Rue's POV
THIS DAY TOOK a major fucking turn.
Just out of the blue, Nadine is shaking me awake, telling me I have to leave or I'll die.
So he helped me pack a bag, and now he's not saying anything at all. How do we go from this to that?
He's sitting on my bed, running his hands through his hair.
"Nadine?' I whisper. I stand in front of him, finally being taller for once. "You can still go with us." I crouch down and look up at him. He sits up, pulling me off the ground and onto his lap. My arms immediately go around his neck.
Nadine shakes his head and sighs. "It's my fault." He whispers. "I was drunk. I told him everything." He admits. I feel my chest tighten at the sight of him. He's vulnerable, finally letting me see this side of him he tries to hide so desperately.
"He probably would have found out anyway." I assure. He lets out a forced laugh.
"I don't think so." He looks up at me. His gaze goes down to my lips. "Promise me you won't come back here." He whispers. I find myself leaning down until I feel his breath on my lips.
"Nadine-"
His lips go to my neck. "Promise me." He says again, a little more demanding. I feel a tear fall from my eye. I don't want to do this, but I know he'll die trying to help me and I can't let that happen.
Reluctantly, I finally say, "I promise." Nadine cups my face, forcing me to look at him. My hands go to his hands as they hold my face. I find myself tracing the tattoos on his hand. We never got a chance to lay in bed and do this. We never got a chance to do anything, really.
He probably thinks the same thing, cause when my hand goes to unbutton his shirt, he lets me.
The numbers, 1999 are printed on his collar bone.
This was the year he was born.
I trace the numbers, my fingers finding his next tattoo. A dagger with a snake wrapped around it. The snake wraps around Nadine's waist, as if he's being suffocated. I push his shirt down his arms. A crumbled rose, the vines wrapped around his arm, stopping at his elbow. An Ace card located on his side. The name Elizabeth-His mother- written in cursive. That one is tattooed on one of his muscles.
"Rue." He whispers. I turn my attention back to him. "I-" He hesitates, attempting to get the words out.
I look away, tears falling and a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. "You should leave now. I have a helicopter waiting for you." I turn back to him. He's buttoning his shirt back up, while I stay seated on his lap.
But I don't move. I don't want to move. I've been saying this whole time that I want to leave this horrid place and never come back. Now that I have the chance, I don't want to.
"Please, Tesoro." He whispers "I'm begging you." I shake my head, tears falling as I do.
"I can't leave you." I say with a crack in my voice.
"If you don't, you'll never get a chance to live a normal life." His hands hold my face again, bringing me closer to him. "Don't you want that?"
My chest tightens at the thought. "I don't want it if it's not with you." I bring my hand up and wipe my face. "I love you." I whisper, not wanting to say it too loud.
He doesn't have to say it. I don't care if he does. Because for some reason, in the pit of my stomach, I have a feeling that he loves me too.
Even if he doesn't say.
"You're breaking my heart." His hand reaches for a piece of my hair. "Please. They're not going to change their mind. Leave before it's too late."
You're breaking my heart.
"Okay." I whisper. "I'll go." I grab his hand and pull him up. He grabs my suitcase and wheels it behind us. Kaylee, Alex, Diego, and surprisingly Naomi, stand in the hallway.
Kaylee has her iconic pink suitcase with a bag on her shoulders as well. She's wearing a pink button up coat, with a white hat on.
Alex has his black backpack. He didn't bring a suitcase cause he was able to fit a lot in the small bag. He wears a thick black jacket, no hat.
Diego also has a bag, he's wearing a big black coat and black gloves. Somehow, he managed to fit all his hair in a black beanie.
Finally Naomi. She has on a long black stylish coat, also wearing a black turtleneck, paired with a pale peach colored pair of pants. She has a mini suitcase in her hand. Her waist long braids are tied up in two high pigtails.
Diego scoffs when he sees Nadine. "Well, will you look at that. The gangs all back together. Well- everyone except for Aniyah." He tilts his head with a distasteful scoff.
I glance back at Nadine to see him scowling, looking like he could punch someone; like he could punch Diego.
