#Chapter 553: Waiting Game

Olivia “Wakey wakey, little mouse.” Before I could even collect my bearings of the strange and barren surroundings, a sharp kick to the backs of my knees sent me flying into the shallow pit. A pair of warm arms enveloped me, but did nothing to stop both of us from tumbling to the gritty soil. Gritting my teeth against a cry of pain, I lifted my gaze to see Nathan holding me. His dress shirt from the ball now hung in tatters, dark stains of sweat and what I feared was blood covering the fabric once-pristine fabric. And his face… oh god, his beautiful face was a battered mess of cuts and swollen bruises. What had they done to him? “Liv,” he croaked out, his voice cracking with a mixture of disbelief and bittersweet agony as our eyes met. In that moment, a dozen unspoken reassurances seemed to pass between us in a matter of seconds. Neither of us were alright, but we were alive and together—for now, at least. Before either of us could say anything else, I felt the air