Light in the Storm

“Come back whenever you’d like.” Those were Denise’s words as soon as Nick decided we should get back. I had noticeably calmed, almost completely forgetting about the nightmares, and Nick said that it’d be best if I got home. I didn’t want to tell him that I liked it here, probably more than I should, but I wanted to know when we’d come back. I could recognize the fear in his mother’s voice though. She knew what was going to happen now, thanks to Paul. Eve had told him just to be safe and, though he didn’t show anything but belief in us, I knew he was worried.

My fingers toyed with the tiny gold heart around my neck, my smile present without knowledge as we walked through the dimly lit forest . It seemed hazier than I remembered with a chill in the air. It was almost as if I could hear a hissing noise, but I knew I was paranoid, or it was in my head; if it was real Nick would have heard it. The leaves crunched underneath our feet as we maneuvered around branches and roots, trying our best to see through what was now fog. There was an eerie feeling in the air and Nick chose not to speak, making it all the more worse.

It was almost as if the tree limbs were stretching out, the branches scraping across my face. I tried my best to flinch away without looking like a complete weirdo, but I caught Nick giving me glances. We had been moving for about ten minutes and the fog had only gotten worse, the air lunging at us continuously. I wasn’t shaking, but I could have been.

Nick slowed his pace as a few snaps sounded, though they were faint to me. He eventually stopped where the trees bunched, making it almost impossible to get around without tripping. I stopped next to him, watching the puffs escape my mouth with every heavy breath; he seemed to be keeping his in, but his chest was moving almost rapidly. I stayed silent for a moment and my heart rate picked up without a warning. I could sense something almost bad and by the look on Nick’s face, the blank demeanor, I knew he could feel it.

Standing in the middle of the forest seemed almost like a movie scene, the scene where something incredibly bad happens. My eyes darted all around, scanning every single tree, waiting for something to move, to jump out. Nothing. Nick stayed still, his chest still heaving, but his eyes danced around the opposite direction. I could hear little cracks and the rustling of leaves, but I didn’t know what to expect.

“Nick-” I whispered, though he quickly silenced me with his narrowed eyes. I bit my lip and swallowed, the dryness in my throat only distracting me for a second. His shaking hand gripped my arm gently, his warmth getting stronger. “Nick…” I tried again, my whisper quivering. “What is it?” His lips parted and he glanced around, confusion taking over his expression.

“I feel it… someone.” I could barely hear him. His eyes met mine and he took a short step back, sliding his hand down my arm. I watched him with wide eyes, the eerie feeling growing along with my fear. I was breathing heavily now and noticeably shivering as another noise sounded within the trees. I listened for another moment before he took another step back, completely avoiding the large root. “I think I should pha-”

I screamed suddenly as a figure lunged forward, a gush of wind flying past as Nick was hit. He groaned loudly as his body flew through the air, the figure disappearing into the trees as he hit a trunk. My mouth fell open and I lunged forward, my wide eyes focusing on Nick’s limp body as it slid down the trunk. A look of pain crossed his face and i rushed forward, but I tripped, falling onto my knees. I couldn’t call his name before the figure appeared again, grabbing him by the neck and throwing him towards the thicker trunk. I let out a cry of surprise, his strangled gasp coursing through my ears, the sound soon followed by a sickening thud. His head bounced of the trunk and he slid forward, sprawling out.

I tried to crawl forward suddenly, reaching out in desperation, but I was completely frozen when a pair of feet zoomed in front of my vision. I stopped my movements immediately. A short gasp fell out of my lips and I stumbled backwards, wincing as the roots cut into my palms. My bottom hit the hard dirt and I glanced up through my bangs, my eyes widening as I was met with that sadistic smile.

“C-Coimbra?” I choked out, my voice high with fear. My eyes moved past him and onto Nick’s still body, my heart jumping to the pit of my stomach.

“Oh, dear Lilliani,” he spoke with a twisted smirk, his sharp fangs seeming to glisten even in the thick gray fog. “Did you miss me?” The silence was deathly as I stared up at him, my shoes digging into the thick clumps of dirt. I tried to push myself back but he leaned forward in a flash, quickly grabbing my ankle. The pain shot through me as his hold tightened and my arms flew into the air when he tugged me forward, making my back hit the ground. I wasn’t focused; I didn’t know what to do.

My foot was suddenly released and Coimbra was pushed forward with a grunt, flying through the air without a chance of landing on his feet. The grunt did not belong to him though. My eyes immediately settled on an angry Nick, his eyes wide with fire and his lips twisted into a dark frown. There was a large gash on his forehead with blood trickling down slowly, collecting on his dirty cheek. His hair held a few dry leaves and his shirt was torn, more blood spilling out. His eyes met mine for a second and his mouth opened with unsaid words. His body was slammed into and I sprung myself backwards, another surprised gasp pushing up my lungs. A sound of pain came out of Nick and he struggled with Coimbra in the air, ultimately failing and sliding across the dirt, disappearing into the dust and fog.

My eyes darted around for some sort of an escape, for a way to help Nick, but Coimbra was right in front of me before I could even twitch. He reached for me again but I managed to turn around. It didn’t stop him though. I screamed as his long, stony arms slid around my waist, locking like a vise as he lifted me into the air. My legs thrashed and my arms flung, but it was no use punching him; it did no good.

“Stop!” I cried out desperately, trying to focus on one thing, but my blood rushed through my veins and my heart punched against my chest. I could see black as I closed my eyes, but nothing was clear. I was too riled up.

“Don’t touch her!” Nick’s voice struggled, but he wasted no time in lunging forward. His figure erupted at full speed, his body flying through the air as his arms wrapped around Coimbra. It sounded as if he had smacked into a wall, but the veins in his muscles were clearly visible, his strength being more than I, and probably he, had expected. Coimbra tumbled forward, his head flying back with a snap and I fell to the dirt with a roll. Everything was happening in a flash; the knees of my pants ripped and stings shot through my body; Coimbra’s limp body smacked against the tree root; Nick flew forward, curling up into a ball as he landed, allowing himself to roll back into the fog and avoid the trees. I watched breathlessly, my head pounding along with my heart, and I wanted to cry. It was all so overwhelming.

Everything was silent. I glanced around nervously, my heavy breathing the only thing I could hear, and I began to slide myself backwards. Where was Nick? My eyes danced across the foggy air in which he had rolled, but nothing was clear… not one thing. My body jumped and my focus was now averted to Coimbra as his body began to twitch. The sounds of bones crunching sounded and I winced, unable to move as I watched his crooked neck snap back into place.

“Lonnie go!” Nick’s distant voice shouted. My head snapped back up, but my eyes danced between the thick fog and the vampire on the ground.

“Nick!” I called out, my voice cracking. I could feel the wind pick up, the ends of my hair pricking at my skin. “N-Nick! Nick, where are you?” I was begging now, my legs twitching as Coimbra’s body stirred.

“Go Lonnie!” he shouted louder, his body crawling into view. My eyes widened as the vampire began to stand, but Nick’s eyes were only focused on me… and he was bleeding even worse.

I found myself crying. My body shook and tears rolled down my stinging cheeks. He was trying so hard to crawl, but his arm was wound around his stomach. He watched me from behind his matted curls, his bloody bottom lip pouted.

