“You need to leave,” Robby said.
“I can’t do that,” I cried. “I can’t do this without you. Caleb’s gone.”
Robby’s head moved up and down slightly. “You two will have to take care of each other now. Promise me, Joss?”
“Promise what?” I asked between sobs.
“That you’ll keep going. Keep fighting. And take care of each other,” Robby said.
He weakly rested his hand on my knee. I placed my hand on his and pressed my lips together. It was painful to see him fighting what surely was ultimately going to happen. He was waiting for something.
My promise.
If I didn’t give it to him… would he live?
“I can’t promise,” I said.
“Joss,” Robby said. “Please. I can’t wait much longer.”
My throat felt dry. I didn’t want to say it. Because it wasn’t true.
“Joss, we have to get out of here,” Jenna said as something shook the earth.
“I can’t do this without you,” I said. My entire body was shaking but not from whatever had just exploded.
Robby gave me his best smile. The one I loved more than anything in the world.
“Yeah, you can,” he said. “I know you can. Now, promise me you’ll try so hard to keep to make it somewhere safe.”
“Fine,” I said.
“Promise,” Robby said. His voice was barely recognizable.
I bit down hard on my cheek. “I promise.”
Robby blinked twice and smiled. His eyes were on me as his life drained away like a tub nearly out of water.
“Oh my God,” I said shaking his body. “Robby, no. Please, no.”
“Joss,” Jenna said. “We have to go.”
I stood. My face was inches from hers. “We can’t just leave him like this!”
“Are you kidding me right now?” Jenna asked. “I had to leave Caleb. Do you think that was easy? No. They’re gone. Now keep your promise and move your damn feet.”
I dropped back down and hugged Robby. He was still warm, even though he was soaked with blood and rain.
Jenna peeled me away and yanked me into the shadows. I cried as we moved from shrub to shrub, heading away from the town with nothing.
I’d lost everything.
Caleb.
Robby.
Anything that had ever meant anything to me in my entire life was gone. And I already had so little left.
Somehow, we made it out of town. With how much it was glowing, there wouldn’t be anything left.
I fell to my knees but Jenna quickly got me to my feet. She took my hand and squeezed.
“We can’t stop now,” Jenna said.
“I can’t do this, Jenna. Just leave me,” I said.
“Not going to do that,” Jenna said. “You have to find a way to keep going. Do it for Robby and Caleb.”
I sucked in my lip. “The problem is, I just don’t know if I want to keep going.”
“I need you now more than ever,” Jenna said. “There is no way I’ll make it on my own. And what happens when it’s time for the baby to be born?”
We walked together. The screams from the town diminished more and more with each step.
I had no idea how I was going to keep going. I was beyond devastated. But if I didn’t stay with Jenna and help her as best as I could, it would be another life lost.
Jenna and I had gotten closer but we’d never be best friends. Of course, that didn’t mean I wanted anything to happen to her.
My heart was shattered. I didn’t have anything left to live for. But foolishly, I had made a promise.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” Jenna said. “Or how to do it but we’ll just have to figure it out together.”
I nodded.
Jenna was just as scared as I was. I could tell by how quickly she moved to get away from the town. If she was in pain, I couldn’t tell but when she glanced back over her shoulder, I could see the sadness in her eyes.
Was I selfish? She’d lost everything too. And for her, it wasn’t the first time. She lost everything with the flash of light.
“He said to head south.” I wasn’t yet able to use his name but Jenna would know who I was referring to. “Is this south?”
“I’m not sure,” Jenna said her eyes darting in every direction. “But I think so. Yeah. I’m pretty sure.”
“How will we know for sure?” I asked.
Jenna shook her head. “I don’t know. No sun to help guide us in the morning.”
“If we make it to morning.”
“We will,” Jenna said. “I don’t hear them anymore.”
“But we can still see it.”
Jenna’s head bobbed. “Not for long. The light is diminishing. I can barely see a foot in front of me.”
“We should wait to travel until tomorrow,” I said.
“Where would we wait?” Jenna asked. She sighed heavily. “What if we’re walking right toward the resort?”
I bit my lip. “I think there would be more fight. We’d hear them if that were the case.”
“Let’s hope you’re right,” Jenna said.
A burst of energy surged through my body. I could hear Robby’s voice in my head.
“You can do it, Joss,” he said. When I squeezed my eyes shut, I could see him smiling at me. “You’re doing great. Just keep going. As far away as you can.”
Robby’s voice would be my motivation. As long as I could hear him in my head, I could keep going. He wasn’t gone from inside me… he was just gone from this world.
I opened my hand and looked at the ring. He’d gone out to get the ring. He’d been hurt but he’d done everything he could to get it to me.
I slipped it on my
