FALLING

I barely let her catch her breath before dragging her down the hall, my hands still gripping her firmly. She stumbled beside me, exhaustion written across her face, but there was a spark in her eyes—defiance, even after almost falling from the eighteenth floor.

Once inside her room, she finally let go and started unzipping her jacket. My eyes caught the faint bruises along her ribs and back as she pulled off her top.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, my stomach twisting. Four dark marks ran along her side—bruises from when she’d tried to pull herself up, and the fifth, unmistakable one, was the one I’d accidentally left when I’d caught her. My jaw tightened, a surge of guilt and anger hitting me at once.

“Mae,” I said, my voice low but sharp, and before she could respond, I scooped her up—her still trembling body heavy in my arms—and bolted toward the med bay.

“Brian! I—” she tried to protest, but I cut her off with a glare sharp enough to silence her.

“You’re not walking through this on your own. Not a chance,” I said. Every step was fueled by anger at the thought of her getting hurt and the guilt for the bruise I’d left on her. We burst into the med bay, Jerry looking up from a table of gadgets. “Whoa, what happened?” he asked, but the moment he saw her bruises, his expression darkened.

“She needs treatment. Now,” I snapped, setting her down carefully on the table. My hands lingered near her side, trembling slightly as the adrenaline drained, replaced by worry. “Fix her up. All of it.”

Jerry immediately got to work, and I hovered beside Mae, unable to stop running my fingers over the bruise I had caused. “I swear, Mae… this isn’t happening again. I won’t let it,” I murmured, my voice rough, barely audible, but full of promise.

She gave me a weak, tired smile, trying to mask the pain. “I know… I trust you,” she whispered, and even though her words were soft, they made my chest tighten.

I stayed there, beside her, every bruise a reminder of just how close I’d come to losing her—and how far I’d go to keep her safe.

I barely let her catch her breath before dragging her down the hall, my hands still gripping her firmly. She stumbled beside me, exhaustion written across her face, but there was a spark in her eyes—defiance, even after almost falling from the eighteenth floor.

Once inside her room, she finally let go and started unzipping her jacket. My eyes caught the faint bruises along her ribs and back as she pulled off her top.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, my stomach twisting. Four dark marks ran along her side—bruises from when she’d tried to pull herself up, and the fifth, unmistakable one, was the one I’d accidentally left when I’d caught her. My jaw tightened, a surge of guilt and anger hitting me at once.

“Mae,” I said, my voice low but sharp, and before she could respond, I scooped her up—her still trembling body heavy in my arms—and bolted toward the med bay.

“Brian! I—” she tried to protest, but I cut her off with a glare sharp enough to silence her.

“You’re not walking through this on your own. Not a chance,” I said. Every step was fueled by anger at the thought of her getting hurt and the guilt for the bruise I’d left on her.

We burst into the med bay, Jerry looking up from a table of gadgets. “Whoa, what happened?” he asked, but the moment he saw her bruises, his expression darkened.

“She needs treatment. Now,” I snapped, setting her down carefully on the table. My hands lingered near her side, trembling slightly as the adrenaline drained, replaced by worry. “Fix her up. All of it.”

Jerry immediately got to work, and I hovered beside Mae, unable to stop running my fingers over the bruise I had caused. “I swear, Mae… this isn’t happening again. I won’t let it,” I murmured, my voice rough, barely audible, but full of promise.

She gave me a weak, tired smile, trying to mask the pain. “I know… I trust you,” she whispered, and even though her words were soft, they made my chest tighten.

I stayed there, beside her, every bruise a reminder of just how close I’d come to losing her—and how far I’d go to keep her safe.