“GO!” he screamed, his voice cracking. I jumped up to my feet as Coimbra spun around, his fiery eyes locked on me with a mixture of hunger and anger. I did as Nick said and turned around, slipping up just barely before I was able to run. My knees burned with every stretch, my lungs fogging as I ran as fast as I could. My hair flew behind me, catching on a few branches as I ducked, and my arms flailed out while I jumped. All I could see was fog and trees as I rushed by them. My breathing puffed out with every movement and the tears still fell, almost flying through the air like raindrops with my speed. I had never ran this fast before, but I was focusing now. It made me think about my flying…

I heard a loud cry from behind me and I looked back quickly. I couldn’t see anything but fog still. The cry sounded again and I couldn’t make out if it was Nick or Coimbra… I sobbed again, almost buckling over when I tripped. I yelped in surprise and pushed my hands out, gasping as my body lifted into the air before I could fall. I was… floating. Everything seemed still again as I floated a few feet off the ground, my eyes rolling over my dangling feet in surprise. I brought my hand up and glanced over it in awe, wiggling my fingers and turning it over multiple times. I could see the glow rippling, almost like an electric current.

Coimbra flashed forward suddenly, lunging at me with bared teeth, and I cringed away. His hands grazed my side, knocking me back to the ground, and I cried out in pain; my ankle twisted as I rolled. It looked better when Nick did it.

Where was Nick?

Coimbra let out a roar and gripped my neck, a new look of fear on his face. I struggled in his tight grip, my limbs flailing as he raised me higher, and I was gasping for air. His cold eyes locked mine and they silently taunted me. All I could focus on was breathing… and that wasn’t even helping.

My body jerked as a loud howl echoed through the air. The sound mixed with a harsh growl and the trees shook as Nick skidded into view, his fur coat matted with even more blood. His eyes though… his eyes were a bright gold and it gave me hope. He leaped forward just as Coimbra threw me back, his bony shoulder being used as a shield. My coughs sounded uncontrollably as my body hit the ground. Nick twisted as he hit, whimpering when the sound of his shoulder cracked, and I winced. But he bared his claws and scratched at the pale skin, his sharp teeth digging into Coimbra’s neck. I covered my ears and let more tears slip down my face as I watched him tear away some of his skin.

A sob fell out of my trembling lips and I knew I couldn’t take anymore when Nick whimpered in pain again. It seemed to happen in slow motion and I had no choice but to watch. Coimbra hissed with fury and pulled Nick back, his legs wobbling. He bared his own silvery fangs and bit down on Nick, the cry echoing. He didn’t let up though. Coimbra kept his bite strong, completely ignoring Nick’s begging… and it was so painful to hear him in my head. He was purposefully letting his venom seep into Nick and I had to stop it.

“Stop. STOP, PLEASE!”

He froze suddenly, pulling away from Nick and dropping him like he was some object. He squirmed in the dirt, his whines desperate, but his cries of pain in my head were dying down, silencing as if he were fading away. I scrambled to my feet and held out my shaking hands, shutting my eyes tight as the air whooshed out of me. I could feel the resistance of my body as the light flew out of me, wavering and zipping around the trees. I could see it through my closed eyes, could see it in the constant black cloud I was in.

And then everything stopped. I couldn’t… feel anything anymore; I was cold. My eyes slowly opened and Coimbra was gone, nowhere in site. Fog surrounded the twisted trees, not allowing any of the sky’s light in. I tightened my muscles and let my eyes dart wherever they wanted, still unable to see anything… but then there was Nick. He was still lying in the dirt, his body twitching, heaving up and down with his ragged breaths. No more whimpers or whines sounded and he was silent in my head too, and I was worried. I stumbled forward suddenly, stopping when I saw him twitching again, but it was different this time. I bit my lip and watched him begin to disappear, my ragged breathing picking up even more.

“N-Nick,” I tried shakily, swallowing back more tears as I searched for him in the fog. I could only see his flickering body, his fur disappearing. “Nicholas.”

He reappeared in an instant, his human body limp in the dirt. His shirt was bloodied and covered in dirt, though it hung off his chest that looked similar. I could see his arms trying to move at his sides, his legs beginning to curl up, only to straighten back out again.

“Oh god, Nick!” I cried out, rushing forward. I dropped to my knees and placed my hands on his face, gently turning his head towards me. His eyelids fluttered, his face pale and his lips were chapped and bloody. My fingers tightened around his pale cheeks, my thumbs rubbing over the dirt spots and cuts. “Oh Nick.”

