Authors: Leighton Del Mia

Hero (38 page)

BOOK: Hero

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“Stop taking the injections. New Rhone is not your burden to carry.” Her hands lace in front of her breasts. “Choose me over the city. Choose us. Choose yourself.”

“I’ve been this way for over half my life. I don’t know what I am without it.”

“You’re just Calvin,” she says. “And I can only love you that way.”

I swallow as I try to find the words. “I’ve already stopped.”

“What?”

“I can’t be the man you deserve while I’m still Hero. I want to be better for you. I made the decision to stop a few weeks ago when I also decided I’d be coming for you.”

She attempts a smile, but her nose wrinkles as if she’s holding in tears. “What about New Rhone?”

“It’ll survive without me. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve been reducing my K-36 dosage each week, and I’ve stopped patrolling completely.”

“Oh, Calvin. What does Norman say?”

I try to hold her gaze, but I can’t. I have to turn around. “He tried to tell me I didn’t have to be this. He said if my parents were alive, they wouldn’t’ve let it get so far. He was right.” I pause to inhale. “You’re both right. My parents—I never even questioned the things they expected of me. I’m only beginning to see the danger in what they created, in how they played with a human life. But Norman always knew.”

“What is it?” she asks when I don’t continue.

“Norman passed away.”

“Calvin,” she whispers.

“I don’t think he ever saw me the same again after your time at the mansion. It was hard on him to watch. He’d never desert me though, so he died instead.”

Two arms slip around my waist as Cataline squeezes my back to her front. “You have to stop blaming yourself for everything,” she says quietly. “Norman loved you. I forgave you. He sees how you’re trying to be better, and he forgives you too.”

“You still believe,” I say. “Even though you’ve lost so much.”

She rubs a hand over my stomach. “Maybe I was sent to save you. Maybe it was God’s plan all along.”

Her words light chills over my skin. I’m a product of science; in my world, there’s no room for religion. But if God does exist, he’s not letting me anywhere near those pearly gates. Yet, here is Cataline, thinking I can be forgiven. I take her hands in mine, wrapping her arms more tightly around me. “
You
saving
me
,” I mutter, shaking my head. “It makes so much goddamn sense. There isn’t a person in this world who could save me but you.”

She jerks against me as she sniffles. “I’ve been alone my whole life,” she whispers.

“I’ve been there.”

“But not like you’re here now. Tell me you won’t leave. I want to love you, Calvin. Can I love you? Will you let me? I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

I want her to say she can’t live without me. That I’m the only one she ever wanted. But I’ll take what I can get, and not wanting to be alone is one way to love somebody. That’s not how I love her though. My existence depends on her like my next breath. I love her like I need her—like I won’t know anything without her.

I turn in her embrace and hold her close as she exorcises what lives inside of her. I don’t know if these tears are sad or happy, but I wipe them away dutifully.

My fingers rake through her hair as far as her tangles will allow. “You’re not alone,” I murmur. “I’m here now.”

She tries to pull away, but I secure her to me with little effort. She looks at my chest. “Where would we even start, Calvin?”

I wait until her blue-grey eyes return to mine, endless in the way they’re always searching for me. I smile. “Let’s start with breakfast.”

———

The End

———

From the author
: Thank you for reading
Hero
. Please consider reviewing the book on Amazon. In addition, if you continue to the last page of this book, you can rate
Hero
(and share that rating with others should you feel inclined). It means the universe to us self-published authors.

Wait—there’s more…

For me, as the author, this story ends with
Hero
. However, being a reader myself—I know what it’s like to want a little more.
Keep Me
is an
optional
novella available to those who want a glimpse of life after breakfast. It’s not essential to
Hero
’s plot in any way and is simply there for those curious about the continuation of Calvin & Cataline’s story. It is now available for purchase on Amazon.

If you enjoyed
Hero
, look for its follow-up novella

Keep Me
by Leighton Del Mia.

Now available on Amazon.

“I WILL DISAPPOINT YOU. I WILL HURT YOU.

IF I COULD BE DIFFERENT, I WOULD.

BUT I DON’T THINK I CAN.”

“Disarm” The Smashing Pumpkins

“Radioactive” Imagine Dragons

“Heavy in Your Arms” Florence + The Machine

“Hurt” Johnny Cash

“Paradise Circus” Massive Attack

“Bent” Matchbox Twenty

“Bring Me To Life” Evanescence

“Last Resort” Papa Roach

“Kryptonite” 3 Doors Down

“What You Are” Drill

“Closer” Nine Inch Nails

“Little Things” Bush

“Heart Shaped Box” Nirvana

“Mouth” Bush

“UR” DJ Tiesto

“Rapture” Mars Lasar

“Something I Can Never Have” Nine Inch Nails

“Dream On” Aerosmith

“Seven Devils” Florence + The Machine

“#1 Crush” Garbage

“Angel” Massive Attack

“Ava Adore” The Smashing Pumpkins

“Wonderwall” Ryan Adams

“Black Milk” Massive Attack

—see the full list on leightondelmia.com/playlist—

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Few people were involved in the creation of this book. This was a very special project to me, and so, it was difficult putting it into another person’s hands and asking for help.

To my team (below) and my betas: you should know I couldn’t have done this without you. I put a lot of trust in you, and I asked a lot, but each of you delivered.

My editor: Lisa Christman of Adept Edits.

My cover designer: Ari from Cover it! Designs

My cover photographers: Scott Hoover Photography (
Hero
) &
Alexander
Kharlamov
(
Keep Me
)

My promotional team at Love Between The Sheets

Thank you for making
Hero
real.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leighton Del Mia lives behind large sunglasses and under massive headphones. She can usually be found behind and under these things at any Starbucks on the West Coast, which is where she writes twisty books between sips of black coffee.

CONNECT WITH LEIGHTON

www.facebook.com/leightondelmia

www.leightondelmia.com/mailing-list

www.leightondelmia.com

http://www.twitter.com/leightondelmia

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