He Left Me to Die. Now I'll Survive Without Him! novel · Chapter 21 of 24

Chapter 21: Outside the Wire

Lena's POV

I stopped his bleeding first.

I knelt in the frozen dirt, put a tourniquet above his wrist, and packed what was left of his hand.

I wasn't being kind.

I was a medic, and I wanted him alive for what came next.

"Thank you," Brent sobbed. "Thank you, Lena. I knew you wouldn't."

"Hold still."

When it was done, I stood.

It was past three in the morning.

The burning trucks had settled to red coals, and every survivor on the ridge had come out to the gate.

Nineteen from the bus, the mothers, the children, the trucker, Hank on his dozer, and Eli with his forearm wrapped in my gauze and his boy leaning on his leg.

Nobody spoke.

"Get up," I said to Brent.

He got up, swaying.

I walked him across the field to the cattle guard, with Eli on one side and Hank on the other.

The plow truck had been dragged out of the lane.

The gate stood open, and beyond it the county road ran dark and empty under the stars.

"Where are you taking me?" he whispered.

"Out."

"Lena, no. They're out there. The raiders. The dead."

"I know."

"You can't. You can't do that to a man."

I stopped at the cattle guard and turned to face him.

"On the third day," I said, "you drove my truck out of a gas station parking lot. I was holding the door. I had pulled you out of a horde, with my own hands, ninety seconds before."

← Chapter 20 · All chapters · Chapter 22 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend