My Superhero (Raura)

Chapter 19

Ross' POV

I can't believe I yelled at her, this girl who has done nothing but make me smile from the day I saw her. I don't deserve her and yet here she is comforting me when it should be the other way around. I let out a sigh because I know it's time, I have to tell her what happened to me, it's been too long and she deserves, more than anyone, to know.

"Laur?"

She looks up at me with her big chocolate eyes, god they're beautiful "Yeah Ross," 

"I went for a walk because I was bored, and somehow I ended up here, I knew I shouldn't have left the house but nobody stopped me and I loved being able to explore the city. I thought I was so much older than I was." I smile remembering the clear blue sky of that day and I watch as Laura's face moves from one of confusion to realisation and she places her hand in mine encouraging me to go on.

"I walked into the North Tower and was immediately in awe, I had never seen anything like it and there were people everywhere, walking to and from offices. I ended up just walking around the lobby before heading up the elevator. I don't even know what floor I got off at but I was just curious I honestly could have gone anywhere. But as I stepped out of the elevator that's when the first plane hit, I saw it coming, and it was so low, I thought I was imagining it. The whole building shook and I didn't know what to do. I was suddenly so scared and there was nobody around me to help. An announcement came telling us to evacuate and use the stairs, so I started moving towards them and heading down. I'd gotten about three floors down when I met him. He wasn't in good shape, he had blood all over him and he was having trouble breathing, for some reason, I stopped. Part of me knew that I had to keep going but I was drawn to him. As I reached him he sank to the floor in the corner of the stairwell to allow people to continue moving. I decided then to sit with him. He kept telling me to go and I just kept saying that I wouldn't leave without him. We sat there for probably 5 minutes before we felt the ground shake again, I'm guessing from the second plane hitting the other tower. I was starting to get scared but I knew that I couldn't leave him. He kept trying to persuade me and after 15 more minutes he did but only with a photo," I looked up at Laura and took a deep breath, "a photo of you. Your dad told me about how much he loved you and how much he needed me to survive for my parents, he needed me to survive to be at peace because he knew that losing a child would be the worst possible pain. I looked at those deep brown eyes and your short hair and I couldn't help but worry about how you were going to survive without your dad. But he reassured me, he told me that you were the strongest person he knew and that you were the best thing to ever happen to him. He then turned to the next person who came down the stairs and handed me to them, telling them to make sure I got out, he also gave me the photo and told me that if I ever saw you I needed to make sure that you were loved and that you knew how much you meant to him. When I finally got out of the building the light blinded me and when my eyes readjusted there you were, I recognised you from the photo in my hand, you were just standing there staring up at the tower and crying. I knew I couldn't go up to you, not then, I didn't save him and I should have, you needed him." 

By now, both Laura and I are in tears, I never thought I'd be able to share this with anyone let alone with Laura. I slide my hand out of hers and into my back pocket pulling out the photo, I take one last look at it before giving it to her.

"I'm sorry I kept it for so long and I'm sorry I didn't save him. I understand if you want me to leave, I just needed you to know." I look down as Laura studies the photo of her and her dad, I prepare myself to leave when I feel her hand on my face and our eyes meet,

"Ross, it's ok, I don't blame you for anything. You didn't need to save him because he saved you and he knew that you would be enough, and you are, you are more than enough," with that she closes the gap between us and we softly kiss. I feel as though a weight has been lifted off of me, I never in a million years thought that she would ever forgive me or even love me.