"Enough, Diego. Nadine's trying to help us." Kaylee slightly shouts. Diego rolls his eyes, but stops talking anyway.
"There's a helicopter waiting on the balcony." Nadine says. "If you wanna leave, you better start going."
There's not a moment of silence before everyone starts walking to the third story where the balcony is located. I turn to face Nadine. He still has my suitcase and my black button up coat in hand.
"Here." he motions for me to slip my arms through, so I do. Nadine buttons it up for me and tightens it to my liking.
When we get to the balcony, a helicopter hovers above the ground. The harsh wind pushes my hair back and makes my face go cold. Naomi is already in, while Diego is climbing up the very portable latter. Once he gets in, Kaylee starts climbing up.
I turn to Nadine, hoping he has anything to say before it's my turn. His lips part, and right when he's about to say something, a light flashes right over us, reminding me of a spotlight. I look up, only to see another helicopter.
What the fuck?
"Did you uh- did you call two to come pick us up?" I ask, suddenly worried. I see the color from his face drain and a look of confusion cross.
"No." He suddenly says. As if on cue, the helicopter gets closer to the balcony. Five men dressed in gear drop down from the helicopter. And soon after, so does Ivan.
A wicked chuckle erupts from him within his bones. Sounds like he's been keeping it in since the old ages.
"You didn't think you would outsmart me, did you?" He calls out to us. "I mean, come on. Of course you would do the opposite of what I told you to. I just knew it. In fact, Roan owes me 50 bucks." He laughs, looking to one of the men. "Come on, Nadine. You didn't really think you would get this far, did you? The only thing stopping me from killing you, is the contract. you can still be King. We can still take down the French. All you have to do, is stop them." He points to the helicopter. Everyone is inside, except for me.
But before Nadine can say anything, the helicopter flies off. I hear my name being shouted by Alex and Kaylee. My blood runs cold as I'm now surrounded by fear.
Ivan frowns. "Welp, one will have to do." He snaps his finger, then points to me. Suddenly, all the guards turn towards me in unison, before they start marching over.
Right as one of them almost has me, Nadine punches him across the face. He goes to grab their gun, but the guard gets right back up and kicks him in the stomach, causing the gun to fly across the floor.
Nadine quickly stands back up, unharmed.
Ivan stares down at him with amusement. "Don't hurt him." Ivan says to the guards. "Just...entertain him." He smiles.
The guards all turn to Nadine, running at him with speed.
One of the guards manages to get a good punch across his face, even drawing a little blood. Nadine hold his jaw as the guards take this chance to grab him. It takes four guards to hold him down on the ground. The last guard makes his way over to me, yanking my arm, causing my body to go flying. He holds me up though.
"Get off of her." Nadine shouts. Ivan snaps his finger again, making two of the guards to stand away from Nadine, and the other two to hold him by the arms. Nadine yanks his arms away and runs towards me. He pulls me away from the guard holding me and wraps his arms around my waist. I wrap my arms around his neck, my feet hovering from the ground.
"I'm scared." I whisper into his neck.
"Me too." He sets me down on the ground. He tilts my chin up with his finger, causing me to look up at him. Then leans down and presses his lips against mine. I feel a tear hit my lip, only it's not mine.
It's his.
Suddenly, a loud bang, interrupts me from my thoughts. I snatch my lips away, startled. I hear a gasp come from Ivan. I look around the room. And then I look down.
Blood is leaking from my shirt. My hands go to touch it. Blood is covering my hand. I look up at Nadine and see tears running down his eyes. I feel my body go weak. Nadine grabs onto me before I fall. He sets me on the floor, my head in his hands. it's only then that I see the gun in his free hand. He throws it on the ground and cups my face.
I feel tears run down my face. "I'm so sorry." he cries. But I don't say anything. Instead I stare up at the now star-y sky. Will I be one of those?
I finally find the courage to look up at Nadine. I feel myself suck in a deep breath, and then release it.
Turns out it wasn't Me and Him against the world.
It was Him against Me.
Even if he did this to protect me.
I would rather die putting up a fight, than be a pity kill.
The last words I here before I close my eyes.
"I love you too."