E L E C T R A|COMPLETED|

Chapter Fifty~Three The Aftermath

"Be still." She snapped. "Come, let's get you out of here." She wrapped her arm around me and proceeded to half drag/half carry my body away.
"Leave me!" I exclaimed again then ensued into a violent fit of coughing. Artemisia raised her hand placing her thumb over my temple. My eyes widened with when I realized what she was about to do.
"Don't you dar--" My words were drowned out when I felt the slight pressure on my temple followed by a wave of darkness that sent my body into pure nothingness.

~Electra~

Cold fingers gently raised my eyelids causing me to snap them shut when cruel light filtered in. I groaned and shifted in the bed I was laying in only to gasp in pain, my hand flying to my chest that ached fiercely.
"Easy now." Arty's soothing voice cooed. I opened my eyes and blinked back the rays of harsh light. There was nothing like waking up to someone who looked like a female reaper or witch hovering in front of your face.
"Close the damn curtains." My voice was scratchy and dry from sleep as I fought to keep the light from burning my sensitive pupils.
"A little light never hurt." Arty's voice hummed from where she sat beside me on my bed.
"You look like Morticia, I wouldn't be talking if I were you." I grumbled and pulled my body into a sitting position despite the pain in my chest. Braden's still body, Serenity's eyes, and the piece of iron protruding from her body all hit me at once causing a sour taste to fill my mouth. They were both gone for good now. Dead. I had grown attached to Braden and he just died. I--I grew to care for him, learned to love him and he just died. He left like everyone else.
"He's dead." I whispered and slumped back against the headboard. "Serenity as well. She--she killed him and I was so angry, so furious that I killed her." I felt Artemisia's eyes on me, however I couldn't bring myself to look at her. I didn't want to see the pity on her face, the sadness in her dark eyes. She and Serenity had been close friends as well before Artemisia got adopted and was set free. Artemisia was no doubt disappointed that I had killed someone who was once a very close friend of ours. She might even be angry, but whatever she felt was being held in at the moment for what I supposed would be for my benefit.
"I made arrangements for Serenity's burial, I thought to wait until you woke before I went through with it." Artemisia spoke up in a solemn tone.
"What about--what about Braden?" I asked and felt my heart clench when I spoke his name.
"I managed to pry him away from your bedside and force him to wash himself. The man's body odor was not doing you any good." Artemisia answered causing my head to snap up in her direction.
"What?" I barked out and immediately went into a coughing fit when my voice cracked from the dryness of my throat. Artemisia patted my back. "H--he's alive?" Hope bloomed inside of me.
"Yes." Artemisia answered with a nod of her head.
"He was dead. I saw him." He wasn't breathing. I didn't check to see if he was breathing, but I was certain he wasn't.
"Oh, he was winded and unconscious, but very much alive. He slept for an entire day while he healed then when he woke he wouldn't be moved from your bedside the entire five days that you've been out." Artemisia explained. "I finally managed to make him leave your side to wash the filth from his body. Five days? Alive? Braden? Alive?
"Where is he?" I sat up and moved to dangle my bare legs over the edge of the bed. "I want to see him." I couldn't believe he was alive. I had to see it with my own eyes. And, he was here? In my home? Willingly?
"Electra, your lungs just revived themselves. I don't think you should be getting out of bed." Artemisia scolded. I ignored her and placed my feet on the cold floor. I swayed due to the numbness in my legs due to not using them in days. Artemisia quickly gripped my arm to steady my body before I could collapse onto the floor.
"Let me go or I swear on all that is bad I will shave off your hair and give it as an offering to whatever gods you worship against." I threatened knowing how devoted she was to practicing her little 'magic spells' and whatever witch rituals she did.
"Just get back into your bed before your lung collapses. You're still weak." Artemisia ordered.
"Let me go, you witch!" I snapped and tried brushing her away from me as she tried to wrestle me back to the bed.
"What the f.uck? What's going on in here?" My entire body stiffened when I heard that familiar voice. His voice. It was Braden and he was very much alive. I slowly looked up finding him standing in front of the doorway. He wore a pair of denim jeans and a white t-shirt that clung to him like a second skin. His hair was still damp from his recent shower and I noticed that a slight stubble shadowed his jaw. Pools of blood collected under his eyes creating heavy bags that made him look older than he was. It was him though. Braden.
