Creature (CENTURIES series: Book #7)

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• Fair warning: This chapter got cheesy, but there was no other way to write it. Just read, but if you're lactose intolerant like me, keep your puke bags ready •

I was sure I was hallucinating. The drugs had finally driven me insane and I was now imagining things that couldn't possibly be real.

That was, until he pulled down his mask and fell to his knees besides my bed, taking my hand, very corporeal. "Carly... no, no, w-what did they do to you?"

He ripped my restraints away furiously, quickly moving down to my feet and doing the same before he stood up and leaned in over me and cupped my face.

"I am so sorry," He whispered, shaking as I stared up at him speechlessly, seeing the water shimmering in his eyes. He brushed my hair away and held me like he thought I was going to slip through his fingers. "Carly, please forgive me."

I blinked slowly and felt the numbness leave my chest. It was like being pulled out of ice water. Heavily, it poured off me and released me; allowed me to breathe again.

He was really here.

"Charlie," I croaked, hating how faint and weak my voice sounded. I lifted my hand and touched his cheek, hearing him choke out a sound at the connection. "How are you... here?"

He shook his head. "It's a long story, and we don't have much time. Please, you have to forgive me. What they told you, it's not true. I didn't trick you. I didn't know about their plan, I swear, I knew as much as you did. I was there to learn, I was, Carly. Please believe me."

My whole body started trembling. Now that the numbness was fading, I could feel everything again. All my emotions I had pushed away, all the feelings I couldn't straighten out. As he spoke the words I somehow deep down knew were true, another burden left my chest and freed me. "I do." I didn't know how, but the truth shining in his eyes couldn't be faked. He was telling the truth.

He let out a haggard breath and then brushed my cheek. It was then I realized I was crying just like him. His purple irises were wet and glowing, but exuded so much love as they looked at me. But then his face fell.

"I did lie to you, though," He whispered. "I... I impregnated you, and I did it on purpose. I knew you were pregnant the moment it happened, but I didn't say anything. I was afraid you wouldn't survive. That's why I stayed so close to you the following days. I couldn't let you out of my sight. I had to make sure you survived... that you both did."

I looked up at him, confusion and shock clouding my mind. "W-why?" I knew he knew I wasn't asking why he kept me alive, but was questioning the other bit; the pregnancy part.

"Because I knew all along they were never going to let me out again when our time was up," He whispered, his voice breaking. My own heart did, too. He had known, just like me. "So I wanted to leave a piece of me there with you so you'd always have me and I'd always be with you when I was gone. I didn't know they'd find out. Didn't know they'd..." He looked down at my pin-cushion of a body and clenched his teeth. "I'm so sorry, Carly. I let this happen to you. That's why I asked you to forgive me; I knew what kind of people they were, I should've seen it coming. I just hoped you'd been long gone by the time you realized... and that you'd run away to safety and find the letter I left you."

"The... the letter?"

"I left you a letter inside the picture we took together, the one you got framed. I asked you to do that because I hoped you'd bring it along with you so one day the child could see it's father." He swiped my cheek again when another tear crept down it. "But then everything went crazy..."