Spartan "Freedom"

Ch.56

SOPHIE POV

I woke up feeling... Warm.
As I got back in touch with reality, I groggily noticed a warm blanket wrapped around me.

And some kind of warm drink in a little blue mug on the coffee table next to me.

For an instant I thought all of my life lately had been nothing but a dream.

But when I tried to get up, and landed flat on my face, I knew I was mistaken.

With my right (and only) arm I reached for the mug.

"Hot apple cider."

I whispered as I took a sip.
It's my favorite. And it's been forever since I've had any.

In fact only one person knows how much I like it.

I shook my head

"Of course"

I wasn't sure exactly what happened before I passed out, or even how long I've been asleep.

But I knew Jeff was near by... And for some reason the thought made my skin crawl.

"She's awake" a sad little voice whispered from the doorway of the strange living room I was in.

I looked up and noticed it was Sally.
Her hair was a mess and the dark circles under her eyes told me she hasn't slept in a while

"Hey sweetie" I said while yawning groggily

"No" she whispered before walking away

And before I even had a chance to blink, Jeff ha practically appeared in the doorway

I jumped at the sight of him there so suddenly.

And his face twisted into a look of agony as I did, he slumped his shoulders and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?"
I asked softly

"Anywhere, it doesn't matter where as long as I'm away from here"

"Why?" I asked confused

"Don't you want me gone?"

I shook my head and threw in an awkward chuckle

"No stupid, why would I?"
He stood for a moment, just looking at me, as if in a state of shock.

"You don't... You don't hate me?"

I looked at him empathetically

"This must be déjàvu,
Because I've said it once and I'll say it again, Jeff I couldn't hate you if I tried"

His eyes slowly glassed over with tears

"Then why did you leave"

I looked at the ground in shame

"I didn't want you to think you had to protect me, for once I felt like I should have been the one looking out for you, but how could if you only see me Asa weak fragile thing that needs to be protected"

He kneeled in front of me

"I'm not saying I don't want you to be strong, I'm saying that, now that I'm here, you don't have to be, it's not a matter of life and death anymore because I'm here. You've been strong for way too long, and it's my fault, so let me make it up to you"

I threw my arm around him and he pulled me into a hug.

"Stop blaming yourself, if I hadn't have been such a naïve kid you'd still have a normal life"

He held me tighter

"But if I had more self control... You'd still have a whole body"

I moved him just far enough away so I could look in his bright blue eyes

"Do you still care about me without my limbs?" I asked flatly

"Duh"

"Then I'm ok without them... I have you, and u should have realized sooner that that was enough"

"I'm disgusting" he said flatly
"I'm the stuff of nightmares, I'm a monster, why do you care about me"

"I don't know, but there's one thing I do know. But I know that if I lost you, my reason for still being around would walk out the door with you"

He pressed his cold lips onto mine as I fell onto my back

He loomed over me warmly

And I was too enamored, too consumed in my own little world to notice Ben and Sally looking at us warmly

"Would you look at that, looks like you did it Jeff, you beat the odds"

"I told you" Sally said in a know-it-all voice

"She's a good one, I told you she could care about people like us" she said before Ben motioned at her to leave and 'give them some space'