The Prince

47

Alaina's pov

Shawn has been asleep for a few hours at least but I can't be sure exactly how long. He was right when he said that he was going to spike a fever, he was sweating and shivering at the same time. I woke him up momentarily and got him to take some meds to keep the fever down before he fell right back to sleep. I feel like I should wake him up, I'm getting worried.

"Shawn," I whisper and gently shake his uninjured shoulder. "Shawn, wake up."

"What?" He mutters his eyes still closed.

"I'm scared." I admit and he opens his eyes and props his body up on one arm.

"Me too." He says and looks at me. "Look about what I was saying earlier, I know you need time, but I want you to know that everything I said was one hundred percent the truth."

"I know."

"Good."

"Do you think your family is okay?" I ask him quietly a little afraid of the answer.

"I have to believe they are, thinking anything else just kills me." He says and gently rubs my back. I want to tell him to stop, but I also don't.

"How's your back?"

"Hurts a little. How long has it been since you changed the dressing?" He asks.

"Not too long, maybe an hour?"

"Okay, I think I'm going to take them off and stretch out a little." He says and gets up from beside me. He walks over to the shelves and grabs what looks like beef jerky. "Want some?"

"No thanks." I respond and keep my eyes on him as he sits down on the bed once again. "It's really hard for me."

He looks at me confused and I continue. "When things get hard, I run. It's what I always do. I ran away from my family when Nick and Aria died, I ran when things got hard between us. I run all the time. It's like that's how my brain is programmed and I have no control over it. I want to forgive you and completely forget what you did. But it's just sitting in my head and every time I think I about it I want to run further and further away. Which I hate. Because you and I both know I love you, it's undeniable. I love you so much it hurts. And I've been hurt so many times that every time it happens a little piece of me is taken away with that hurt. And I'm afraid that if I get hurt one more time I'll simply crumble away."

He stares at me and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "I can help put you back together, you just have to let me."

I lean my face into his hand and close my eyes. My brain says no but my heart says yes. Now I just have to choose which one to listen to.

***

"Alaina," Shawn says quietly which wakes me up. I open my eyes to see him standing right in front of me, with his finger shushing me. "somebody is at the entrance. I have no clue if they're on our side or not. Don't talk."

I nod my head and try not to move. Shawn picks up something hard from the ground for protection and we listen as we can hear subtle movement from outside. It sounds like they're trying to open the door.

I grab Shawn's hand and he squeezes it lightly to tell me it's going to be okay. The door swings open and bright light floods inside which disorientates is after being in the dark for so long.

"Your Highness," somebody says but we can't see who it is yet. "we've found them!"

I feel strong hands pulling me up off the bed and into the hallway. I turn to see Brian pulling me behind him which brings me immense comfort.