It was scarier than I thought, the way his chocolate eyes seemed like lifeless orbs that were unable to focus on anything. His eyelids held a pale purple and his lips began to turn blue while his body shook uncontrollably under my touch. I bit my lip and watched him struggle, his lips quivering with words that he was unable to speak. I pulled my hands away from his face and clasped one over my mouth, allowing even more tears to fall as I watched him with no clue of what was happening or what I could do.

Was he… dying?

“No Nick!” I shouted in frustration, clenching my jaw tight. His shaking only seemed to worsen and his skin was turning colder. I struggled to breathe. My eyes scanned over his body and I allowed my fingers to grip whatever was left of the shirt that hung on his body. I ripped the rest of it open and stared at his chest. His body was just as pale as his face, all the contours sunken in with his ragged breaths. I pressed my palm flat against his chest and drug it up to his heart. I almost sighed with relief as I felt that harsh pattering against his chest, the warmth radiating over that one spot.

“L-Lon-nnie,” he struggled, his voice soft and strained. I almost jumped at the sound; it broke my heart.

“Nick, please. Please.” I didn’t know what I was begging for, what I expected him to tell me. I just wanted to know what was happening to him and what he was feeling and how I could help. His head rolled, his face twisting with a sudden pain, and his back arched.

“Ah!” he cried out, his voice holding nothing short of agony. I shot my hand back up to my mouth, holding in my sob while my eyes narrowed. His body began to spasm and he cried out again, the sound louder with an underlying sob. No tears fell from his dark eyes though, no strangled breaths escaped his mouth; he only shook, his pained face returning back to a blank slate.

I stayed on my knees for a moment and trailed my eyes over his unresponsive expression. His eyes were open now and they stared straight up, hazy like the fog around. I placed my hand back over his heart, suddenly unable to feel the beat. I trailed my fingers over his clammy forehead and dug them into his curls. I had to bite down on my lip harshly when I lifted my hand back up to reveal the blood. I placed my fingers on the side of his cool neck, exhaling once I felt the pulse.

Nick began to spasm again and his breathy cries were lower. I placed my palm over his heart just as his cuts began to bleed again, the warm liquid thickening up as it slowly rolled over his smooth skin. His heart pounded against his chest and I swore I could almost see it; it looked painful. His eyes were wide but still dark and his pale chapped lips quivered.

“Nick… Nick, what can I do?” I had no idea. I had no idea what was happening. I needed him to tell me… I just need him to be okay. “Please.”

As I stared down at him, his beautiful face twisted with so much pain, I knew that I could use my magic in some way to help him. I inhaled deeply and gripped his face again, bending down to rest my forehead on his, not caring that his thick blood was now spreading over my skin, and I tried to focus. My body shook and I held in my sobs, telling myself to be strong for him. I hadn’t seen this coming, but this was part of Lucas’ plan somehow… and it was my first test to stay strong.

I could feel my glow become more dominant, the heat rushing through me like a flood. I could feel the rippling in my fingers and over Nick. It took a few strenuous seconds before he calmed down, his body completely limp underneath me. I allowed my eyes to reopen, sniffling as they focused on Nick. His eyes were barely open, his lips parted as he stared straight ahead, and I wondered what in the hell I did. I felt myself beginning to panic; I felt like I couldn’t breathe again. I pulled myself over him and rested my ear over his heart, sighing heavily in relief at his still strong heartbeat.

The wind was picking up and it was getting colder, and I still didn’t know what to do. Nick laid almost lifeless before me and all I could think about doing was screaming and crying. I knew he wasn’t dead, but he looked like it… and it scared me.

