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“He SHOT you?!” Christina shouted.
Orel sat next to her, on a splintered tree stump in the woods near Inspiration Point. His gaze fell to the ground. It was mid-day, when the area was less crowded with distracting sounds of rocking cars and teenage voices joined in enthusiastic Hallelujah. Normally the more tranquil sounds of the wind rustling the trees and the distant tweet of the birds would put Christina at peace. Now all it did was emphasize how quiet they had both become, after Orel’s story was done.
Orel’s cast dangled over the stump. Christina looked away when she realized she’d been staring.
”That’s so …” Christina exhaled. “I don’t know what to say.”
”… yeah,” Orel said. He slumped over, seeming so heavy with the weight of ... well, everything.. Christina’s stomach churned. She had never seen him like this. The glimmer she adored seeing in his eyes just wasn’t there.
Her chest tightened. She ran a hand through her hair.
Remember to breathe, she told herself. Breathe. 1, 2, 3 ... Jesus gave his life for me...
”Are you okay?” Orel asked.
“What? Orel no—“ Her breathing now normal, she reached over, hand resting on his. “Please, don’t worry about me. Are you okay?”
Orel paused.
”I mean …” He chuckled humorlessly, not looking Christina in the eye. “I’ve … felt better.”
Another silence. Christina found herself missing the noisy atmosphere this place had at night.
”… does it hurt?” She asked.
”Not as much as it did. So—so long as I don’t put pressure on it.” Orel stared off in the middle distance. “I guess I’m lucky to be alive. Especially after dad passed out for the whole day after.”
”And… wait, it was a whole day before you got to a doctor?!”
“Technically a day and a half, he didn’t wake up till like noon.”
Orel looked over at Christina. Christina wasn’t quite sure what look was on her face was, but whatever it was, it made Orel’s eyes widen.
”H-hey don’t worry.” Orel forced a smile and rested a hand on her knee. “I turned out fine. I’m okay. You know ... it could have been wors—“
”Don’t say that!” Christina blurted out.
Orel flinched.
Christina grimaced, sinking her head into her shoulders. Her stomach felt as if an invisible hand were holding it in a vice grip..
”I’m sorry,” she said when her breath steadied. “I just … I don’t want to think about… about how worse it could have been.”
”Oh... yeah.” He sighed. “Guess I’m kinda numb to it.”
There was a brief pause. Not wanting to stand another oppressive silence, Christina spoke.
“I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”
”I know,” Orel said.
”No I mean really. You didn’t.”
Orel inhaled, finally able to meet Christina’s eyes again.
”… thank you.”
Christina straightened up. She was quiet, turning over everything Orel had told her in her head. Her gaze hardened.
”It should have been your dad,” Christina said, with a harshness that surprised her.
Orel turned to her, mouth aghast.
”Christina! You shouldn’t say that!” He said.
She locked eyes with him. She hardly recognized her own voice when she replied.
“Why?”
”There’s plenty of reasons!” Orel said, bringing his hands up. There was a long pause. “Uhhh ... I’m ... sure one of them will come to me in a second ...”.
Christina folded her arms.
“You didn’t do anything to deserve it,” she said. “And you were the one who got hurt.” Her voice lost its harshness and just got quiet. “It’s not fair.”
”It …” Orel’s words faltered. “Okay. Maybe you’re right. But I still don’t want you to say that.”
“But why!”
“Because … because you’re a good, pure person.” Orel’s eyes drifted, searching for the words. “And … I guess … I don’t want what happened to take anything else precious from anyone else.” His eyes finally settled back on the ground. “Especially not you.”
Christina’s mouth hung open, her vision stinging but no tears coming.
”Orel …”
She laid her hand atop his. She bit her lip.
”Orel,” she said. “Do ... you want a hug?”
Orel looked back up, eyes wide.
”Christina, we’re not married!”
”I don’t care!”
Orel gulped. “… maybe.”
Without a second thought, Christina swung her arms around him, squeezing as tightly as she could.
He let out a long, relieved sigh. She felt his muscles relax in her arms.
”I’m not hurting you, am I?” She asked. “Your leg is fine?”
”Yeah.” Orel paused. “Well actually it’s kinda excruciating but...” He let out a pained chuckle. “Maybe don’t stop?”
“Okay.”
They stayed like that for a long time. Orel rested his head on her shoulder. Though Christina couldn’t see his face, she thought she could hear faint sniffles in her ear. She opened her mouth to ask if he was crying, before letting the words die in her throat and simply resting her head on his shoulder as well.