Last Christmas (Private 0.60)

almost... dead. His wet curls were matted against his gray, sweaty face. "I'm here. It's all right," she

whispered, as much to herself as to him, and started to work on the knot binding his wrists. It didn't budge.

"You're safe. I'm here to take care of you," she grunted, pulling futilely at the knot. She could have killed

herself for not thinking to bring a knife or scissors. His eyelids fluttered. "Take care of me?" he croaked.

"Of course." He would be so grateful to her for saving his life-for keeping their secret through all that-that

he would never leave her again. Everything would go back to normal, and they could be together. Just like

they'd planned. Just like he'd promised. "Go to hell," he moaned. The venom in his voice stung like a slap

across the face. Thomas had never spoken to her like that. Digging her nails into her palms, she reminded

herself that he was probably still drunk, or high. He didn't know what he was saying. He loved her, wanted to

be with her. She knew he did. She just had to make him remember. "Thomas, I just want to help." She

sounded weak. She hated sounding weak. She reached for the rope coiled around his wrists and tugged at the

knots. "I-" "Don't touch me," he said, his voice stronger this time. His blue eyes bore into hers, full of

disgust. "You think I don't know it was you who tied me up like this? You think I didn't recognize your

voice?" "It wasn't me! It was Noelle! I couldn't stop her!" His image blurred in front of her as tears filled her

eyes. This couldn't be happening. After everything they'd been through together, it couldn't end like this. "I

would never hurt you. I love you," she said, her voice a barely audible whisper. "You love me too. You have

to." A salty tear slipped down her cheek.

"Or what?" he spat. His stare sliced through her like a steel blade. "What are you gonna do, Ariana? Kill me?"

A strange laugh slipped from his lips. "Like you killed-" "Stop it. You're drunk. You don't know what

you're saying. You're not thinking clearly." He shook his head, his desperate laugh still hanging in the air

between them. "The thing is," he croaked, "for once in my life, I actually am. Everything is clear now that I

have Reed in my-" "Don't you dare say that name," Ariana snapped, digging her nails into her arms. Hot

rage rose inside her. "She's not like us, and you know it. She's a nobody, Thomas. A nothing." "She's

everything!" Thomas yelled. He lunged forward, his chest heaving. "Don't you get it? She's everything

you're not, Ariana. I love her." "No, you love me!" Ariana screamed. "Everything I did, I did for you. For

us." "There is no us," Thomas spat. "No us?" she repeated dumbly, taking a step back and wincing at her

vulnerability. She fought to keep her voice steady. "Do you not love me?"

"Not anymore. Not after the things you did. The things we did." He was silent for a while. When he spoke

again, his voice was calm. "But I'm going to fix it," he said quietly. "Make it right. I have to." "What are you

saying?" Her throat felt tight, like she couldn't get enough air. How could he not love her anymore? He had