The day Christopher Johnson decided to kill me, I already knew what it was like to die. I had already experienced it once. Having the life leeched from my body, blood stolen from my veins, oxygen pulled from my lungs.

When he decided to walk back into my life, I was in the middle of my third resurrection, healing from the loss of my brother when I was still raw from losing him.

It wasn't going well.

I guess the human heart can only stop so many times, can only take so much damage before it questions whether it's worth it to be revived. My heart is on its last leg, but even that can't stop me from seizing the chance to have him again.

Even if it's just for a little while.

Chris

Walking away from Mallory Kent is one of the hardest things I've ever done.

The devastation that marred her features that night still haunts me. Refusing to let me forget that the knife I plunged into her heart to protect her had pierced mine as well. Dogging my steps as walked through my miserable life without her.

Coming back had always been a part of the plan. Even as I gave in to the forces hellbent on tearing us apart, I knew we weren't done. I just didn't know we'd come back together like this: under a cloud of unexpected grief with the pain of our stolen future lingering just beneath the surface.

This time together was never supposed to happen. I hadn't accounted for it when I started working to clear a path back to her, but I'm thankful for it. For the opportunity to comfort her in a way no one else can. For the chance to hold her until the demons in my life force me to walk away again.