I sit on the couch, my head in my hands as my eyes slowly drop down. I shake my head, snapping them both open. Across from me, Luis lies on the ground trying to get some rest. He took the shift through the night, so I thought I would do the right thing and let him sleep.
I loved him. I hated to admit it, but watching him lie there so innocently – even with what he's done in his past – makes my heart ache with adoration. It's Luis – it's always Luis. Even after everything he's done, I can't help but feel this love for him that I know I'll never feel for anyone else.
Uriah and I were too good to be true. We were too perfect. But Luis and I aren't too good to be true, we're just good. For you see, every day I love him more than today, more than yesterday and less than tomorrow because I know that with every day I'm in his presence he'll do something that makes my heart beat quicken.
Like yesterday when we had sex. The way his fingers felt every inch of my skin gave me a type of butterflies I never had with Uriah. He made me feel like he wanted – like he needed me. Like I was water and he was the desert. The way he kissed my neck, shoulders and arms made me feel adored and the way he said my name made me want him more than I ever had before.
But when he told me about my father those feelings went away – temporarily. For a moment I realised there was a dangerous side to Luis that I had been trying to forget about. But I remembered Luis before everything happened – Mayor Luis of Chicago. The humane Luis and I remembered that he would never have turned into the person he is today unless he needed to. Unless I needed him to.
And with that I found myself still in love with him.
"You can sleep if you want?" He sighed over the loud groaning and banging of the Lurkers outside. I looked over to him, smiling softly. "I can tell you're tired."
"You need to sleep." I said. He groaned as he sat up, clutching his back. "Don't get up."
"I want to." He said as he got to his feet, padding softly over to me. He reached out, grabbing my hands and pulling me off the couch into his arms. Then he started to sway back and forth.
"Dancing?" I smiled, tucking my head into his shoulder and closing my eyes.
"Wise men say," He began to sing; Luis had the softest, sweetest voice I had ever heard, "Only fools rush in, but I can't help, falling in love with you."
"Your Mum used to sing that to you, didn't she?" I whispered into his shoulder.
"Every night until I was 13." He said. I sometimes forgot I lived with Luis until I was 15, my room directly across from his. I used to hear his Mum singing it to him before he went to sleep, but one night she just stopped. I never knew why.
"She had a lovely voice." I said. He chuckled softly, his arms around my waist tightening.
"I miss her." He sighed loudly. Talking about his parents was hard for me – seeing as my Father is the reason they're dead. If he hadn't killed them; Grey and Alex would be alive right now and Luis wouldn't be missing them.
"I know you do." I whispered, moving my arms up and around his shoulders. I didn't want him to stop singing, but I didn't want to ask. "Like the river flows." I squeaked out. I myself was surprised I remembered Elvis's song Alex used to sing. "Shortly to the sea, darling so it goes, somethings are -"
"Meant to be." Luis sang. I could tell he was smiling from his voice. "Take my hand," He sang, one hand sliding up my body and grabbing my hand, putting it out like a waltz pose. "Take my whole life too."
"For I can't help," I pulled away so I could see his face, "Falling in love with you." He smiled, leaning in and pressing his forehead to mine. For a second all the sound from the Lurkers outside disappeared and all that was left was Luis and I. "I'm so in love with you." I whispered.
"I'm so in love with you." Luis whispered back. I opened my eyes to look into his big brown eyes, staring back at me. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders again, falling back into his arms. "How are we going to get out of here?" He asked. I took a deep breath, shaking my head.
"We can't." I said. "Too many, not enough weapons."
"Maybe Amelia can help us out?" He asked.
"Amelia would be getting as far away from here if she knew what's best for her and that kid." I mumbled into his shoulder. He pulled away, nodding softly as he looked at me.
"I hope so." He said. "So where does that leave us?"
"We have two options." I said. "We go out and have maybe 5% chance of survival, or we stay in here and die."
"You're optimistic." He smiled.
"They're our options." I said. He bit his lip, his hands gripping my waist.
"Is suicide an option?" He asked. I gulped loudly, nodding. "You kill me, I kill you sort of thing."
"You remove my chip and I shoot you." I said, and he nodded.
"We get a choice in how we die then." He sighed.
"When though?"
"Tomorrow?" He asked. Tomorrow would be a good day to die. I mean, I basically have accepted the fact that I'm not getting out of this cabin. There's got to be around 200 Lurkers banging on our walls. Why wait?
