Part 15 (1/2)

Over the next few hours, we buried all the bodies, the last being my father's. I said a prayer for him and Gabriel was kind enough to stand beside me the entire time. I didn't know whether it was for me or the fact my dad sacrificed his life in order to save Gabriel's. I'd like to think it was a little of both, but I'd never ask. All that mattered was that he was there with me, helping me through this difficult time, just as I knew he would be for every sad moment after this.

”I can't believe I shot you,” I whimpered. The blood I had seen trailing down his neck earlier had actually been his. The bullet nicked the edge of his ear. ”I feel so horrible.” I cleaned the wound and stuck a couple bandages over it.

”Don't worry about it. It was either this,” he pointed to his ear, ”or this.” He slid his finger across his throat. ”So, I'm grateful.” Gabriel kissed the tip of my nose.

I had already bandaged my ankle. It was barely a flesh wound, but it stung. I cleaned it pretty well and put antibiotic ointment on it.

Leonard was dead. We didn't have to worry any more. I would be free from him haunting my dreams, having to wonder if he was just waiting around the next corner. I still couldn't believe I had killed two men. I felt as if I should have been traumatized, depressed, or something, but all I felt was absolute relief. I wondered if that made me a bad person. I didn't care either way. It didn't matter to me what anyone thought about me-only Gabriel.

”Are you okay?” Gabriel asked, worried over my silence.

”I'm okay,” I smiled. ”I'm trying my best.”

Chapter 26.

[ Gabriel ]

I was covered in dust and layered with sweat. When I walked into the cabin, the strong smell of ammonia a.s.saulted my every sense. I placed the vegetables and fruits I chose from the garden onto the kitchen counter. Elle was on her knees, scrubbing the floors, covered in blood from head to toe. She was an absolute adorable, yet morbid mess. I felt like this should have been the zombie apocalypse the way things looked. The floor was spotless, except for a few drops of blood on the rug that sat beneath the loveseat. And the loveseat itself had a few splatters that she tried her best to remove. She was a trooper, this girl, and she couldn't help but soldier on through every mess that came her way.

She stood up with a crimson red cloth in her hand that had probably been white only seconds ago. She smiled at me from across the room. Elle brushed a strand of hair from her face, leaving a b.l.o.o.d.y smudge against her forehead.

”You're a mess,” I said with a quiet laugh. Then my face fell slightly. ”Are you sure you're okay?”

”I could say the same of you.” She dropped the towel into the kitchen sink. It was full of them. ”I'm doing okay, Gabriel. I think I've just been through so much in such a short period of time that certain things just don't affect me as they should. I'm just numb to this whole situation.”

There wasn't really anything I could say to that. It was one of those things a person had to just leave alone and let the affected person figure out how to deal with it on their own time. ”I think this is enough excitement for the night. Let's wash off. I'll grab the soap.”

Elle beamed and we headed towards the waterfall. I wondered if we'd ever use the actual shower.

[ Elle ]

The spray from the waterfall reflected the moonlight sneaking in through the holes in the ceiling. It almost seemed to add a sort of s.h.i.+mmer to the atmosphere around us. It felt like a beautiful southern California summer and I had a feeling it would be like that always. Beams of moonlight hit the water at all angles, just barely piercing the surface. I stripped down to my bra and panties, waded over to it, and watched the water droplets in the air, tiny enough to just float through the ray of light. Mist was all around me and it tickled as it landed on my bare skin.

I submerged myself, watching as my skin was cleansed of the crimson stains. I resurfaced, finding Gabriel leaning against the edge of the pool, his elbows resting on the soft moss. My hair trailed behind me, floating on the surface, resembling a veil.

”Hey, Beautiful,” Gabriel murmured. I blushed. ”Turn around.”