Lifting my right hand to her face, I cup her cheek. “We’ll work on that once we get out of here. Okay? I’ll just keep reminding you how beautiful you are.”
The corner of her mouth lifts a little.
I try to take a deep breath but instantly stop, and again I have to wait for the pain to lessen before I can exhale.
Swallowing, it feels like there’s sand stuck in my throat. “I have something to confess, as well.”
Aria’s eyes lock on mine. “What?”
“The reason I haven’t dated since Kennedy left.” There’s a flash of heartache on Aria’s face, and I quickly continue, “It was because of you.”
She begins to frown. “Me? What did I do?”
“Nothing.” The corner of my mouth lifts. “When we started the fake relationship, I realized I was already in love with you. No girl ever compared to you.”
The expression on Aria’s face is something akin to awe.
Wrapping my hand around the back of her neck, I pull her closer to me. “It’s always been you, Aria.” I press a kiss to her mouth.
ARIA
I thought I’d feel like… less once I told Forest. But he’s not looking at me like I’m broken.
This is not how I wanted to tell him, but with our lives hanging in the balance, I needed to clear the air between us.
It’s funny how when you’re staring death in the face, your problems seem less significant.
I just want Forest to know how much he means to me. I might not get another chance.
I lift my hand to his jaw and press a tender kiss to his lips. Locking eyes with him, I whisper, “I love you so much. You’re my entire world.”
A warm look softens his features. He’s about to say something but instead begins to cough. There’s a flash of pain on his face, and I watch as he struggles to take a breath.
“Forest?” I whisper, fear gripping my heart with icy fingers. I move to my knees, and reaching for his shirt, I begin to undo the buttons.
“No,” he wheezes. “I’m okay.”
“You’re not.” When I have the buttons undone, I move the fabric out of the way, and then the worst feeling slithers through me. The left side of his chest is an ugly color of red and blue. “Oh my God,” I whimper.
Forest uses his right hand to pull the fabric back over the severe bruising. “I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
My eyes lift to his, and I watch as he takes shallow breaths.
No. Please. I can’t lose him.
What do I do?
Panic wells in my chest and I begin to feel frantic.
I have to do something!
“Hey, I’m fine. Stop worrying.”
I shake my head and lift the fabric again. “I don’t know what to do.” I glance around the small space. Grabbing my phone, I check to see if there’s a signal. Frantically I look up at the ceiling and then the bent door. “Maybe I can crawl out somewhere and go for help.”
Getting up, I go to inspect the door, only to find it barricaded with concrete and metal. I shine the light over the ceiling, and not finding a way out fills my heart with dread.
God, we’re really in a tomb.
We’re buried alive.
I kneel down by Forest, and my eyes flit over every part of him. Just then, another aftershock hits, and everything begins to shudder and groan.
Debris starts to fall, and just reacting, I move my body over Forest’s side to protect him.
The air grows thicker with dust, and when Forest begins to cough, I grab his jacket from the floor. Bundling it up, I hold it lightly to his face. “Cover your mouth.”
There’s another loud bang, and it rips a whimper from me. Knowing I have to protect Forest, I push myself up on my knees and wrapping my arms around his head, I hold him to my chest.
I hear the elevator groan and creak as it’s squashed by the concrete that has fallen on top of it.
Please. I’ll do anything.
Just make it stop.
Let us survive this.
When the quaking stops, I can’t bring myself to move a muscle. I’m frozen in fear and dread.
Forest takes hold of my hip and lightly tugs at me. “It’s over. Come sit.”
I sink down to my butt, and feeling numb with despair, my eyes meet Forest’s. “If we don’t make it –”
“We will,” Forest interrupts me.
My chin begins to quiver, but I swallow hard on the tears. “I want you to know I’m so thankful I got to have you as my best friend and my first love.”
Forest gives me an agonizing look. “We’ll make it. We have to. I refuse to believe this is how we end.”