“Okay,” I breathed to myself, managing to back up. I stood shakily and wiped my bloody hands on my torn pants, taking a moment to glance around the foggy area. Where was Coimbra? What exactly did I do? I felt so exhausted suddenly, so dizzy, but I knew I had to get Nick out of here. My eyes widened and an idea suddenly clicked; fly. I could fly, or do whatever it was I did. “Come on Nick.” I bent down and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, lifting him with only a slight groan. He was completely still. Biting my lip, I pulled him farther up, locking my arms around his torso quickly, pulling him into me the best I could until his head was snuggled up underneath my chin. I shut my eyes tight and managed to focus. I could feel my feet lifting off the ground and wind began to slap against my body, pushing my hair back and taking my breath away. I struggled to hold Nick up and dodge the branches because I wasn’t flying-flying--more like floating and running.

I kept my palm over Nick’s heart though, afraid that it’d stop beating at any second. He was still bleeding, which I found unusual, but it was thick and almost a black color. His skin was cold, though it was still soft, and he didn’t move. I had done something to him, calmed him maybe. I just hoped I could do something else. It was my fault and that’s what I kept thinking about in the back of my mind. If I had focused and used my magic earlier then nothing would have happened besides a few scrapes and bruises. But now something was wrong and I couldn’t take him to the hospital in fear of the knowledge of our kind being let out.

That was my luck.

My arms began to burn as I carried his dead weight and I tried not to drop him while I focused on going faster. The fog split as I cut through, but I found myself getting even more tired. I wasn’t used to using so much magic. I wasn’t used to this because I failed at being a witch.

I failed at protecting Nick, my soul mate.

I gasped suddenly as my body dropped. I tried to hang onto Nick while I rolled, but I couldn't grab onto him fast enough. Was something wrong with me? I couldn’t even defeat Lucas fully the first time, and now he was back and Nick was hurt. I was nothing.

I lifted myself up and wiped the dirt off my hands, glancing around slowly. I could see my house. I scrambled to my feet and ran over to Nick, lifting him back up. He looked exactly the same with no sign or changing. I pulled him into my chest and rested my head on top of his soft curls, inhaling his scent; it was faint, but it was still there. I pulled him backwards quickly, tripping a few times but still managing to stay upright. I didn’t want to drag him, but his lower half ended up collected all the dirt while I moved. And I started crying again.

I pulled him towards the door after a few moments of struggling and reached for the knob. Dragging him through, I maneuvered him towards the living room, keeping my sobs in. I turned around and my eyes widened at what I saw. I didn’t know how I felt when I recognized my father kissing Eve. I didn’t know if I felt a surge of happiness or a tingle of betrayal, but either way I knew it wasn’t something I could think about right now.

“Hey!” I shouted, surprised by my own anger. The two jumped apart like Nick and I did whenever dad came in. Eve’s cheeks were flushed, her whole face showing her apology, and dad’s eyes were wide behind his crooked glasses. I gulped.

“Lonnie-” she started, but I quickly cut her off with my hand.

“I don’t have time for this,” I growled shakily, my teeth clenched. They both glanced at me with worried expressions, their faces confused. “Eve, I need your help you-you have to help me, please!”

“Lonnie calm down,” she encouraged, slowly standing. She stopped though when she noticed Nick’s limp body behind me. “Lonnie… what’s going on?”

“What happened to Nick?” dad piped up, quickly standing.

“Coimbra,” I breathed out, turning around to look at Nick on the floor. “He… he was fighting. He told me to run. He saved me and Coimbra-”

“Coimbra?” Eve gasped, pain on her face as I turned around. I nodded slowly, trailing my eyes back down to his body. “What did Coimbra do?”

“He bit Nick.”

It was obvious that I didn’t know what Eve was saying and it confused me further when she began to use her magic to lift Nick up. My eyes widened and I reached for him, my instincts immediately kicking in.

“Put him down! Don’t do that!” I snapped, lunging for him, but dad grabbed my waist. “What are you doing? What’s wrong with him? Eve!”

“Lonnie, calm down. I need to help him-”

“Why can’t I help him?” I begged, struggling to get out of my father’s grasp. He was strong for such a scrawny guy.

“You don’t know how to help him Lonnie. This could be serious.”

“But I have to help him! You don’t understand, okay? I need to help him. I love him.”

“I know sweetheart,” she whispered, her face now sympathetic, but my eyes locked on Nick’s body as it began to float towards the stairs. “But there could be serious outcomes to Coimbra’s bite. I have to read about the outcomes-”

“You can’t read! You have to help him!” I was desperate and out of line, but I needed to make sure he was okay.

“I need to understand how this is affecting him exactly.” I was silent for a moment, taking the time to calm my breathing. Nick was gone now, probably in my room… lying lifeless on the bed. Eve’s powers were beyond me even though I was supposed to be stronger than her. I had to learn.

“How can it affect him?”

“I have to find that out Lonnie. Now please; stay down here and calm down.” After staring at me for a moment, Eve scurried upstairs and disappeared around the corner. I breathed raggedly as dad held me, his arms squeezing me with comfort, but it didn’t help.

“Come on Lonnie,” he whispered softly. His hand smoothed down my messy hair and he kissed my temple. “Let’s just sit down here and wait it out.”

And that’s what I did. I sat on the couch for what seemed like hours, drinking the many glasses of water my dad brought but still refusing to talk about what happened. He had gotten me band-aids for my knees and a washcloth for all the dried blood that was mine and Nick’s. I was still silent though, still anxious to find out about Nick’s condition. Was he okay? Was he bad? What was happening? I kept fidgeting, kept toying with the tiny heart necklace rather than the golden orb that I was so used to. I chewed on my lip and the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to keep my eyes open so I didn’t have to see Nick suffering.

It was worse than the nightmares.

I shivered at just the thought.

Dad had given up on trying to coax me and decided to get some fresh air. Neither of us wanted to talk about his lip-lock with Eve; I still didn’t know what to think. My leg began to bounce, coming into sync with my nerves, and my heart just barely started to slow when I heard footsteps. My head snapped over towards the stairs and my eyes settled on Eve as she waited on the middle of the staircase. Her face looked relieved; so did mine.

“Nick…” she started with a sigh, quickly wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. “He’s going to be okay.” It was like a heat rush with the way relief flew over me. It was all I wanted to hear.

“What was wrong exactly?” I mumbled lowly, doing my best to stand. I still felt dizzy. She sighed heavily.

“You see, a vampire’s bite is used for more than just turning another. One bite, yes. But when a vampire continuously sinks their teeth into another… well, it’s used to kill.” Coimbra was trying to kill Nick? “I read about what a vampire’s venom could do with a lingered bite. It cuts off everything; senses, breathing, the beating of the heart. It keeps the brain in tact to allow the pain to be felt until the last second.” She opened her mouth again but quickly paused, her eyes trailing over me. I kept my mouth shut and focused on breathing. “You used your magic, didn’t you?” she whispered. It was my turn at an attempt to speak, but she continued when I didn’t. “He was completely unresponsive, numb. You saved him from a lot of pain… a lot of pain that could have actually killed him.”

The chills came as her words sunk in and I stepped forward slowly, curling my fingers around the railing. “What do you mean?”

“He stopped feeling the pain after you did… whatever it was you did.”

“Wait a minute… did you speak to him?” I asked quickly, my eyes widening.

“I did, but all he seemed interested in was knowing where you were,” she smiled suddenly, her laugh sounding as she stared into my eyes; I knew they had to of lit up.

“Can I… can I see him?” I didn’t hide the excitement in my voice, I didn’t have to.

“Yeah,” she nodded, making her way down the steps. She set her hand on my shoulder and smiled that kind smile, urging me forward. I didn’t waste any time. As I reached the top step I took a moment to breathe, holding the cool heart between my fingers. My feet shuffled towards my door which was ajar and brought my hand forward to push it open all the way. As soon as I stepped into the room my eyes settled on Nick. He was lying up in the bed with his back against his pillow, his hands clenching the top of the sheet.

