Hellbound With You

Abigail brought Alex’s hands to her face. She looked up at him intently and before she knew it, she brought his hands to her lips.

Alex froze in shock the instant he felt her soft lips land on the back of his hand. He was utterly dumbstruck. What was she doing? Kissing his hand like that?!

”Oh look, they stopped shaking!” she suddenly exclaimed, jolting the man back to reality. He looked at his hands and his eyes widened seeing that they had indeed stopped trembling. His lips could only part in disbelief. What was going on? How could just a simple peck like that stop his hands from trembling? This was ridiculous!

”You… do you have magic powers or something?” he muttered, looking at her in disbelief, causing Abi to chuckle.

”How I wish that was true. But maybe I do have a little when it comes to you?” she teased but deep within her she thought back to the many times she wished she had a super power or magic so she could magically cure herself, so she could magically live longer, so she could stay with him until she was grey and wrinkly.

Alex stared at his hands again, pulling it away from her to see if it would start trembling again but it didn’t. A half-smile subconsciously formed on his face. He didn’t know what was going on with him anymore. When he saw her lying on the ground last night, his world turned dark, so dark that he couldn’t breathe. Even though he was supposed to be used to this darkness, to this bleak loneliness, the moment he saw her lying there, seemingly lifeless, he lost himself and he trembled in… fear.

Fear. One of the feelings he had long forgotten or maybe one that he forcefully buried long ago had been awakened by her.

Abi caught his hand again before she pulled him and embraced him once more. It was then that a nurse entered. She saw that Abi had woken up and she left but then came back a few minutes later carrying a tray of food which was good for two. It seemed that Zeke had arranged everything before he left last night.

After setting up the food on the table, the nurse asked if they needed anything else. Abi shook her head and told the nurse that it was okay for her to leave. The nurse politely nodded and left the two alone.

Alex immediately sat on her bedside, facing her, before he quietly opened the small bowl of soup for her.

”Stop staring at me and pay attention to your food,” he said casually, not looking into her eyes. Abi was forced to tear her eyes off him and picked up her spoon. She scooped some of the soup and blew on it three times. But instead of putting it inside her mouth, she brought the spoon close to Alex’s lips.

A scowl instantly appeared on Alex’s face. ”You’re the one who’s injured here, Abigail,” he told her, clearly displeased.

”But you’re the one who doesn’t look alright,” she retorted and Alex looked at her in surprise. He fell silent for a while before he held her wrist, trying to move the spoon back towards her lips.

”I’m fine. I am just thinking about something.”

”What are you thinking about?”

”I’m thinking about what I should do with you.”

A short silence went by. Abi just stared at him in silence upon hearing his words. What he should do with her? What did he mean by that?

For some reason, Abi felt a little scared. She felt like whatever it was that he was thinking right now was not something she would want to happen. ’Don’t tell me he’s thinking about ending everything now…’ she suddenly thought and Abi felt her heart tremble.

”Abigail, you have to eat.” Alex took the spoon from her hand. He scooped up another spoonful, blew on it and held it close to her mouth. ”Eat.”

But Abi didn’t open her lips. She gripped her shirt tightly as she looked at him.

”Y-you’re not thinking about breaking up with me now, right?” she told him, straightforwardly. Even though she felt so scared about his answer, she still asked.

Alex halted. Her question obviously surprised him. He dropped his hand and put the spoon back in the bowl.

”If that’s what I’m thinking of doing, would you agree?” he asked, his gaze intent.

Abigail shook her head. ”No. I won’t agree to it,” she replied without hesitation.

Alex lifted his hand and was about to caress her cheek but he halted midway and simply asked her, ”So you still want to stay with me? Even after all this?”

Abi caught his hand and placed it on her cheek. She looked him straight in the eyes and simply said, ”Yes.”

”Why? Why do you still want to stay with me despite everything that has happened to you because of me?”

His eyes were genuinely looking for an answer and Abi could see it. Why? She had asked herself those questions before. At first, she thought it was all because she was desperate to fulfil her wishes, but she soon realized it wasn’t all because of that. She had fallen in love with him, so deeply that she had started praying every night for a miracle to happen, because she wanted time to love him more. She wanted to love him forever but she would be happy even if it was just for 50 more years.

She didn’t know when her feelings started to develop. Was it the moment when he kissed her for the first time? Was it that day when he fulfilled many of her wishes at once? Was it when he became a props man during the play? Or was it when he met her family? Abi didn’t know exactly when it started, but the more she thought about all the things that she had experienced with him, her heart filled with so much love that she was afraid it would explode like a time bomb.

She wanted to tell him about this amazing feeling in her chest. She wanted to tell him how much she adored him, how much she loved him but...

What would happen once she said it?