Chapter 196: 196-Fallen Out Of Love
Clementine:
Ian’s eyes widened in shock as I charged the Wendigo again. She flung me back once more, and this time my arm twisted completely. My left arm was useless now.
There was only one option left. I ripped the stick free from my arm and dug in my pocket for a match.
"Here!" Suki’s voice rang out as she tossed one to me from across the road.
I caught it, panic flooding me as I tried to light it on fire. The Wendigo thrashed toward Ian, frantic to reach him. I lit the stick, fire sparking in my hand, and glared at her.
"You’re not gonna hurt him, you bitch!" With that, I bolted straight at her.
She screamed as I charged her with the burning stick. I swung and smacked it across her face, flames catching on her skin. I shoved at her with the stick, forcing her away from the debris so the fire wouldn’t spread to Ian.
When I finally pushed her off and she collapsed onto the road, I glanced left and saw three more Wendigos lying dead. That’s when it hit me, we had killed quite a few already. Almost all of them were female, which meant they wouldn’t be able to reproduce alone. If we managed to clear most of them out, maybe next time we came back, we wouldn’t have to deal with these ugly, dangerous things. They were the most destructive ones.
Once she burned out on the road, I scrambled back onto the debris, frantically trying to free Ian. By then, Suki finally started running toward us again. Now that she saw there were no more Wendigos and the sky was clearing, she helped Joshua crawl out from under the rubble.
It took us a while to clear the debris and free them both. Ian was the first to get up, and I saw he was completely covered in blood. The second he stood, he grabbed my right hand and pulled me in so fast it stunned me. His massive frame wrapped around me as he embraced me, and I felt small in his arms.
I didn’t move. I didn’t even react, and I regret not hugging him back. I just couldn’t process it. Ian wasn’t the type to show emotion like this.
"Thank you so much," he whispered.
He finally broke the hug awkwardly, and we both looked away, almost like it hadn’t happened. Our eyes landed on Suki and Joshua. She wrapped her arms around him, but I noticed Joshua didn’t hug her back. He looked confused, probably lost.
"We need to find a way to hide before they come back," Ian suggested, and Suki finally let go of Joshua.
"But where would we go? The safe mansion is too far, and we don’t know if the Fleshmingos or the Wendigos have invaded it again." She was very deliberate with her words. In just a few sentences, she informed the two that it had already happened once, that one of the monsters had gotten inside the mansion.
"There is another safe area here," Ian said, and I could tell that was all Suki wanted to hear. Within minutes, we were rushing toward the underground subway.
Thankfully, Ian never lost his sense of direction. He led us straight to the subway, and before the clouds gathered above us again, we were already inside.
Once we were in the subway and Ian and Joshua had made sure everything was safe, we sat down near the entrance. The door was locked, so we knew we were fine. I looked around while my arm rested awkwardly across my stomach.
Ian came over, knelt down, and pulled a roll of tubular elastic net bandage from the bag he was carrying. Thankfully, they had managed to keep the bags with them, though there were only enough medical supplies for three people. Still, it would be fine.
He began wrapping the elastic around my arm and body, making sure my arm was secured tightly against me so it wouldn’t move. He wound it around my chest and stomach until my arm felt like half my body was trapped in a cocoon.
Honestly, it felt much better. When he finished, he put the supplies back in the bag, still kneeling in front of me, then gently poked the tip of my nose, making me frown playfully. But I wasn’t anywhere near my best, since the pain was excruciating.
By then, night had fallen. It had been the longest day ever.
"Why the fuck did you think so much before coming to help me?" Joshua shouted at Suki, stealing our attention. We both turned to watch them argue.
"I was scared, okay?" Suki yelled back.
"But Suki, I was gonna die out there! If Clementine could go and save her crusader, who she doesn’t even care about, why couldn’t you come for me?" Joshua hissed, louder than ever. I could tell he was running out of patience with the way she treated him.
It wasn’t the way he loved her. He seemed ready to forgive her for everything, but after she had told me clearly that she would always choose Jack, it was obvious she was with Joshua for his rank and power, knowing he could protect her.
"Well, he didn’t have to make that comment," Ian muttered, and I looked at him. He meant Joshua’s claim that I had no feelings for Ian, even though I had come here to save him. As Ian straightened and got to his feet, I followed, standing beside him.
"Listen, this is too much pressure on me. Why do you always expect me to prove my love? Isn’t it enough that I love you? Besides, I was traumatized, okay?" Suki shouted, rushing her words. And maybe she was telling the truth.
Maybe she realized Joshua loved her far more than she would ever love him. That pressure might have been pushing her to betray him, to keep someone else waiting as a backup in case things fell apart.
Maybe Jack was that backup plan. And the way she had kept both of them tied to her, I could tell Jack would take her back easily, even after she told him to his face that he wasn’t her priority, only because Joshua had been standing beside her.
The reality was different. She loved Jack more than Joshua. But that didn’t mean she would do anything for him either.
"Tell me, Suki, do you even still love me?" Joshua asked her the tough question that could change everything. We weren’t in a state to handle another outburst from one of the Crusaders.