Chapter 58: Clinging to Each Other

By dusk, we reach a rugged canyon on the far side of the border, bodies bruised, ears still ringing. The smugglers set up a makeshift camp. Elena and I slump against a rock, shaken by the violence of the ambush. She trembles in my arms.

"Are you hurt?" I ask, voice raw.

She shakes her head, a tear slipping free. "No. Just… I'm so tired of running."

I cradle her, tension morphing into a protective desire. We both feel the brush with death, the near miss fueling a desperate need to affirm life. Her lips seek mine, urgent and clinging. My heart pounds as I taste salt from her tears. We break apart, foreheads touching, breath mingling.

"I won't let them take you," I rasp, fingers tangling in her hair. She nods, voice hitching. "Hold me," she pleads, and I do, ignoring the curious glances from Zach and Marta across the fire. Survival has forced us beyond shame.