sorry for the evil cliff hanger in the previous chapter that was after a HUGE delay! this one isn't mean. i promise. and, i swear. i'm gonna do my best to keep it updated. no promises on every day, but i'll try.


Take my hand
I give it to you
Now you owe me all I am
You said you would never leave me
I believe you
I believe

I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healed


*Fang*

Something was wrong.

Max felt it too.

As did Alex.

And Sam.

That wasn't a good sign, and I knew what it meant. Last time, it meant Ari was in danger. Last time, Ari was almost killed.

One look from Sam, the look of pure terror, and I was gone. She followed behind me, with Alex and then Max trailing quickly behind. I wasn't sure if everyone else followed, but I didn't really care. The instant I was out the door, I took off and flew, not really caring what happened after that moment.

My baby was in trouble.

*Ari*

I opened my eyes, expecting the darkness that had taken over me, but when I did, I got something completely different.

It was dark, but I saw stars. I saw the moon. I saw the trees around us, my bloody arms...I saw everything.

Tears started pouring down my cheeks as I sat up, finding great pain in this action. My stomach was sore, and my arms were full of glass and bloody. It didn't surprise me to have blood running down my face, and soaking into my hair, just like it didn't surprise me when I had really bad road rash just about everywhere else.

Let's not go into my leg that was still broken...cause it's ugly.

I slowly stood to my feet to find Seth still in the truck, not breathing...not moving a single muscle.

Everything inside of me died at that moment. I didn't care what was wrong with me. Seeing Seth, so bloody...so pale...it was the worst sight I had ever seen. I would rather watch Elli get shot a million times over than see what I was looking at now.

And that's terrible to say, but it was true, so true.

"Seth!" I shrieked, before I could think about it. I was surprised to find no one but us here.

The stupid bastard that hit us just left! What the hell?

I was gonna hunt them down and murder them, so brutally. It was gonna be ugly.

"Seth," I whimpered as I rushed over to his door and threw it open, finding strange ease in the movement. "No, no, no, Seth. Baby, please! Please don't do this to me! I'm begging you!"

He didn't open his eyes, but I felt his hand grab mine. His eyes were fluttering, so I could see he was trying to look at me.

He just couldn't.

"Ari," he breathed, so softly I wasn't sure if he actually said it or not. But, then he went on. "I love you."

"No!" I insisted, shaking my head. "Seth, don't do this to me! You can't! We've been through too much to have it end like this!"

"Ari..."

"Seth, no!" I exclaimed. "You're NOTdying!"

He let out the softest moan. "I am...and I'm so sorry."

I refused to listen. Without thinking, without hesitating to think, I did what I could do, the only thing I could do. No one could get mad about it, because right now, all it would do is make him invincible.

He was out then, but not dead. Just unconscious. This would not only make him invincible but heal his current wounds.

If I thought about it, I would hesitate, and hesitation could kill him. So, instead of thinking about it, I just moved us to the backseat, in case someone did show up, and I started preparing us both for it.

You can probably guess...

I wasn't sure what I could do after that but hope, but pray. I didn't wanna move him anymore, in fear it might mess something up, so instead, I just sat in the driver's seat, contemplating what to do.

That's when Daddy, Sam, Alex, and Momma showed up, which didn't surprise me. I honestly should've been expecting it.

They saw my tears, saw the way I looked at them as if nothing was right anymore. It was official for me—I would live. But, would he? Was it too late? If I lived and he died, what would the point be anymore? I would live forever all alone.

"Ari," Daddy breathed, his voice quiet and almost a cry of pain. He was looking into my eyes, deep into my eyes.

"I didn't want Elli's last moment to be the last thing I ever saw," I whispered, my voice breaking as I said it. My words only slightly hurt Alex, because I knew he was getting over it. I was crying, though. "But I would much rather that be my last sight than seeing what I already have."

"You can see?" Alex asked quietly, almost reluctantly.

I didn't get to answer him, though. Suddenly, he started panting like I had never heard him do before. I didn't know what to think.

The sound of him panting scared me, only slightly. His heartbeat was fast, much too fast for him to be just a human. It made me wonder if it had worked, to the point I looked over at him, his eyes staring straight above him in wonder.

He was alive.

"Seth!" I exclaimed, jumping back there with him and landing on him, hard. He groaned a little, but didn't really care much. I kissed him, with more passion than I ever remembered, before pulling back and hugging him tightly. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

He let out a soft breath that sounded like a laugh, although I could tell he was exhausted—meaning it worked. "I have a feeling I won't be able to ever again."

I smirked at him. "Nope. You're stuck with me forever and ever."

"As if I wasn't already," he teased, smirking at me now. "Ari, I wasn't going anywhere."

"And you certainly aren't now," I said firmly, tapping the end of his nose lightly.

Daddy frowned at us. "Um...what's going on?"

We looked at each other, and I turned back to him with an innocent smile. "Well..."

"Ari, cut the crap and get to the point."

"I had to," I insisted. "I didn't want to yet, but I had no other choice. He was literally dying, Daddy, and I couldn't just let him die, especially when I had the power to save him. So, I tried it, and it worked, and it won't happen again until we're married. I swear."

Momma smirked at me. "Nope, Ari, I think it will. Trust me when I say, things are gonna get really hard now. You're pretty much not gonna be able to resist."

Daddy scowled at her. "Thanks for pointing that out, Max, really."

Alex burst out laughing. "Ha! Ari's not a virgin anymore!"

I hissed at him. "Can it, Alex."

He just smirked and took off towards the house.

I turned back to Seth with a curious look, admiring everything about him now that he was healed and completely like he was before—except better, even. Now, he was my world, my everything, more so than before. Now, everything I truly cared about was him. That was it.

Seeing his face again was something I would never take for granite. Being able to see wasn't either. I had learned so many things when I lost my eyesight, things that would help me even now that I can see again.

"So, where exactly were we headed?"