to the last time I saw him. When I open my eyes, I don't have enough energy to fight the tears that fall. Crying exhausts me, and I end up falling asleep.

I wake up when I feel strong arms lift me from the floor. Peter carries me to the living room, laying me down in the corner of the sectional couch. My eyes remain closed as I snuggle up to him. His warmth is comforting, and I drift back to sleep.

•

I wake up screaming.

I frantically look around, my eyes adjusting in the darkness enough for me to see that I'm in the living room. I don't remember falling asleep in here.

Peter sits up, wide awake. Tears stream down my face, making him look blurry. I don't hear what he says as I look around the room, hyperventilating. He puts his hands on my shoulders, his thumb and index finger turning my chin towards him.

"Gracee, look at me. I'm here. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Just breath."

I look into his eyes, trying to breath. When I look at him, I see what could happen to him. I could lose him, and it could be my fault. My chest feels tight, and I can't breath. Peter looks at me like he knows what I'm thinking. Like he's felt the same way about me before.

He grabs my wrist, putting my hand over his heart. "Do you feel my heartbeat?"

I nod, and he smiles. He pushes my hair out of my face and wipes away my tears.