by Smith, T. L.
“The three of us?” Jayda looked at Nick, then around the room. “Who else is here?”
“The kid. Leaving terrified him so bad he started having full-on panic attacks. Seems the pirates did a good job teaching the Vanished that we won’t care he was kidnapped and he’d be punished.”
“We wouldn’t.” Jayda felt the counter at her back. She had no escape. “You told him that, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but he only trusts you, and me, a little.” Nick brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes. “Then there’s you, so wrapped up in guilt you’re terrified to leave, and hating how you feel. You hate being alone. It’s time to stop punishing yourself. I know you’re scared…”
“Am not!”
“Yeah, then why were you sitting here watching everyone leave and crying?”
“I wasn’t crying!” She said it, wiping tears off her cheeks, looking anywhere but up into Nick’s eyes.
“You couldn’t force yourself to leave this place, but you don’t want to be alone anymore. I don’t want you to be alone anymore.”
“So, you’re going to give up everything until you convince me to leave. Why? Then what? You take off back to your real life?”
“Only if you come with me!” He pulled her to him. “Somehow I’m going to convince you I’m not going to take off, or die. No matter how long we have to stay out here.” His lip curled up on one side. “Crazy as it sounds, I got a thing for that smart-assed chick who answered our first hail. The wounded creature beneath confused me a bit, but when push came to shove, you found your strength again.”
Nick pulled her even closer, forcing her to look up at him. “I’m staying because I want to stay with you. What do you want?”
The knife in her chest slid free. The beating of her heart returned as a thousand words warred in her chest to break free, to deny, to argue. Instinct told her to push him away, but her arms refused to obey. The one word she truly longed to say escaped in a single breath. “Stay!”
A light caught fire in his eyes and that crooked smile made her forget all her reasons to make him leave.