I stepped into the room and shut the door behind me gently, holding my breath as his eyes darted to me. His face didn’t look as pale and his cheeks held a tint of red. Purple bags sat underneath his now chocolate eyes and his full lips, though they still held cuts, were pink again. His cuts were bandaged but he still looked sick.

“Nick,” I breathed slowly, quickly walking towards the bed. He blinked droopily and offered a small, lazy smile, doing his best to sit up straighter. I took a seat by his side, my glow sparking as he lifted his arm shakily to rest in my lap. His fingers twitched and I gripped them, easily lacing them with my own. He looked so… fragile. It wasn’t like Nick. “Nicholas, how are you?” I didn’t want to get too emotional, but watching your soul mate writhe in pain wasn’t exactly the best thing.

“Fine,” he swallowed, though his newest smile was forced. I narrowed my eyes.

“Nick, seriously. I watched you… I saw how much pain you were in, and Eve told me you could’ve died. Don’t try to spare me by saying you’re fine.” He stared at me for a moment and sighed, turning his head away. He stared at the wall blankly, his breathing finally even, and he managed to run his thumb over my skin comfortingly.

“I’ve been better,” he chuckled breathily. It wasn’t very humorous but I found myself smiling at his laugh. He turned his head again in defeat and locked my gaze. “It hurts,” he whispered lowly. I lifted my free hand up to his face and pushed my palm against his warm cheek, tracing my fingers over his forehead and temple. His eyelids fluttered.

“Where does it hurt?”

“Everywhere,” he admitted earnestly, wincing when he leaned closer to me. I dropped my hand from his face and wrapped my arm around his waist, supporting him the best I could. “Inside, it hurts everywhere. It-it’s like I can’t think, I can’t move, I can’t even breathe without something hurting.”

“This is all my fault-”

“Whoa, whoa; what?” he asked quickly, leaning even farther into me. His head nuzzled mine, telling me to look at him. I did. “This is in no way your fault, got it?” he asked, staring intently at me. I bit my lip. “It’s my job to protect you and that’s what I did. It isn’t your fault that Coimbra’s a coward and doesn’t want to fight. I did what I had to do.”

“I could’ve done something though! I could’ve helped you instead of sitting there like an idiot. Nick, I don’t know what to do. How am I supposed to beat Lucas now? How am I supposed to do this without you? I… I can’t even-”

“No,” he breathed calmly, his forehead resting against mine. His face twisted with pain but that didn’t stop him from lifting his arm. He cupped my cheek and ran his thumb over my eyelid, the action seeming to stop the tears that were ready to fall. “You’ll get through this, okay? You’ll get through this because I believe in you. It isn’t about the amount of skill you have or what way you use your powers… that’s what Lucas thinks. But you know what Lonnie? You have something Lucas doesn’t.”

“What’s that?” I whispered, keeping my eyes locked on him. He stared at me for a moment, the emotion swimming in those soft orbs becoming overwhelming, and he smiled.

“You have love. And that’s all you need.” His voice was so soft and sure, like that was all I needed to know. I found myself smiling suddenly, a laugh escaping my lips.

“Who are you and what have you done with the Nick who’s always talking about rules?” His smile was gorgeous and made my heart flutter even though I knew he still had some pain.

“You saved my life you know.”

I blushed. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I just thought about calming you down, about making you better.”

My eyes widened as his lips touched mine, the same sparks shooting through me. His lips moved against mine passionately, his fingers trailing down my face until they rested on my neck. I curled my own fingertips around his matted curls and forced him forward, careful not to move him too suddenly. He pulled away after a moment, his breath spurting out across my face soothingly. I kept my arms around his neck, suddenly feeling dazed.

“You make me better… just by being you.”

It was at that moment that I realized I could be strong. Even when Nick… disappeared. If I knew that he loved me and if I knew that I could save him, I’d get through whatever I had to and I would win.

I was as determined as ever and I knew that Nick was right; I could do this because I had love. And because I had Nick. That’s all I ever needed.