Shadows (Sequel to Rip My Heart Out)

Chapter 8

"Wait. So, this Ancient One told you that you would not be safe if you left Nepal, but you left anyway, without even talking to her about what the Infinity Stone showed you?" Pietro asked. He was pacing rapidly back and forth in front of me.

"Can I just say that I really missed your voice? And your accent. Have I told you how much I love your accent?" I asked, looking at Pietro.

"Em, come on." He said, coming to a halt and looking at me. "We need to focus here."

"Can you just work with me for a second? Something really terrible happened and I almost got lost in another dimension forever and I just left you here. I really missed you. I was worried I was never going to see you again." I said.

I stood up from the chair I'd been sitting in and walked to Pietro. I'd recounted everything that had happened to me at Lagos and since. He had been sitting with me for about half of the story before he got up and started pacing. I walked to him and took his hands in mine. Slowly, I raised one hand to my mouth and kissed it before wrapping his arms around my waist. I draped my arms over his shoulders and looked up at him.

"I know there are a million other things we could be talking about but can we just take, like, one minute to pretend like you and I are the only thing that matters, please?" I asked.

Pietro looked at me like I was crazy for a few seconds and then sighed. "I was afraid you were never going to come back. I was picturing you teleporting to place after place not being able to stop, like you did before. Only this time, when I imagined you flashing in front of me, like you did in Seoul, I was not fast enough to stop you, and I lost you forever."

I swallowed back a few tears that were threatening to spill over from my eyes. "You would catch me. I know you would. It was just different this time. There was nothing you could have done." I paused and suddenly I couldn't look him in the eyes anymore, so I buried my face in his chest. I breathed in his scent for a moment then continued. "Where did you go when you..."

"When I died?" He finished for me. I nodded into his chest. "I don't know. It was just nowhere. I was floating through nothing, like I was floating in space, but there weren't any stars, just darkness. I thought I'd be there forever. Then, you were there. You were so beautiful. Did I ever tell you that you were glowing, like a goddess? I thought you were coming to take me to heaven or hell or something, but instead you brought me back to life."

"Do you think that's where everyone goes? To that nothingness?" I asked.

"You know it wasn't your fault, what happened to those people, right?" He said.

"I know that. I couldn't stop it. But when I was in that place, The Land of the Unburning Flame, I couldn't help but wonder if that was what they would see for eternity. I mean, going to a better place sounds great, but don't you think it's just a little too optimistic?"

"No, I don't." He said. Pietro pulled me gently to the bed and we sat on the edge. He held me at an arm's length and grabbed my chin, making sure I looked at him. "You can't do this to yourself. It's not your job to worry about what happens to every single person on this planet. If you do that, you will drive yourself... nebun." He said.

I wrinkled my nose. "I haven't learned that word, but I have a feeling it means crazy."

"Yeah, well, I thought it would sound better in Romanian." He said, then he smiled. "Since you like my accent so much and all."

I smiled too. "It did sound better, you're right."

"I know I'm right, and not just about that. I'm being serious. You can't put everyone's lives on your shoulders. You're strong, but not that strong." He said.