His eyes locked with mine and mine with his. Everything seemed to fade away until it was only us two. His Adam's Apple bobbed up and down, his face was wrought with so much emotion that it pained me to see it. His eyes gleamed with a dozen feelings and emotions.
"I will leave you two alone." Artemisia spoke up quietly and released my arm. My feet stayed rooted to the ground. I barely even noticed her slip out of the room because all I could see was Braden. I licked my dry lips.
"I thought--I thought you were dead." I rasped out. Braden took a step closer.
"Me too." His deep voice melted my insides.
"You uh--you came back." I sounded like a nervous pre-teen. He took another step closer.
"I woke up here and couldn't leave." His eyes didn't leave mine as he took another step closer.
"You don't have to stay. I know how you feel." He didn't want me and I couldn't blame him for it. I was a fool to think someone could care for me, want me. He took another step closer.
"Do you?" His heavy gaze penetrated my soul. The way he was looking at me made me feel uneasy. I couldn't trust myself around him. When he looked at me like he was doing now, I got all kinds of crazy ideas and feelings.
"You said it yourself. You couldn't do this. You couldn't do 'us'." I replied and he took another step closer leaving only a few feet in between us.
"I'm a f.ucking moron, Electra. It comes with the package." He took another step closer and his fresh, masculine scent wafted to my nose.
"You're not like me, you said it yourself. You don't want me, I'm no good. I'm a monster." I whispered. He took a step closer. Now, only a couple of feet separated us.
"We're too alike, that's the problem and I really f.ucking want you right now. When I'm with you, you're all I think about. When I'm not with you I want to be. As for not being good, who is? There's goodness in you, you just walk around acting like your some big, bad villain. And, a monster? You're defiantly one in bed." He took another step closer and I suddenly found it hard to breath now that we were just inches apart.
"You left." I murmered and tried to mask the pain I felt.
"Biggest mistake of my life." He took another step closer and successfully closed the gap between us so that our bodies were touching. My eyes looked up into his and his down into mine.
"I'm a bad person." I whispered, my voice quiet.
"Do you know what you did a few nights ago? Do you know the magnitude of what you did?" His warm hand moved to cup my cheek. The warmth from his calloused hand was felt throughout my entire body. "You saved thousands of people. Your men and that Victorian looking chick's guys wiped out all those lunatics. You saved people. You saved me." His thumb grazed my cheekbone.
"I'm the one who put you in danger in the first place." I pointed out.
"You always have to make yourself look bad and tough." His eyes flickered down to my lips.
"It comes with the package." I repeated his words from earlier and his lips curled up into a small smile. His face drew closer to mine, his lips anchoring then welding against mine. Our lips moved slowly against one another, his tongue grazing my bottom lip asking for entrance that I granted.
My hand gripped his bulging bicep as his hand moved from my face to tangle in my hair. His tongue grazed mine in a slow dance that wasn't driven by primal need, it was something worth taking our time with. I pulled away for air and kissed the corner of his mouth.
"Braden?" I whispered against his lips. He hummed in response."I think I like you a lot." I felt him smile against my lips.
"How much is a lot?" He asked and placed small kisses along my jawline.
"Too much." I replied.
"How much is too much?" He asked and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
"I love you, you giant pain in the ass." I snapped. He pulled back to look down into my eyes, a grin on his lips.
"That's my girl." He lowered his head once again and melted his lips against my own.

A/N: AFTER THE EPILOGUE I HAVE DECIDED TO DO A DEDICATION/SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF THE READERS WHO HAVE VOTED AND COMMENTED THROUGHOUT 'ELECTRA' AND WHO HAVE DRIVEN ME TO CONTINUE ON WITH THE STORY EVEN WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT CALLING QUITS. EVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T VOTED OR COMMENTED I GREATLY APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU TOOK TO READ MY STORY. I HOPE THE LAST CHAPTER WASN'T DISAPPOINTING; THE EPILOGUE WILL BE UP SOON. :)

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