Page 109 of Requiem
Jude reaches up slowly, brushing his knuckles along Emma’s jaw. The movement is careful, like he’s still aware of every inch of himself around her. Emma tilts her face into his hand anyway.
And Christ, that observation hits me harder than I thought. Because a month ago, I genuinely thought he was going to die. Either from the drugs or Alexei or his own mind finally collapsing under everything that had been done to him.I still remember the phone call from him when he threatenedme and sounded like he was fucking drowning. I still remember the sound of Emma crying whenever I’d hold her until she fell asleep. I still remember seeing him in Moscow for the first time and barely recognizing my best friend…
But now he’s standing in front of the woman he loves, looking at her like he wants to live long enough to deserve her. And I’m so goddamn grateful for that.
Emma smiles faintly at something he says, and then she leans up, kissing him softly.
Jude freezes before melting into it, kissing her back slowly and intimately.
Heather squeezes my hand gently. “He’s doing better.”
“Yeah,” I murmur.
Jude pulls away first. I notice that, too. He presses his forehead briefly against Emma’s before stepping back toward the basement door, and even from across the room, I can see the conflict written all over him. Wanting to stay with her. Still terrified of himself anyway.
Emma notices it too because she reaches for his hand one last time before letting him go. “I love you,” she whispers.
He studies her for a long second. “I love you, too.” Then he nods once and disappears downstairs, the basement door closing behind him.
Emma stands there for a second longer, staring at the closed door. And suddenly, she looks exhausted. Like she’s carrying the weight of keeping someone tethered to the world with her bare fucking hands.
Heather lets go of me and walks over to her, pulling her into a hug without saying a word.
Emma almost collapses into her arms.
I swallow hard and move closer, rubbing the back of my neck. “Hey.”
Emma pulls back, brushing quickly at her eyes before she can fully start crying. “Hey.”
“You okay?” I ask quietly.
A shaky laugh leaves her. “I don’t know if any of us are doing good.”
“No,” I admit. “Probably not.”
I glance once toward the basement door again before looking back at her. “But him?” I say softly. “I haven’t seen him fight this hard to stay alive in years.”
Emma’s eyes shine again, but this time she smiles through it. “I just want him safe,” she whispers.
“I know.”
Heather rubs slow circles against Emma’s back. “And he wants the same thing for you. For all of us.”
“Yeah,” I add, pulling her into a hug. “We stay alive tomorrow. No other option.”
***
Heather closes the bedroom door behind us, shutting out the quiet noise of the others talking downstairs. For a second, neither of us says anything. She moves to turn on the bedside lamp, pouring warm light over the blankets. And suddenly the exhaustion hits me all at once. And she watches it happen immediately.
“Hey,” she murmurs, stepping closer.
I exhale through my nose and drag both hands down my face. “I’m so tired.”
“I know.”
I sit down heavily on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on my knees, while I stare at the floorboards for a second too long. Heather moves between my legs without hesitation, her hands sliding gently into my hair. Her touch is careful because she already knows I’m hanging on by a thread tonight.
“I still can’t believe my best friend is fucking alive right now,” I admit quietly.