My body begins to shudder from trying to keep the tears back. I lean forward and press a kiss to his mouth. “An eternity with you wouldn’t be enough.”
“Like Hana and her parents always say,” Forest whispers, “I hope I get to love you in our next life.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and carefully hug him. “I want you in this life.” My tears begin to fall because I just can’t fathom that this is all we’re meant to have.
Chapter 22
FOREST
“Help!” Aria yells. “Is there anyone out there?”
Her cries for help rip my heart to shreds. I’ve never felt so powerless, and the foreign emotion makes me feel like less of a man.
“Help! We’re down here!” She’s overcome by a coughing fit, but then she continues to shout.
I’m supposed to protect her… to save her. Instead, she’s the one who has to rescue me.
I try to focus on my breathing instead of being swallowed up by the depressing feelings. But the pain keeps increasing as if pressure is slowly building in my chest. The dust hanging thick in the air isn’t helping and making everything a hundred times more difficult and grim.
“Remember,” I whisper, unable to draw strength for anything louder, “when we tied pillows around us with belts,” I take a slow breath and exhale, “and we pretended we were sumo wrestlers?”
Aria lets out a sad chuckle, and her voice sounds scratchy when she says, “You made me tumble right over.”
A smile begins to pull at my lips. “You laughed so hard you couldn’t get back up.”
I close my eyes and bring up the memory of us.
I want to make more memories with her.
“One of my favorite memories is of us building a tent in your room,” Aria murmurs. “We’d pretend we were camping and tell each other the worst horror stories.”
My eyes meet hers. “You painted it in one of the bubbles.” I painfully inhale a breath, and the dust irritates my throat. “Thank you for painting us.”
“I’m glad my dad insisted on taking the painting with him.” Aria struggles to keep her tears back. “At least our memories are safe.”
The light from the phone casts shadows against the rubble, and it has me asking, “How much battery life do we have left?”
Aria checks, then whispers, “Only forty-three percent.”
“What’s the time?”
She checks again. “One am.”
Fuck.
I close my eyes against the grim news. By some miracle, I was hoping more time had passed, so we’re closer to being rescued. It’s only been two hours, and I have no idea if a search party is even looking for us.
I feel Aria’s fingers brush over my cheek, and when I open my eyes, she says, “Try to rest while I keep calling for help.”
“Okay,” I murmur. I watch Aria as she continues to shout.
Not knowing the extent of my injuries, worry gnaws at my insides. I glance down, and seeing the dark bruising on the side of my chest, it fills me with apprehension. Not wanting to see how badly I’m hurt, I wait for Aria to pause so she can catch her breath, then ask, “Can you button my shirt up?”
She quickly scoots closer and begins to do the buttons. When she’s done, her eyes dart to my face.
Seeing the fear alive in her eyes, it begins to sink in that help might not a
rrive in time.
“Do you have any idea how much I love you?” I ask.
She lets out a hopeless sounding chuckle. “A lot, seeing as you keep putting up with my crazy ass.”
I shake my head. “You’re not crazy.” I take a shallow breath, and for a moment, my vision blacks out. I’m not getting enough air.
God, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before…
I push the grim thought to the back of my mind, then continue, “Your laughter… it’s the happiest sound I’ve ever heard. No matter what I’m doing or where I am, it always puts a smile on my face.”
Emotion washes over Aria’s features, her eyes not leaving my face.
“When you’re nervous, you nibble at your bottom lip. It always gives me the urge to kiss you.”
A sad smile begins to tug at the corner of her mouth.
“The way you look at me…” I close my eyes for a moment as intense emotions push up my throat, “it makes me feel like I’m the most important person on the face of the earth.”
Aria leans closer and presses a kiss to my mouth, then she whispers, “That’s because you are. You’re the foundation my life is built on.” A tear sneaks over her cheek. “You’re in every happy moment, and every dream is woven around you.”
