Save Him

Chapter 45

I stare back at his distinguishing green and warm shade of eyes. His lips have curved in the usual sweet and charming way as they always did when he graced me with one of his smiles. It has been a while.

"Here," Daniel's voice breaks me out of my reverie and he hands the man the money before getting the pizzas on his hands. My nostrils fill with the characteristic smell of the place we have always ordered pizza when we had a movie night. He walks down the path of the front porch of my house disappearing in the shadow of the night. Jenna's figure is still visible from her window, bathed in the yellow light of her room.

I glance back at George but before I can understand what is going on, he buries me in his tight embrace. He sways us both a few times. Not knowing what to do with my hands, I, hesitantly and slowly, put my arms around him too.

"I can't believe you are here," He whispers as he drinks me all in; his eyes traveling up and down. "You are taller, thinner..."

"That's called growing," I giggle and he grins. "I haven't changed that much." He surprises me as he places his finger above my heart.

"I think you have in here," I nod in his assumption.

"Are you coming in you two?"

"Shut up," George shouts back and I frown. He was always the sweet and innocent boy, he never rose his voice to anyone for anything, he never cursed. Maybe he has changed too. He hugs me and pushing me inside the house, he shuts the door behind him with his foot. His movement isn't so smooth and controlled as I'm used to lately. I crawl back from his tight embrace.

"I need to help," I murmur, and I'm rewarded by his broad grin. I walk into the depths of the house towards the kitchen and I don't miss the frown on Corbyn's face. This isn't going to evolve pleasantly.

"I got it," I say to Emma and Hannah who have entered the kitchen to bring some plates. They start murmuring negatively but detecting something or rather someone behind me, they agree instantly. The discussion from the living room distracts me a little. I close my lids and head to the cupboard to get some plates when I hear his voice.

"So, how have you been?"

"Good," His laugh makes me swirl around as he drags a chair and sits.

"That's an understatement," I offer him a small smile; it certainly is. As my mind revisits my memories of this year, so many things have happened that I have trouble putting them in the right chronicle order. More lifetime memories than I had all my life.

"We used to talk to each other, remember?"

"It was an interesting year," I claim.

"Why didn't you contact us?" He asks.

"I did," My words unsettle him. He purses his lips together in a thin line as if he bit something bitter. He's referring to himself. "I had to move on. Staying glued to the past wasn't good for me. I had to forget and let all the loose ends in the past. It was painful, don't tell me I had to make a different decision."

"Hey, no," He stands up and approaches me with two rapid strides. "I-I'm sorry," He closes his eyes. "I just didn't want you to vanish like that. You talked to Clary and Emma, but what about me?" His expectant eyes await an answer I'm not sure I can provide to him.

"I need to..." I glance in the plates in my hands and walk past him towards the living room.

"It's really good," Tobias comments with his mouth full. "Can you fetch some beers?"

"Sure,"

"I didn't mean it like that," George defends himself when I return in the kitchen. "Why didn't you call once?"