𝓢𝓮𝓮 𝓜𝓮

Chapter 35

"Emma," I whispered in a shaky breath, the unfamiliar name rolling off my tongue in desperation. Anything. Anything that would make its way into her mind, "Ems. Emmaline."

Emmaline, it's me.

Nothing. Why isn't she answering? Why isn't she opening her eyes? I grabbed one of her hands, so cold. Why is she so cold? And then my heart almost stopped as it dropped to my stomach when my thumb brushed against her wrist, her pulse.

"Emmaline?" I snapped, tensing up, feeling the wound in my arm burn but ignored it, "Emmaline!" I lowered my ear to her chest, waiting. Waiting for nothing. She's not breathing. She's not moving.

"No," I gasped out, my chest falling up and down harder as my head swayed, "no! No, she's not breathing—"

"What?" Juliette and Dad snapped, but I couldn't look at them, I couldn't pry my eyes off of her face. It looked like it was being drained of color, dead.

She's dead.

My vision blurred more, Emmaline, stop doing this. I tried to tug on her thoughts but I couldn't even find them, I couldn't get to her. Because there is nothing to reach for.

"Move," Uncle Warner said quietly, but I could swear I heard his voice break as he pried Kenji's hands away from Emmaline, Juliette's own going to her mouth as tears rolled down her face, backing away until Dad wrapped his bloody hands around her shoulders as they shook from her silent sobs, "Kai. Kai, listen to me."

He snapped when I didn't look at him, forcing me to glance up at his focused expression, waiting until he said, "we're going to bring her back, alright?" He reached with his hands pressed together to her chest, "we just need to give her air to breathe again, okay?"

I nodded before he could even finish his sentence, tilting her head back a little before pressing my fingers to her face, parting her lips just when he pushed down on her chest with what I felt was all his strength, pressing my mouth to her and blowing the deep breath I took, over and over. It was like I was willing life back into her, begging her to breathe.

I was going to die. If she didn't wake up, I was going go lose it. I was going to die without her. Emmaline, I'm begging you, I thought as I blew another breath, feeling Uncle Warner's uneven breathing become harsher, his chest compressions turning faster.

Wake up. Wake up right now. I don't think there was more air left in me, I couldn't breathe anymore, my hands shook, my grip weakening on her face as I chocked on air, trying to take another breath to give to her. I would give her every beat of my heart if she wanted it, I'd trade my whole life for her to just wake up. Emmaline. Don't leave me.

Then, like she finally heard me, she gasped out a small breath against my face, sudden color slowly returning to her cheeks as I stumbled back a step. She didn't open her eyes, but she was breathing. That's all I needed. Alive. I needed her alive.

I felt my legs give out from underneath me, resting my back against the wall as I lowered myself to the ground, running my hands through my hair as tears still streamed down my face, taking short breaths, looking at Uncle Warner resting his forehead on her chest as Juliette got out of Dad's hold and rounded the bed, brushing her fingers against Emmaline's face and whispering something I couldn't focus on.