He peels his eyelids open at my words, and I flinch. His eyes… They’re bloodshot, battling tears. Seeing him so vulnerable, so hurt, feels like a violent blow to the stomach. I could wish on every damn star in the sky for a colder heart, a soul that doesn’t suffer when his does, but it wouldn’t change the fact that I care.
Somewhere along the way, I started caring about this idiot.
In spite of everything.
In spite of the whole world telling me he’s a monster.
We don’t separate for long seconds, my hands cupping his face in the darkness, his breath crashing against my mouth as he stares me in the eyes. Relief creeps in when Finn presses his forehead to mine and whispers a small, heartbreaking “Let’s go.”
Snapping out of it, I nod in agreement and slowly withdraw my hands from his face. My breathing unsteady, I pivot and start leading the way back to solid ground.
I’m two steps ahead of him when I hear it.
The loud creaking of wood behind me. The devil laughing on my shoulder when part of the bridge collapses from under him. But the sound I hear on repeat? The noise I know will haunt me forever? Is the scream leaving my lips…
When he falls.