Chapter 42 Tobias #2
“I think I have an idea.” I frown, remembering what it was like being alone in that cold cellar. Alone. In the darkness. Unsure if I was ever going to see his face again. “Losing you is a terrifying feeling…you’re my person, E.” I confess.
Elijah cups my jaw, bringing his lips to mine. My heart skips at the sweetness of his tongue. I’ve missed this—his taste, his scent, his warmth. It’s all-consuming, something I’ve needed so badly. He tilts his head, letting me thread my fingers through his hair and trail my hand down his neck.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again. I’ll seriously bring you back just to kill you myself.” He pants before going in for another kiss.
I smile against his lips. “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Elijah pulls back, concern etched deep in his eyes.
“I’m serious, T. Maybe it’s unhealthy or not normal or whatever—but I can’t live without you.
” His breath stutters, eyes pleading with mine.
The weight of his words hits me, and tears threaten again.
“I need you, okay? I really fucking need you here.” He gives me a gentle shake before pulling me into his arms.
His body shivers on mine as I squeeze him tight. “I need you too.”
***
After holding each other for a long while, Elijah fills me in on the events of what has happened in the past seventy-four hours, starting with how they found me at the lake house all the way to how they rescued me.
Apparently, after I sank into the water and the initial cold shock passed, my body had tensed just enough to let me float back to the surface.
Thankfully, because the first responders were already there, rescue was almost instantaneous.
Firefighters who were there ready were able to crawl to the edge, wrap me in rope and pull me out.
Elijah, understandably in a state of shock, didn’t see any of this since he was in the ambulance. I hugged him extra tight when he told me that part.
I let him continue as he tells me about all my ailments. My cracked ribs, my acute concussion, and most importantly, my close-call with hypothermia.
Being exposed in the cold for that long really did a number on me. But nothing like it did to Derrick.
Which brought us to the kicker.
Derrick.
Being the one who fell in the water first, he was harder to find than I was.
They had to go in and search for him, only being able to find him after I had already been rescued.
Because of the alcohol in his system, his core temperature actually decreased quicker, which increased the risk of hypothermia.
By the time they got him out, his heart had already slipped into cardiac arrest.
He was gone before they even arrived at the hospital.
My breath hitches as Elijah tells me this.
I feel…at a loss for words.
“He’s…gone.” I restate. The words feeling unsure and weird on my tongue.
Elijah bites his bottom lip, looking at me with uncertainty. Honestly, I’m not sure how to react either.
I mean…how am I supposed to feel?
I’m…mad that I’ll never get to see him in handcuffs. Mad that he’ll never stand trial for what he did to me. That I’ll never see him behind bars like I’ve always imagined.
I’m sad that he stole my childhood away from me. Angry that he died without giving me a real apology. Not that I needed one…but…that’s it?
The man that’s haunted my dreams. The voice that I had screaming in my head for twenty-one years.
That presence that was always there around every corner…
Is now…gone?
A tear rolls down my face which makes me clench my fists.
Elijah sits up, concern written all over his face. “Tobias—”
“I’m not upset.” I shake my head.
“It’s okay to be—”
“I’m not.” I rush out. “I’m…” My throat tightens. I’m… I’m alone.
My eyes pinch, hearing those venomous words thrown at me way too often.
I’m the only one who will ever love you
It’s just you and I in this world
All we have is each other
No one will love you like I do
“Fuck,” I slam my hand against the side of my head, trying to knock out the loud voices seeping through. Before I can slam it again, Elijah’s hand wraps around mine, stopping its track.
“No.” He shakes his head, pulling my hand away. “He doesn’t get to do that to you. Not anymore. He lost.”
I suck in a big shaky breath, trying to calm myself down.
He’s gone.
I’m alone.
He’s gone.
“Hey,” Elijah fists my chin in his hand, pulling my attention back to his beautiful brown eyes. “I’m here with you. You’ve got me. We’ve got each other. Fuck him. He’s a horrible, disgusting human and he’s gone now.”
My eyes well up as I try to focus. “He’s gone.” I should be relieved. Excited, even.
“And he cannot hurt you anymore.” Elijah stresses.
I close my eyes, letting the words soothe me.
“He can’t hurt me anymore.” I repeat, letting the way Elijah run his hands up and down my arms to ground me.
I feel his fingers softly wipe away the fallen tears on my cheeks.
I hate the fact that they’re there at all.
Derrick doesn’t deserve my tears. He deserves to rot in the ground like he was always supposed to.
I lean my head on Elijah’s, as I focus on the pressure of his hands, the way his hair smells and the words he’s telling me.
I’m more than thankful he’s not pressing me on how I’m feeling. Because putting it into words would be too complicated.
For a man who has hurt me so many times, in so many different ways to the point where I was willing to kill him with my bare hands…I can’t believe he tapped out so easily.
Fucker could’ve let me strangle him with my bare hands.
But, now that I’m here, with the love of my life in my arms, maybe just maybe I can finally put my anger down and accept that we’re finally safe and there’s no one around the corner waiting to burn us to the ground.