Page 233 of Arrow
Silence fell again, broken only by the sound of my ragged breathing and Arrow’s labored gasps behind me.
“Harlowe.” Frank’s voice, urgent and commanding. “Are you hit?”
I couldn’t answer. Couldn’t move. Arrow’s arms were still locked around me, his weight growing heavier as his strength failed.
“No! Arrow—No!”
Arrow’s knees gave out completely. We went down together, his body curling around mine even as we hit the floor. I twisted in his arms, finally able to see him, and the sight stole my breath.
Blood. So much blood. It poured from at least four wounds in his back and side, pooling beneath us, soaking into my wedding night clothes. His face had gone gray, his eyes unfocused.
“Fuck—no, no, no,” I sobbed, my hands hovering over him, not knowing where to touch, where to press, how to stop the bleeding. “Oh, God. No! Baby, stay with me. Please stay with me.”
His hand—broken, mangled, but still trying—reached up to touch my face. His fingers left streaks of blood across my cheek.
“Worth it,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “You’re worth it.”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” I choked out, pressing my hands against the worst of the wounds, feeling his blood pulse hot and fast between my fingers. “Don’t you dare leave me. Not now. Not after everything.”
“Frank!” Orion was suddenly there, dropping to his knees beside us. “We need a medic! Now!”
Frank was already on his radio, barking orders, his face grim as he took in Arrow’s condition. “Ambulance is three minutes out. We need to stop the bleeding.”
“Orion, save him!” I shrieked.
Orion stripped off his jacket and pressed it against one of the wounds. I kept pressure on another, my hands shaking so badly I could barely maintain it.
Arrow’s pale eyes found mine, and in them I saw love, pain, and something that looked terrifyingly like goodbye.
“No,” I said fiercely, leaning down until my forehead touched his. “You don’t get to sacrifice yourself for me and then die. You don’t get to leave me alone in this world. You promised to protect me, Arrow. You promised.”
“Did,” he managed, a ghost of a smile touching his bloody lips. “Protect you.”
“Then keep protecting me,” I begged, tears streaming down my face to mix with his blood. “Stay alive. Fight. Please, Arrow. Please don’t leave me.”
His eyes started to drift closed.
“Arrow!” I screamed, my voice raw. “Arrow, look at me!”
They opened again, but barely. His breathing had become shallow, rattling in his chest.
“I love you,” I whispered desperately. “I love you so much. You can’t leave me. You can’t.”
“Love you,” he breathed, so quiet I almost didn’t hear it. “Always.”
His eyes closed again.
And this time, they didn’t open.
* Princess
* Daughter
* Princess
* Daughter
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