The Sacrifice: Fallen | Loki | Book 2

Chapter 12: Evanescence

(Tom's P.O.V.)

I had already booked our tickets then. The only flight that day was set at 10:30, which I found was too late but the soonest one I could get. Every second was making it harder for me, I trembled, tried to breathe and stay strong.

After I had picked Caroline up yesterday, I brought her home and told her to sleep. I could tell that she noticed I was behaving differently, but she had very little to go on. She also didn't notice the suitcases in the car, which I was very glad about. I had no idea what I would've told her if she asked me. I tried hard not to seem... off.

There was still some preparation I needed to make. Some of our paperwork and arrangements with our employers. We couldn't simply disappear like that. This made me decide to let her see him this one last time. God, how unnerving this was. I dropped her at his house and went back, not wanting to lose anymore precious time. Our passports, money and our IDs were all with me.

We had to drive off quite early in the morning, calculating the time we needed at the airport and the time to get there, also some time for anything unexpected.

I was shaking. I had never done something like that before. Strictly speaking, this was abduction. I could never imagine myself forcing her into something, but it seemed to me the most drastic measure I had to take in case she wouldn't come. I was saving her from a future she definitely didn't want, and much more.

I felt something horrible was to happen if we stayed.

(Caroline's P.O.V.)

Tom dropped me off at Loki's that morning. How he came with this idea himself remained a mystery to me - he couldn't stand Loki, he didn't trust him, and he was jealous. I couldn't blame him, Loki was taking it easy on Tom. Provokation was not even an appropriate word to describe what he was doing to him. I embraced the opportunity to see Loki, as there was lots of communication we had to do to go back to where our relationship once was.

I had forgiven him for beating me, more or less willingly, and he made an effort to make it up to me. A part of me thought it was impossible for us to go back in time. What happened wasn't something you could just forget. I mean, Loki had been violent with me before, I didn't quite remember the details, but after he and Tom were separated, I drew a line under it.

Just like Tom, he was different that day.

He was shaking, I noticed it when I handed him something to drink. Loki's hand had never shaken before, at least not in front of me. It didn't fit into the whole 'god' thing to shake like an old man with Parkinson's disease. I had gone back into the kitchen, only to run back after the sounds of breaking glass, to see he had broken the wine glass in his grasp. Guess who had to remove the splinters.

When I asked, he'd say everything was alright and that I didn't need to worry about him. I hated this masquerade, I hated how people were always hiding things from me.

Since it was still winter and therefore cold outside, we stayed in the living room in front of the fireplace. I had asked Loki to make a fire, which he - very manly - did. It was so cosy, with my fluffy jacket and the hot chocolate while we were looking at old childhood pics. Don't ask me how he got them, 'cause I have no freaking idea. I had long ago accepted the fact that creepy Loki did creepy things.

We were almost cuddling, so near was he. The album was on my lap and we would look and laugh at the pictures together. We sure were an idyllic sight - no one seeing us could've told we were anything but peaceful lovers.

"How life changes." I sighed and bit my lip. I had changed so much, not necessarily on purpose, but nonetheless. I couldn't completely recall the Caroline from before the accident, but I knew inside my heart that she would've been proud.