Dangerous Love

Chapter 28: Apart of Me

Gasping for air I feel an arm wrap around my chest, "Hey, hey look at me!" I hear Eric command but I can't I'm in hysterics with images of my baby sister's body parts sprawled apart across the floor luring in my head.
"Mercer, Mercer you gotta look at me come on princess," I feel the first tear fall, then the next and all I can do is stare at the blank door while salty streams pour down my face like a raging waterfall.

"She was dead," I croak out after a minute, it pulled her apart and I saw it happen," I croak out hoarsely.
"It wasn't real Mercer, it didn't happen," he coos and I feel his arms wrap around my body but it doesn't help, I can still see her blood and her dead eyes that will haunt me for the rest of my life.
"But it felt so real," I murmur as I'm pulled into his chest.

"Shhhh," he whispers in my ear and I feel all the liveliness in me drain away as if just the sight of my pale sister was enough to kill me.
"Please don't let go," I hoarsely whisper.
"Never, ok, I'll never let go."

                                                                                             +++

Each day the simulations got worse but coping got easier. Each day I watched people screaming and crying, all while being dragged out of the room like they'd just lived through their worst nightmares, and they had. Yet each day Eric cradles me in his arms telling it's not real and that it's going to be ok and each time it makes me feel that much better. But that's what scares me, I've become so reliant on Eric these past two days that I fear what might happen if I didn't have right him by my side.

I spend most to all of my time with him and the other transfers have defiantly noticed yet to my surprise they don't mention it or discriminate against me anymore. I wake up and see him at training, and then after training and dinner we either walk around the Pit or he shows me around the compound and introduces me to more people. I think I have a total of about 50 of the 100 people's names I've met these past two days lodged in my head matched with faces while the rest are just floating names with unmatched faces.

Today though is different, today is the day we get assigned our jobs. I signed up for patrol officer which means I'll be in on the action all day in the city, I won't get to see Eric half as much as I do now but if I move through the ranks quick enough then I'll be head of the board which means I'll work alongside him. So I guess sacrificing one year isn't so bad if I can spend the rest of my career working alongside him.

When I first had this conversation with him I realized how much he actually thought this through and thought about a future with me. I saw nothing in the way, being a patrol officer is something I would want to do anyway and working alongside Eric would just be one of the future perks.

Knocking on room 765 I tap my toe nervously as I hear Eric's heavy boots then finally the door swings open. A smirk dances along his lips and he motions for me to come in, placing one hand on the small of my back to guide me.
"So today's the day," I smile while bouncing on the balls of my feet excitedly. Eric just smiles with a nod while pulling two sodas out of the fridge and handing me one as we plop on the couch together. Eric slyly puts one arm around me as I cautiously pop open the soda.

"I may or may not know what you got," Eric grins while taking a small sip from his soda.
"What? Eric you have to tell me!" I plead and pull at his shirt playfully but his smile only grows, "Oh come on Eric I'm going to find out in an hour anyway!" I exclaim.
"Exactly so what's the point in knowing a head of time?" he places his soda on the coffee table and pulls me onto his lap so I straddle his waist.

"Maybe,"my lips graze his, "This will change your mind," I say seductively and slowly press my lips to his moving slow and steadily with him like some sort of dance. He moans into the kiss and I start to go faster and move more roughly before he pulls back, "Hmm that is pretty convincing..." he trails off and I wrap my arms slowly around his neck and scoot closer to him on his lap before pushing my lips against his again. He pulls back slightly a smile on his lips, "You got it," he whispers quietly, "You're our new patrol officer," a smile grows on both our faces and this time I don't take it slow but instead all out jump onto his lips with mine and in a second he flips us over in one quick movement so we're now laying on the couch with his body being propped up by his elbows hovering over mine.