On The Other Side

Chapter 16 - Reunion

GEORGE
—

"Wait..." faint voices pull me back to consciousness, their words fading in and out, "wake up..."

Someone is shaking me gently, but my eyes won't open and the sounds around me are distant. It feels almost heavenly like I'm lost in a dream where Clay is holding me close.

I remember that after Nick left, a man came in and started punching me.

I can only feel the things around me. The pain coursing through my whole neck and back is torturing and I can't hear anything.

I'm shaking from the pain. I feel my body being moved along the ground, and then hands cradle my head, gently resting it on something soft.

For the past week I've been sleeping on the cold concrete floor and just having something to lean my head onto feels heavenly.

Fingers start brushing through my hair and my heart races in fear, thinking it might be Pablo. My eyes jolt open and I see Clay looking down at me.

His eyes are full of tears, I can see the worry and regret in them. The skin around them is slightly swollen and a deep shade of red. Among them, the left eye stands out, its swelling evident and the color veering towards a daunting shade of purple, giving it an almost eerie appearance. Traces of dried blood cling to his hair and there is a cut on his cheekbone that seems to be not just fresh, but also infected, with redness and inflammation surrounding it. His neck displays a distinct purplish hue, possibly from someone choking him.

He is unrecognisable.

His eyes widen in disbelief and a small smile tugs at the corner of his lips. His hands wrap around me and he starts sobbing.

As the reality hits that I'm in Clay's embrace, I hug him back and start crying too. He's holding me so tightly that I can hardly breathe, but I don't mind. I just hold onto him even tighter.

"I'm so sorry, Georgie," he whispers, his voice choked with tears as he buries his head into the crook of my neck.

Even though the situation is very bad, I can't help but feel butterflies at the nickname. I've never felt like this before.

I shake my head and place my hand on the back of his head. "Don't worry, Clay. We're going to make it through this," I reassure him, and we pull apart.

Clay cups my face and lets out a big sigh. "I'm so relieved you're okay," he whispers, pressing his forehead against mine and still holding onto my face.

I'm far from okay, but I understand what he means. It's strange to experience someone caring for me like Clay does. I've never had that before. Even when my dad was alive, I've never felt as safe as I do in Clay's arms.

A small smile forms on my lips, and I nod as another tear trickles down my cheek. "I thought you were dead," I whisper back.

He shakes his head and pulls me into a tight hug. His hand starts to gently rub my back, offering comfort in his touch. In this moment, the circumstances don't matter. All that matters is that Clay is alive and here with me.

"We have to go, guys!" Nick's urgent voice breaks through our moment. I turn to him, realizing that we need to focus on escaping now.

Our gazes meet, Clay's eyes locking onto mine. "We can do this," he asserts with a nod, reaching for both of my hands in a reassuring grip.

We both get up and walk to Nick, who explains to us the following plan to escape.

—