Survivors

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

-V. K.

Its been a week since I was wounded. I've been out of the hospital for 2 days now. Carter's been babying me, wont let me leave my bed unless to use the bathroom. And I can hardly get him to let me close the door.

Michael tried to come see me but Carter forced him to leave.

Carter finally stepped out to go get food and now I'm using this as my chance to shower by myself without a nurse. I haven't been able to since I've gotten home.

Using the furniture to get around, I take my pain meds and strip out of my clothes. I grab clean ones and set them in the bathroom before turning on the shower and stepping in. Once the medicine kicks in, the wound no longer hurts when I move. I can even touch it and clean it.

The hot water runs over my body, relaxing my aching muscles.

After washing off every filth finally, I step out and wrap in a towel. I slip on my bra and underwear. I pulled on my shorts and stopped before grabbing my shirt. I look at the marks in the mirror, running my fingers on them.

Finally seeing a big picture of them. Tears start to run down my face at the sight.

The door swings open. "What the hell are you doing out of--" He looks over me, then at the marks and then to my face. I quickly turn away from him, grabbing my shirt and trying to pull it on quickly to hide the marks. "Don't.." Ignoring him, I try to pull it on but the movement sends pain up the side of my body and I cry out. "Val, stop!" He moves in front of me and yanks the shirt away. "Why are you hiding them? Its not like I haven't seen them already."

Tears stream down my face even more. "You should have never seen them. Their hideous and now I can never take off my shirt again without feeling ashamed. No one will ever look at me the same, not even you will.." I shake my head and turn away from him, sobbing at the thoughts of anyone looking at the horrifying marks.

"Val please.." he reaches for me but I pull away.

"No, stop!" I flee the room but only make it as far as the bedroom, leaning on the wall for support.

"Val you're going to hurt yourself!" He runs over and takes my arms in his hands, forcing me to stay where I am and look at him. He backs my back flat against the wall and his gaze practically pins me to the wall. "I will always look at you the same. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You're my 1 in 200,000.. or just 1 in 1,000" he waves his hand talking about the total population from what we've found, 200,000. Or just the 1,000 in this sanctuary. "You're the only one. You will always be the only one. You're my one. No matter what happens to you, I will still look at you like you're the most beautiful girl in the world. Because to me, you are." He leans down, gently placing the most delicate kisses on each claw mark. "These don't change anything. Their just another part of the story of your life, Val." He stands back up and cups my face in his hands. "I love you, Valentina Katrina DelliBovi."

His lips crash onto mine and heat sears throughout my body, igniting a fire inside that I never knew existed. My skin tingles and my fingers itch to touch him, so I do. I cup his face with one hand and the other rests on his back, pulling him closer.

He groans, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me against him. His free hand tangles in my hair, tilting my head to deepen the kiss.

His lips burn into mine, and my body screams to have more of him. Its like electricity runs throughout my body and I feel as if I can do anything.

His mouth leaves mine, traveling to my neck and nipping gently at the skin, causing a light moan to escape my lips. He groans and pushes his hips into mine. And then he stops all at once and pulls himself away.

"What'd I do wrong?" I look him up and down for any sign that I did something. I never wanted it to end but it did so I must have done something.

"Nothing.. Oh God nothing Val that's the problem it was so right.. and you're hurt, I could've hurt you.. I'm so sorry if I did, I didn't mean--"

"Carter, shut up and kiss me." For a moment he hesitates before leaning down and kissing me again. This time its slow and gently and loving. And then he pulls back and rests his forehead on mine. "Carter.. you said you loved me.."

He freezes and looks down. "I did. Its not the first time.. You were just dying and didn't hear the first time aha."

"How could you love someone incapable of love? I don't think I even know how to love or if I even have the ability to.. And I'm engaged and its all complicated, my lifes a mess, you don't want this.."

"Oh but I do.. more than anything. And I am going to fight for you Val, harder than I've ever fought for anything in my entire life. And you are capable of love. Because you told me to tell Serena and them that you love them. And you were going to tell me you love me too but I wouldn't let you say goodbye. But you do love me. I know you do. You can't push me away because you don't want me in your messy life. Because I'm already in it, for good."

"How'd you know I was going to say I love you?"

"Well I didn't for sure but you just confirmed it." He laughs and kisses my head. "I love you and nothing will change that."

"I love you too, Carter Reeves."

And from that point, we layed in bed and talked the whole night. He told me about his parents and his sister and brother. His brother is only 1 year younger than him, so about 25 and still alive. He just works at the sanctuary in Chicago. His little sister was a kid when all of this happened. His father got infected and turned his mother. And then through the panic of their escape, a neighbor was shooting the vampires approaching and accidentally shot his sister. He hardly see's his brother now, only sometimes and its usually on holidays.

I told him about how Jakob died, how we were hiding and the vampire found him and attacked him. I tried to fight him off but he threw me into a wall and I couldn't fight anymore. I thought he killed my brother but he apparently turned him. He would have killed me if my father hadn't came when he did. The vampire got away and I never saw him again.

My older brother, Emmett, had gotten seperated from us on the day it all happened and we don't know if he's dead or alive. My little sister Erika was only 8 when the world went to shit. We were staying at a sanctuary we had started up, 3 years ago. The 4 of us went of a scavenging mission but only 3 of us returned. Erika got seperated from us and we don't lnow if she's dead or alive either. We've searched the world for the both of them but never found them. But I still have hope.

We spent the whole night getting to know every detail of each other until we both eventually passed out, curled up in each others arms. I never knew what heaven was like, until I layed in his arms throught the night.