Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,167

I shot up from my bed, strolled over to the doorway and yanked his wrist before he could get away.

For a moment, the three of us just stood there staring at one another, wondering what to do next. The dynamic between Patrick and Huxley was simply too complex, and I didn’t know exactly how to proceed. I knew diving into a relationship with multiple men would be hard, but the tension seemed more tangible now. There simply wasn’t enough time to figure it all out. Tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed.

“I’m okay now,” Huxley said with a frown. “Tell her. I need you to tell her, Patrick. We both know I can’t, and she needs to know why I get like that.” He didn’t give Patrick the opportunity to refuse whatever request he made. He simply dipped low, then kissed me tenderly before walking past Patrick and down the hallway, away from us.

Patrick looked down at the floor and sighed before moving inside, pulling me with him.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Not really. Why couldn’t we have figured all of this out before coming here? It’s scary and exhausting trying to simultaneously hide my feelings for you all while soaking up as much time as I can.”

Patrick nodded in agreement. “I overheard a couple Walkers this morning saying a woman who received the vaccine three years ago died from the rejection this morning.”

I ran my hands through my wet hair in frustration and plopped down on the bed. What if Maverick can’t find the cure? Would I have to watch everyone I know and love die?

“Am I a selfish bastard for saying I’m not sad we came here? I mean, yes, Cavil’s a sadistic dictator, but being here, getting captured—it made us all stop dancing around this thing between us.”

I nodded in agreement. My new and brave approach wouldn’t have happened if not for the fear of losing them all. I would have happily tip-toed the line until one of them made the first move.

“Can I hold you, Ash? This story is hard.”

I nodded as he sat down. Once he was comfortable, I crawled into his lap and rested my cheek against his chest as he stroked my hair.

“I told you how our parents died, but not the whole story. We were home when the Eastern Scavengers attacked. Dad was working at the train station. Mom was making dinner. I can still smell her cooking,” Patrick said with a sad chuckle. “When the alarms sounded, we thought it was another Walker. Then we smelled smoke. They set one of our buildings on fire. A family died inside. Two little girls we went to school with, gone forever. Mom locked us in the closet and stood waiting at the door, knife in hand. She didn't even hesitate. Mom was prepared to die to save us.”

I clutched Patrick tighter as he spoke softly. It was like this story was a painful secret he couldn’t handle.

“We heard her screams, and the both of us kicked the door down. It was so bad, Ash. He—he was hurting her. He knocked her out and…” Patrick trailed off while squeezing his eyes shut in pain .

“I just stood there frozen. I couldn’t move or speak or act. I covered my fucking eyes. I couldn’t watch.”

I felt a fat tear land on my cheek and looked up to see my playful Patrick crying.

“The Eastern Scavenger was on top of her when Huxley grabbed Mom’s knife and stabbed him. He snapped her neck all while staring at us as his remaining strength fled his body, and he bled out on top of her.”

I cried. Tears like waterfalls fell down my cheeks, soaking Patrick’s shirt, drenching us with the unfairness of it all.

“Huxley took responsibility for that night and didn’t leave any leftover guilt for me. So I’ve spent a lifetime trying to makeup for what a complete failure I was. Navigating his episodes was the only consolation I had. The only thing I could do, and now…” Patrick gripped me tight, and I shivered.

“You’re not a failure, Patrick,” I said sternly. “You’re my strong survivor. Selfless, loving, and just as much a victim as Huxley. I’m sorry for overstepping. I didn’t realize how important it was for you to be here when he’s like that. But I love him, Patrick.” He stiffened at my admission and began pulling away, but I simply clutched him tighter, resolving not to let go. “I love you both . I just want to take what hurts