Amare (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 38

Hello everybody! I'm baaaack! I hope you all are doing really good. This chapter made my heart race! That's for sure, and I know that if this makes my heart race--I'm gonna die writing the chapters coming up. *wink wink* I really hope you enjoy!! It means the world to me and I can't tell you how much joy your votes and comments and all that mean to me. Its unexplainable. I hope you enjoy! The next chapter will be up soon!!! EEKKK! I love you all <3 -Hannah

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CHAPTER 38: Alice wasn't sure how much time passed--she knew it had to have been more than a few hours. The cold hard concrete floor nipped at the exposed skin of her legs and she shivered, wishing she had a big downy blanket to curl up under.

Her head and face throbbed which she attributed to the blow from when she had been taken and her mind raced incessantly, not giving her the peace of mind to slip into a slumber. She wanted to be home.

She wanted to be in her own clean fresh clothes, in her own bed with clean and crisp smelling sheets. Ethan would pull her into his arms and she'd nuzzle his neck as he dropped a kiss onto the top of her head.

A horrible ache filled Alice's chest, growing until her eyes stung and filled as well, but she pushed away the urge to cry.

She couldn't be weak right now.

She just couldn't.

She knew that the chances were that if she broke down she wouldn't be able to function any longer and she needed to function if she was going to try to get out of here.

She had been telling herself that Ethan was coming for her-but then the small cruel voice in her head whispered, 'Why would he? You left him. Didn't even let him explain himself. You deserve to rot.'

Alice looked down at Layla.

The girl had cried herself to sleep not long after the brothers had left and when she had been awake and conscious, Alice had hummed to her, trying to soothe her as much as she could. It must have worked, because the girl finally fell asleep with a tear-stained face.

As if hearing her thoughts in her sleep, Layla moaned softly, shifting as her red and swollen eyes fluttered open.

Their gazes connected, but they said nothing.

They were in this together.

They were both scared.

They both didn't want to die.

Lips thin, Alice linked her fingers with Layla's, holding her hand and giving a gentle squeeze.

"Are you okay?" Asked Alice.

Layla only stared at her, face blank as her throat worked.

"Why are you asking me that?" She finally whispered back, voice scratchy and rough. Alice's brows furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean? Of course I am going to ask if you are okay," she smoothed a lock of hair back from the girl's face.

"I want to make sure you're alright." She said and then watched in horror as the girl's face crumpled as she dissolved into tears.

"O-Oh, A-Alice! I'm so s-so sorry!" She sobbed, covering her face with her chained hands in shame as if she shouldn't even be looked at.

"I'm so sorry!" She said again, weeping softly as she struggled to a sitting position-rocking back and forth.

Alice could only watch for a moment with sad and concerned eyes before she went back over to the girl and smoothed a hand up and down Layla's spine.