I take a shallow breath, but this time the pain is too intense, making a dizzying feeling smother my thoughts.
Deep down, I know I should be worried that I won’t make it, but I just can’t allow those thoughts to take root.
“Forest?” Aria places her hand on my jaw.
I force my eyes open, and all I can make out is a blur.
“I love you, Aria,” I murmur drowsily. “Love… you.”
ARIA
When Forest’s eyes drift shut and a breath wheezes over his lips, desolation wreaks havoc through me.
I frame his face with both my hands and gasp for air. “Forest?” For a moment, there’s absolute silence, and it shatters my world to pieces. “No,” I cry, wrapping my arms around his neck. I hold him tightly to me as an isolated feeling cuts me off from all warmth. “No.” A wail builds up in my chest and explodes over my dry lips. It’s filled with despair and the emptiest sorrow I’ve ever felt.
I struggle to cry as my body convulses.
No.
I still feel the warmth of his body, and I cling to it as my mind begins to shut down, swamped with grief. As I press my mouth to Forest’s neck, I suddenly feel his breath fan over my ear, and I instantly pull back. “Forest!” My eyes dart over him, and seeing that he’s still breathing, a sob escapes me.
Oh God.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
He only passed out. The relief is intense, almost dizzying. I take a moment to breathe through the panic still whirling in me, but it only brings on a coughing fit.
Once I’m in control over my rampant emotions, I turn my face up to the ceiling. I begin to scream for help, praying someone will hear me.
Forest needs medical care. I have to get us out of here… somehow.
Another tremor begins to shake the ground, causing bigger pieces of concrete to fill our already small space. I let out a hopeless cry as I try to protect Forest.
The tremor dies down quickly, and I’m thrown back into a world of relief.
My nerves feel frail, and my body trembles non-stop.
I use my dress to cover my mouth, and I try to inhale a deep breath. Once I get some air in my lungs, I begin to scream again. “Help! Anyone!” My throat feels raw, but I keep shouting.
Time has lost all meaning, and I’m starting to lose all hope that help will come. Panic and fear cause a deadly storm in my chest as I hold Forest.
I can’t lose him.
Please let someone find us.
God, I’m begging you.
“Hello?” I hear a muted voice, and it stuns me for a moment.
Intense relief makes a sob burst over my lips, and I scream, “We’re down here. Help!”
The seconds feel like hours before I hear, “Hello! Keep calling.”
It’s so hard to not break down in tears, and I keep shouting until I taste copper in the back of my throat.
I hear dull thuds, and then debris begins to sift into the elevator. It fills the air with a cloud of dust, and I begin to cough. I quickly pick up Forest’s jacket and shake it out before I cover his head.
Suddenly we’re plunged into darkness as my phone dies. All my senses prickle to life, and every thud sounds closer than the one before.
Hope and relief hit me like a tornado, and unable to keep the emotions back, I begin to cry. My body aches from how tense my muscles are.
A drilling sound starts up, causing more debris to fall on us. I sit down next to Forest and use one of the jacket’s sleeves to cover my mouth and nose.
The drilling stops momentarily, and I can hear people moving around on top of us. “Hello? Can you hear me?”
Removing the fabric from my mouth, I shout, “Yes. We’re here!”
“We’re working on getting you out.”
Feeling immensely thankful, I’m overcome by the knowledge that Forest and I won’t die in this hole.
“My boyfriend is badly hurt,” I yell, so they’ll know to call emergency services if they haven’t done so already.
“Keep your heads covered,” the man shouts back. “Some debris might fall as we dig our way through to you.”
“Okay!”
I press myself closer to Forest and wrapping my arms around him, I pull his head to my chest, so I can try to offer him some protection.
The minutes crawl by but hearing people work above us offers me comfort and a sense of peace. It’s heartening to know strangers are trying to save us. It chases away the horror-filled loneliness that was wrapped so tightly around my heart.
