Clawen ♡ Second Time's the Charm

Chapter 28: My Universe

For a brief moment, it seemed to Claire that time had been frozen. She struggled against the icy walls that prevented her from being able to move. Outside the safety of the ambulance, four vicious dinosaurs prepared to face off. The unexpected drum of raindrops brought her out of her trance-like state. We need to get out of here. Now. Before the road will be too slippery. God, all we need is this stupid rain.

Claire's hands flew to the steering wheel and she slammed down onto the gas pedal. But just as the ambulance lurched forward, Owen grabbed her arm urgently.

"Stop the ambulance! I need to get out!" he said, panicking over the fact that his raptors had just become the targets of the Indominus.

"Are you crazy?" Claire cried incredulously, though she jerked the vehicle to a bumpy halt anyway.

"I need to stay with my raptors. Drive the kids to the control room and stay with them. I'll meet you there once all this is over with," Owen instructed as he fumbled with the door handle. The rain was growing stronger, and he squinted through the dark.

"Owen Grady!" Claire shouted in frustration. She grabbed his hands to prevent him from opening the door. "Absolutely not! Do you have a death wish, you moron?" There is no way in heaven or in hell that I am letting him go out there alone. What the hell is he thinking?

"Claire, I need to. They're my raptors; I can't lose them. Please, just get to the control room," Owen begged her. Claire shook her head stubbornly.

"No, Owen! I'm not letting you. You're committing suicide! You'll end up getting yourself killed!" she snapped, her voice breaking.

"No, it's not suicide. I'll be fine. Just get to the damn control room, won't you?"

"No. I already told you no."

"What the hell, Claire? What is your damn problem? Why does it matter to you? They're my raptors! I'm not letting that freakin' monster destroy the only ones I've dedicated my entire life to!" Owen shouted angrily, his frenzied panic driving him to the point of unjustified fury. Every second I waste in here is another second that the hybrid out there could terminate my pack.

"I don't care about your raptors! I'm worried about you because you... you mean so much to me. Why can't you see that? Why are you so blind to love?" Claire spat. Her head was spinning wildly.

"When did I ever say that I loved you? Never, right?" Owen scoffed, wrenching his hands out of Claire's grip. As soon as they left his mouth, he regretted his words.

Claire's breath caught and her face was drained of its remaining color. She stared at Owen, her face full of hurt. Why would he say that? A horrible realization struck her, slapping her hard across the face. He doesn't love me.

Claire trembled violently. Hoskins had been right. Relationships with this man never lasted. Every touch, every word, every kiss. It had all been a joke, a prank, an illusion that tricked her into believing that she was even capable of love. Of loving someone like him. It had all been a game to test how far she was willing to go with him. Fury flooded her veins.

"Claire, I-" Owen began, recognizing her boiling emotions. But Claire cut him off sharply.

"No. I get it. Your raptors mean everything the world to you. They are your world. Go, do what you need to do. I won't try to stop you again because, obviously, you won't listen," she said coldly. The heat behind her eyes was growing more intense by the second as her heart shattered into a million pieces. She felt a tear slip down her cheek despite her efforts to contain it.

"Claire..."

"Just go."

Owen turned away from her and faced the window shamefully. I didn't mean it, Claire. God, I didn't mean it. Why did I say that? Why? His heart ached to see her like this, and it hurt worse knowing that it was his fault. But he had never been that great at admitting his feelings, nor at comforting women.

The roars of the Indominus prompted him to make his choice. Deciding that there was nothing left to do, he opened the door and stepped out cautiously, bracing himself against the fierce rain. The tiny droplets hit him with such force that he screwed his eyes shut. Each droplet seemed to drum into his skin like a bullet. It was Karma's bullet.

"Owen."

Through the rain, Owen heard the quivering voice of the woman who had claimed his heart without even knowing. He spun around to find the countless fat tears cascading down Claire's pale face. She bent down to him shakily.

"I'm trying to save you from dying. You're such an idiot to not listen. I hate that. I hate that this is what you want," she sobbed.

It was now pouring heavily, and the raindrops splattered onto Claire's face through the open door. Her clothes clung to her and she brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Why did life now seem so hopeless without the chance of being loved by this man? All along, he was my motivation. He was the reason I still had hope. And now it's all gone.

Owen hesitated before reaching up and kissing Claire's cheek gently, placing a hand on her neck to prevent her from jerking away. "It's not what I want. But I can't just abandon my raptors, not after everything we've been through together." He wiped away her streams of tears with a trembling finger, causing her to flinch. "I'm sorry, Claire."

"Stop trying to win me over. Go be with 'the only ones you've dedicated your entire life to.' Your raptors are your world, remember? I'm just an alien to you, someone out of your world," Claire whispered. She longed to be furious with him, to feel hatred and to despise him. However, as the rain washed her tears, it also swept away her feelings of rage. Instead, she felt excruciatingly sick with heartbreak. She pushed his hands away.

Owen winced at her tone. He backed away from the ambulance slowly, understanding very well that perhaps he may never see her again. With that thought in mind, he chose to leave Claire with the inevitable truth that had been so apparent since their adventures had started. His voice cracked as he spoke.

"The raptors have been my world since the very beginning. But you are my entire universe. Sixty five million years couldn't keep me away from you."
_____________________________
         
Thanks for reading and please leave me a vote and some comments!