How to Save a Life

sixteen - epilogue

  "Leo," I called, looking towards the backpack on the bed, which was stuffed full of Leo's clothes. "What are you doing?"

  "I don't think I can afford to stay here much longer," he admitted, amber eyes dancing over to me. "I'm gonna find a cheaper place."

  I opened my mouth, but hesitated. Leo's words insinuated he hadn't planned on going back to camp, and the thought upset me. It was too dangerous to not be at camp, especially with our minimal supplies and weapons. We'd have to go back soon, or it would start to get rough.

  "We could go back to camp," I offered, watching Leo's eyes fall to the ground at my feet, his hands pausing over the backpack. He looked like he was at war with himself, and I wanted to know what was going on inside his head.

  "I don't know if I can," he murmured, eyes glancing up to meet my gaze. "It's just...a lot of painful memories, you know?"

  "I know," I said softly, sitting in front of him on the bed. "But it's okay, because I'll be there with you to make new ones. Good ones." He looked sad, so overwhelmingly sad, it made my heart ache. "Please, Leo. Come back to camp with me," I practically begged, reaching out to grab his hand. "We can forget about the old stuff and focus on the new."

  "I don't know, Neeks," he whispered, sitting down beside me and squeezing my hand. "A part of me wants to go back, because it's safe, but a different part of me wants to stay here."

  I reached forward and grabbed his other hand, lacing our fingers together and keeping our conjoined hands in front of us.

  "Camp is safe, Leo," I murmured. "There's only so long we can go out here before the monsters figure it out and-"

  "I know," he chokes out. "Which is why I'm having such a hard time deciding." I kept quiet as I let him think, brushing my thumbs across his skin to let him know I was here. "I'll have to sleep on it."

  "Alright," I said, giving him a small smile. "I'll support whatever you decide."

  "Thank you."

---

  I awoke to nimble fingers massaging my scalp, causing me to lean into the touch. I opened my eyes to see Leo smiling down at me, his gaze fond. I snuggled closer to him and pressed my face into his neck.

  "I wanna go back to camp," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "And I would say I want to go to New Rome, but five years of military service? No thanks," he joked, causing me to laugh quietly.

  "I could convince Reyna," I offered. "Now that there isn't some big threat, there's no need."

  "How Greek of you," Leo teased, pulling back to kiss my forehead. "If you do manage to convince her, though...we should go, together."

  "Yeah...yeah, I'd like that," I said with a smile, watching him mirror the look.

  "I'm gonna go shower."

  "Without me?"

  "Well, c'mon then, dork," he teased with a laugh, pulling me up and towards the bathroom. "We've got places to be and people to see!"

---

  six months later

  "Nico," Leo groaned, dragging out the last syllable of my name as he stared at his laptop. "This is stupid."

  "Geometry is not stupid," I protested. "You need all the math you can get, future engineer." I settled down next to him and looked at the problem on the screen. "Yikes," I murmured.

  "You're telling me."

  "Well, I'm gonna go make lunch," I rushed out as an excuse to not help Leo with the devil's work. "Actually, I'll make you a deal. You get done with your classes, and we'll go out and do something nice. I'm off tonight."

  "You're sixteen and you sound like a twenty year old." I laughed and kissed his cheek.

  "Get your work done. I love you."

  "I love you too."