I climb into the empty bathtub and pull my knees up to my chest. The rest of his life.

I am about to take his life. He won't have the rest of his life to live because of me. He won't be able to finish his degree or get married and have kids. He won't be able to help his sister or his family anymore. He doesn't deserve this.

I close my eyes, but all I can see is the people that I've killed. It's just a huge pile of people, and Elijah is on top. His eyes are closed, his body is pale.

Dead.

Tears start pouring down my face. My body starts shaking and my heart starts to ache. It feels like someone has grabbed onto my heart and is squeezing it, making it unbearably painful and hard to breathe.

I try to be tough when I have to be, but I'm a soft person inside; I still watch romcoms and get stupid crushes on cute boys, I still feel pain and sadness and fear, I still care about people.

I don't want Elijah to die.

I don't want anyone else to die because of me. I just want this to all be over, but I know I will never be able to escape from Antonio.

Elijah is way more than just a target to me. Antonio knows this, but he is still making me do it. Maybe it's to torture me.

I was always there for Elijah, as he said, but he had always been there for me, too. Through thick and thin. He was my everything, too.

Maybe I could send money to his family because he won't be able to anymore. I wish I didn't care, but I do. They always treated me like I was family. I can't let them suffer.

After a while, Elijah knocks and then walks into the bathroom, probably because he can hear me crying.

"Bree, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," he whispers in a gentle tone. His words just make me cry harder. Stop being so nice!

He gets on his knees beside the bath. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please don't cry. I made tea for you, it's next to the bed. I'm really sorry."

"Tea?" He made tea? I look up at him. I probably look like I was hit by a bus.

He nods his head and then frowns. "Not that tea would help right now. I'm such an idiot. I kissed you and thought tea would make it better? What is wrong with me?"

He really kissed me. So it wasn't just an amazing dream in another world where I don't have to kill him tonight? Great.

"Elijah, come in here."

"In the bath?" he asks and I nod.

"One second." He gets up and comes back with a bunch of pillows and blankets. He makes it really comfortable and then climbs in.

His body is so close to mine that I have to turn sideways so we will fit. He puts one of the blankets over us and slides his arm under my head.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry I kissed you. I didn't think you'd... cry." He uses his thumb to wipe away the drying tears from my face.

I look up at him and then glance at his lips, thinking about the kiss all over again. It was the most amazing kiss in the world, but I can't tell him that. If I do, I'll have to explain why I am actually crying.

"That kiss was amazing, Elijah — yes, I'm saying Elijah, not Eli, to show you that your name is great. Just kidding it sucks." I smirk. Hopefully that'll change the subject.

He moves his arm out from under me and sits up, leaning on one arm, looking down at me. "What did you say? You really wanna go there again?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," I lean up on my elbow. "You can't do anything about it."

I fall down into the pillows and burst out laughing when he starts to tickle me. "No! I-I'm n-not... I'm not t-ticklish! Stop!" I wriggle around trying to move away from Elijah while my eyes start to water from laughing so hard.

"You can't lie to me. I've known you forever." He grins and continues to tickle me, and soon the laughter makes my stomach ache so I surrender.

"I'm sorry! You win. You win. P-Please."

He leans down, closer to my face. "So, tell me, Bree. What do you think of my name now?"

"It's amazing! Your name alone makes girls go crazy. It's the Nutella of names. You mom is a genius. I'm—"

"You really thought that kiss was amazing?" he whispers. I realize he isn't even listening to me; he's just staring at my lips.

I feel butterflies in my stomach, but I mentally slap myself.

I need to change the subject again. I lift my hand up to his head. "Is your head okay? I heard it slam against the floor. You'll be okay, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks for throwing me off the bed, by the way." His eyes narrow at me.

"Not my fault you're so weak," I taunt.

"Don't make me tickle you again."

"What? I didn't say anything. You're so strong!" I nod and squeeze his bicep for affect, but my eyes widen when I realize they're actually really big. "Wow, you're..." I squeeze it again, basically feeling him up in the bath tub, and a cocky grin forms on his face.

"You amazed by how big it is? I'm not surprised."

I gasp. "Elijah!" He laughs, that gorgeous, sexy laugh of his. I guess he's changed a lot in four years.

Suddenly, I yawn. It makes Elijah yawn, too. That makes me laugh, which makes him laugh, too.

Then I start laughing harder and soon we're both two idiots lying in a bathtub, laughing our asses off.

"Thank you, Bree," he whispers.

We lie normally again, with Elijah's arm under my head. I turn back on my side, close my eyes and put one of my legs over his thigh. He pulls me impossibly closer.

"For what?" I ask.

"You and Jamie are all I really have left," he explains.

My heart drops. "That's not true."

"It is. My other friends aren't real friends. My family has moved away. I'm so glad you're in my life again."

I stay silent. I really f*cking hate myself. More than I ever thought I could. I can't kill him. I can't do it.

What am I supposed to do? Even if I tell Antonio I won't kill Elijah and I get turned in to the cops, it won't save Elijah. Someone else will be sent to do the job.

I look up at Elijah, about to say something, but I realize he is sleeping.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

•<•>•

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