When bigger chunks of debris start to fall, I lower my head and cling tighter to Forest. A piece of concrete hits my shin, and with a yelp, I pull my legs up.
Instantly, worry for Forest fills me, and an intense feeling to protect him overrides all my thoughts and emotions. I climb to my feet, and between pushing and pulling at his unconscious body, I manage to finally get him tucked in the corner of the elevator. I position the jacket over his head again, and kneeling next to him, I try to shield his head and side with my body.
The air grows thicker, making it hard to breathe. I begin to feel lightheaded and tucking my face into the crook of my arm, I try to keep from inhaling the dust.
Chapter 23
ARIA
“Hello?” the now familiar voice calls. “Are you still okay?”
I lift my head. “Yes. It’s just getting hard to breathe.”
Suddenly a sliver of light spills into the darkness, and it illuminates the particles floating in the air.
“We’re almost through to you,” the man calls.
Feeling tremendously grateful, I shout, “Thank you!”
It sounds like tiles are being broken as they keep digging, and then the beam of light grows. When the hole is big enough for me to see shadows above us, I get up and walk closer to it.
The instant I see the shadow of someone moving in my line of sight, tears spring to my eyes. “I can see you!” I gasp as overwhelming relief hits again.
“We’re almost through.” His words are comforting, but when more debris falls, I quickly dart back to Forest.
Even though he can’t hear me, I say, “We’re going to be okay. Just hold on for me. They’re almost through.”
My heartbeat begins to speed up when the beam of light keeps growing, and when a man lowers himself into the small space, a thankful sob drifts over my lips.
“Thank you! Thank you so much,” I cry. I could freaking hug him right now.
The headlamp from his hard hat shines a light on all the chunks of debris, then the man says, “Let’s get you out of here.”
He reaches for my arm, but I rear back to Forest. “You need to get him out first. He’s unconscious and has a
chest injury.”
“We need a stretcher,” the man calls to whoever’s up top. Then he takes hold of my arm. “Let’s get you out first. Come on.”
The man’s hands drop to my waist, and he lifts me as if I weigh nothing. I begin to reach my arms up and to the light, and then strong hands grip hold of me, pulling me out of the hole.
Things become a flurry of activity and voices, and feeling overwhelmed, I struggle to focus on anything. As I’m passed from one pair of hands to the next, I keep glancing back to see if they’re bringing Forest up. Someone places an arm around my shoulders and begins to help me over the jagged pieces of concrete.
I rear back, not wanting to move too far away from Forest. “Wait. Wait,” I gasp, and it’s only then I feel the relief in my lungs from the fresh air.
“We need to move you to safety,” a man says. “The ground is unstable.”
As I’m dragged down a heap of concrete, I keep my eyes on the spotlighted area. When I see men pulling the stretcher up with Forest strapped to it, I can finally take a deep breath of the sweet air around me.
“Aria!” I hear Dad’s voice, and it acts as a switch to my traumatized psyche, causing hysterical sobs to explode from me.
My eyes search over the sea of people, and when I can’t find my dad, I cry, “Daddy!” Then I see him to my left as he rushes to me.
Dad grabs hold of my shoulders, and he looks like he’s aged ten years from worry. “Are you hurt?”
I shake my head. “No, but Forest is.”
Just then, I hear Aunt Layla’s broken wail, “My baby.”
My head snaps in her direction, and I see as they carry Forest toward an ambulance. “I want to go with him.”
Dad and I hurry over to Aunt Layla, but a paramedic stops us. When he insists that I get checked, I’m separated from Forest.
I struggle to focus on what’s happening around me. It feels as if I’m being moved around in a haze. My eyes stay glued to the ambulance Forest got loaded into until I can’t see the vehicle any longer.
I’ve been given oxygen and a lot of fluids to rehydrate. We have to wait while they’re taking scans and X-rays of Forest. Seeing Aunt Layla crying and Uncle Falcon’s fear just breaks my heart.
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