Page 195 of I Never Stopped Loving You

More blood flows from my mouth as I try to steady my breathing. I grab my phone and type out a message one-handed to Jeremy.

Noah

He’s loose. Stabbed me. Save Willow.

Sending…

I watch the phone, waiting for it to say delivered, but it stays on sending for far too long.

Noah

He’s loose. Stabbed me. Save Willow.

Failed.

No, please. Fuck! I need this to send.

“Fuck,” I curse as I glance toward the other path leading to the stairs.

If I can just get closer, maybe I’ll be able to get enough signal to send the message. Gritting my teeth, I slowly roll to my side. Keeping one hand on the knife handle, I tuck the phone in my pocket and brace my other hand on the ground to gently push to my feet. My head is still spinning. Between the concussion and then getting smacked in the side of the head by a fucking chair, it’s not going well.

I stumble and the knife shifts causing another wave of nausea to roll through me. If I throw up again, I’m going to bleed out. I need to get to the steps to send this message. I need Jeremy to save her.

“Run, Little Rabbit.”

I can hear him calling for her deeper in the maze. His taunting is only pushing me to go faster, but I can feel my legs growing weaker by the second. I’m so close. Just a little…Fuck! My knees shake, and I barely catch myself on the wall before I fall to my knees on the damp concrete floor. I pull back out my phone and pray there’s someone up there looking down on me. I may have my demons, but she doesn’t. She’s good. She’s so fucking good. Even when given the chance to kill the man who destroyed her world, she still couldn’t. She doesn’t deserve to die.

“Run…Run…Run…”

I click send again and watch.

Noah

He’s loose. Stabbed me. Save Willow.

Sending…

I hold my breath until the message says delivered, but then I hear her scream from somewhere deep in the labyrinth. My heart clenches at the sound. I can’t save her. I can’t fucking save her. I’ve failed her again.

Noah

He’s loose. Stabbed me. Save Willow.

Read

Jeremy

…

The three dots start to appear on the screen as darkness drifts in along the edges of my vision. My hands tremble dropping the phone as I sink to the floor.

My body feels cold. I know I’ve lost too much blood. Even if he didn’t hit any major veins, I think he punctured an organ or two. He had to have with how deep the knife is in me. I can’t pull it out, or I’ll for sure die instantly.

I lie on my back as close to the wall as possible. If Jeremy does make it in time, or if Willow ends up coming down this path, I don’t want them to trip over my body. The dimmer white lights are on, but if he’s chasing her, she might not be watching where she’s going.

“Willow?” his voice sings in the distance.

*Ding*