"Tomorrow then." I nodded. I will die tomorrow; the date is set. I know I should fight, try and get out. But I'm sick of fighting. I've been fighting 29 years. I said goodbye to my family before I left, I should leave it like that so if I do manage to get out I'm not killed without me saying I love you to them 1 final time. "Why tomorrow, why not today?" I asked, his eyes skimming my face.
"Cause I want to spend the night with you." He whispered, not the slightest smile on his face. He was being serious, very serious. "I want to show you how much I love you before we do this."
"Show me then." I said uncontrollably. That's when I saw a soft smile spread across his lips and he bent down, grabbing my legs and lifting the around his waist so I was in his arms. He sat down on the couch so I was on top of him. I leant in to kiss him, but he pulled away staring at my face.
"You're by far the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." He whispered, reached out and tucking a loose strand behind my ear. I bit my lip, trying to stop my smile.
"Show me then."
+++
Lurkers, everywhere. I walked out of the cabin, but when I tried to get back in Luis had locked it. Let me in! Let me in!
I jolted away from my sleep. It was dark all around me, and the sounds of the Lurkers had stopped. I frowned, reaching out and feeling around for Luis beside me. I found his arm, and I shook it.
"The Lurkers have stopped – I think they're gone." I said sleepily.
"What Lurkers?" He asked.
"The Lurkers surrounding the cabin?" I scoffed, looking across to him.
"Harper are you okay?" Uriah said as he sat up next to me. My eyes widened as his green eyes looked into mine. "Harper?"
"What's happening?" I asked, looking around to realise I was back in my tent. "Where's Luis?"
"Who's Luis?" He asked. I shook my head, pulling back the sheets and getting out of bed. "Harper come back to bed?"
"This is a dream." I whispered. "I am dreaming."
"No Harp, you're right here."
"I am dreaming!" I yelled, turning back to him to see Harrison in his spot. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry I had to do that Harper, I gave you a deadline and Zara found the bodies."
"Get out of my tent." I snapped. He tilted his head, his eyes going up and down.
"We could've had something you know?" Harrison pulled back the sheets, getting out of the bed. "You and I, we're a lot alike."
"We're nothing alike." I hissed. "You're the reason I'm going to die."
"Technically Luis is the reason you're going to die." He shrugged. "I mean, he'll be the one taking your chip out."
"I'm shooting him." I said.
"You won't do it." He scoffed, pulling out his gun and pointing it at me. "But he will – and we all know how easy it is for him to kill human beings."
"Get out!" I yelled, closing my eyes.
"You let me die." I heard from behind me. I turned to see Max standing there. I looked back at my bed to see Harrison gone.
"You're a traitor."
"You let me die." He repeated. "You are sleeping with the enemy."
"The only enemy here is you." I said.
"You're sleeping with him?" Uriah said from behind me. I turned around to see a look of anger as he stared at me. "You're cheating on me?"
"You're dead!" I yelled. "This is a dream."
"You were my family." I turned to see Jackson standing there. "We are blood."
"Jackson."
"You shot me like a pig in the forest." He said.
"Jackson I'm so sorry." I said.
"And you lied about it!" he yelled. "My own goddamn sister doesn't even know!"
"How am I meant to tell her?" I scoffed.
"You're going to die in that cabin." Uriah nodded.
"You're going to rot." Harrison stepped out from behind Jackson.
"You're never going to leave that cabin." Max shook his head.
"Because no one cares enough to come looking for you." Jackson smirked.
"Harper!" Someone yelled.
I jolted away to see Luis leaning over me, both hands on my shoulders shaking me. "Harper." He repeated. I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself. "Are you okay?"
"We can't die in here." I shook my head, sitting up and taking the sheet with me to cover myself. "No one will find us."
"What was your dream about?" He asked.
"Uriah, and Harrison, and Max and Jackson." I said. "We have to get out Luis."
"We'll get out." He nodded, pushing me back down onto my back. "Just get some sleep."
"Promise me." I said. He took a deep breath, brushing his thumb over my cheek.
"I promise." He nodded. He lied down beside me, wrapping his arms around me, but I didn't feel safe. Maybe it's because of what Harrison said: 'We all know how easy it is for Luis to kill human beings', and I think I was only just realising that.