When Storms Collide

~16~

~~

Everything was a blur. My whole body was numb. I stared blankly out the car window.

I barely registered the fact that Sebastian had stopped the car and that we had reached the safe house. He flung the door open and bent down so that he was eye level with me. I could see his lips moving, but his voice sounded distant. His eyes pleaded with me. He wanted me to respond, but I couldn't. My lips refused to move.

The images of Giovanni's body slumping to the floor and his lifeless eyes staring ahead blankly were burned into my brain. They festered in my soul.

Sebastian's hands grasped my biceps as he shook me gently. When that still didn't work, his shoulders drooped in defeat.

Without another word, he slipped off my shoes, one of his arms went behind my back and the other under my knees as he lifted me and carried me inside.

I closed my eyes.

Somewhere in my hazy mind, I realized that Sebastian had set me down; his arm around my waist prevented me from collapsing to the floor.

I felt like I was floating.

I was going somewhere far away.

And then suddenly, I felt like a thousand needles were pricking my skin. I screamed, my eyes flying open.

I tried to scream again, but it came out gurgled; water sputtered out of my mouth. I thrashed wildly, trying to escape, but something held me in place. Not something but someone.

Sebastian.

I could feel ice-cold wetness sliding down my face, soaking my hair and clothes.

We were standing under the icy spray of the shower. I hadn't even realized that he had brought me to the bathroom.

I struggled again, but Sebastian's body pressed into me, holding me in place against the tiled wall. One of his hands captured my wrists and held them above my head, completely restraining me.

I blinked, my eyes lifted slowly to take in his clenched jaw and frowning lips. When my eyes finally met Sebastian's, they were pained.

The freezing water pelted down on us, soaking us both.

The numbness I'd been feeling earlier started to ebb away. I became aware of my surroundings once more. The haze that had been clouding my mind slowly cleared.

Sebastian must have noticed it, too, because he quickly let go of my hands and turned the shower off. He took a step away from me.

My whole body shivered from the cold, and I folded my arms around myself.

"I'm sorry for putting you through that," he whispered. His head was turned away like he couldn't bear to look at me.

When I didn't respond, he swallowed. "You were gone." His voice broke. "You were right in front of me, but it was like you didn't even recognize me. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know how to bring you back—" His hand reached out for me but fell limply back to his side.

There was a beat of deafening silence.

Finally, my face crumpled, and I sank to the floor, my whole body shuddering. I was completely overwhelmed by all the emotions I was feeling at this point.

Disgust

Horror

Despair

I could feel Sebastian kneeling in front of me.