He was going to watch her die.
Could feel it in his bones.
He tore his gaze from her and scanned their surroundings. Man-made walls reached about seven feet from the ground. A tunnel went off beyond the reach of the light. Had they fallen into a mineshaft? That didn’t seem right, but he couldn’t explain the deep cavern any other way.
“All righty. Let’s take a look at your arm.” Her false cheer dragged his gaze back to her.
She skimmed her fingers up his arm and pushed on the shoulder. The dull ache spiked to sharp pain. He hissed, squeezing his eyes closed so he wouldn’t pull away.
“You’re right. It’s not out all the way.” When she finished her examination, she gently massaged up his neck. “This has happened before?”
“Yeah.”
“How did you fix it?”
“Shotgun.”
Her guffaw cut short. “What?”
“If I hold the butt of the gun wrong against my shoulder, the recoil will knock it back into place.” He shrugged, immediately regretting the motion.
“Well, we don’t have one of those.”
“I’ve had buddies punch it back into place when it happened in the field.”
She shook her head. “I throw a mean punch, but I don’t know…”
“Hey, it’s okay. We can figure it out later.”
“No, no. Let’s try.” She shifted, then shook her head. “We’ll have to stand. I can’t get enough momentum on the ground.”
This was why he loved her. Well, one reason. She just accepted each challenge head on, confident they could figure it out. He groaned as he stood, feeling every bruise from the fall now that the adrenaline was gone.
“So… Firefly?” Sunny raised her eyebrow at him before squaring up to his shoulder in a boxer’s stance.
“Why did you greet me the way you did at the airport?” He wasn’t sure why the question came out, but he needed to know.
“I’d been feeling lost. Was so sick of everyone asking if I was okay. I just wanted to forget how everything had been stolen from me. Forget how everyone looked at me with pity or, worse, caution, like I couldn’t handle adult situations, which, considering how completely naïve I’d been, I totally understand the lack of confidence in my decisions.” Her voice broke, and she rolled her shoulders. “Then, you came down that escalator with your gorgeous self, shifting like you were nervous, and I wanted to let the pretend be as real as possible, to escape, even if it was just for a few weeks.” Her hands dropped and shoulders slumped. “Pretty pathetic.”
“Being with you that week leading up to the wedding, then the two weeks after babysitting Carter while Lena and Marshall were on their honeymoon, was the first time I’d felt hope since my team got ambushed. You flashed light and joy in my darkness, making me think that if I could just catch you, I might keep that happiness your presence lit inside me.” He closed his eyes, remembering how reality had crashed in. “But I knew I had to let you go, that I’d just suffocate you. Kill off your light like I did everything else good in my life.”
Her fist slammed into his shoulder. He yelled at the shock and pain as the ball of his shoulder popped back into place. His knees collapsed, and he dropped to the dirt, stopping himself from completely crumpling to the ground with his good hand.
She was in front of him before he could catch his breath. Her small, strong hands clasped his cheeks and lifted his head. She pressed her lips to his. They were moist and tasted salty. He ran his thumb along her skin, wiping tears from where they streamed. She pulled away just enough to talk, her lips brushing against his as she did.
“You don’t suffocate me, Davis Fields. With you, I shine brighter than I ever have. With you, I finally feel whole, like I can be exactly who I’m meant to be. No pretending. No falsehoods.” She kissed him, pushing out the darkness saturating his soul. “With you, I’m finally free.”
He buried his face into the crook of her neck and wrapped her tight against him. Her skin smelled of musty dirt, metallic blood, and faint lemons. His shoulders shook as elation and heartbreak collided within. How could life be so harsh to finally have him find healing and hope when their survival was doomed?