Healed By Love

CHAPTER 55

AUDELIA'S POV

"We are trapped." The words leave my mouth in a whisper, my heart racing while the roar of the multiple engines in the dead of the night continue to haunt me. The world outside whizzes by in a blur as Lorenzo manoeuvres the car, swerving to make it harder for them to take aim.

I take a quick glance to my side to see Lorenzo's eye dart to the rear-view mirror, assessing the deadly situation we have landed ourselves into due to our own foolishness. He glances at me, taking in my state and as his eyes return on the dark road, they darken and his face sets with resolve, determination shining in his whiskey eyes, directing the car towards the edge of the road where only trees are present.

"Get on my lap, now." His voice is firm yet the urgency is clear amidst the chaos.

Despite my confusion, I obey without question, getting up from my seat. His one hand wraps around my waist, leading me to his lap and I try my best not to block his vision while I straddle him.

Our eyes meet for a split second and I see the desperation in them along with the flash of doubt. "Do you trust me, Smeraldo?"

"With my entire life, Xaen." My response comes out without any hesitation, my hands wrapping around his neck tightly while his on my waist tightens in response.

"Hold on tight then." I do as he says, clutching onto him, his eyes darting to the mirror once again.

"I love you, Xaen." The words spill out of my mouth involuntarily. If we are going to die today, I want these to be my last words, him to be the last person I see and his embrace and warmth the last thing I feel.

"I love you too, Smeraldo."

"Together till the end." We both say simultaneously.

His next moves are just a blur to my eyes. With one hand around my waist, he uses the other one to open the door and propels us both out of the moving car. Just as we leave the car, it explodes. We both hold on to each other when the force of the explosion sends us flying further, the searing heat grazing our skin as the smell of burning rubber fills our nose.

We hit the mossy ground amidst the trees and plummet down a rocky slope. He hold me close to him and I bite down a yelp as we keep tumbling down, hitting various rocks and trees. Pain erupts in every part of my body, my skin tearing from impact with the rocks and wood around. Another sharp pain erupts in my head a second before everything turns black during the violent descent.

***

I stir from my haze, the sounds of birds chirping sounding near yet far to my ears at the same time, accompanied by a ringing noise. The smell of wet soil and grass envelopes me and I slowly open my eyes against the light only to shut them again at the pounding headache I feel.

Groaning, I reopen my eyes, everything around me blurry, trees separating and then joining together again only to repeat it. I try to move but fail and I nearly panic before my eyes falls on the black form under me, the feel of arms wrapped protectively around me registering.

Lorenzo.

Fear, sharp and cold slice past the daze I am trapped in, memories of last night flooding in. My vision clears and my breath hitches at Lorenzo's bruised face- dried blood at the forehead, cuts on his cheeks and a busted lip.

My body screams in pain as I remove his hands from around me, sitting up to get a better look at him. "Xaen?" My voice is hoarse while I try to wake his up, shaking him lightly, wary of the injuries he got from the tumble.