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“This is unbelievable,” Lucy mutters. Tim looks over at her, he wants to reach out for her but they are both chained up. “I can’t believe this is happening again.”
Again.
Tim’s heart sinks a little bit. This was happening to Lucy again, and he couldn’t do anything to prevent it or get her out of here.
Just like last time.
Caleb was right in front of him and he didn’t see it. Everett threatened him, told him he would regret it and he didn’t take it seriously.
This was his fault and as of right now he couldn’t do anything about it.
Just like last time.
“Tim?” Lucy’s voice pulls him out of his thoughts and he looks at her again. “At least we are together this time.”
“Not funny.” He mutters. He moves a little but the chains restrain him from moving any further. “I would rather you not be involved in this situation.”
“I know.” She says. “It’s not like we could have predicted this.”
“He told me I would regret it.” He says and he turns away from her. “I didn’t—”
“It’s not your fault Tim.” Lucy says gently. “You couldn’t have known.”
“But I did.” Tim says. “Everett is a dangerous person Lucy. He caught me at my most vulnerable. He made sure the most important person—”
“It’s still not your fault.” She says. “None of this is your fault.”
“Right.” Tim mutters. “Sure.” Lucy sighs and Tim moves again, the chains holding him in place.
“Let’s talk about something else.” She says after a few minutes. “How long did you have that ring?”
Tim lets out a laugh, and thinks of everything he went through to get the ring. “A few days. I’ve been planning it a lot longer.” He says.
“Yeah?”
“Everyone knew and everyone was getting in my business.” Tim says drily. “But Aaron, Angela and even Celina helped.”
“This was all going on behind my back?” Lucy asks sounding amused.
“That’s kind of the point isn’t it?” Tim says. “My mom and sister were the first to know.”
“Of course.”
“Grey gave me the idea about the beach.” Tim says.
“You hate the beach.” She says. Tim really hates the beach now but at the same time it’s where she said yes.
“I love you more than I hate the beach.” He says. “And it was good for a minute.”
“We should be celebrating—”
“I know baby.” Tim says. “I will get us out of here.”
“How will anyone know where we are?” Lucy asks. “How long have we been here?”
“I don’t know.” Tim says and it’s the truth. He’s usually good at keeping time but it’s like he’s lost all sense of time. “They will figure it out.”
“Just like you figured out where I was.” Lucy mutters. He looks over at her and she has her head down. Her sweater sleeves are pulled up and they are dirty but he can see her engagement ring. It’s a bit of a slimmer of hope, he’s going to marry her. They will get married.
He thinks of another ring, the moonstone ring that Lucy still has but doesn’t wear as often. It’s tucked into one of her jewelry boxes. Tim saw it when he was trying to figure out her ring size. He thinks of how she left that as a clue.
A clue to where she was.
Before he pulled her out.
Before she almost died.
“You dropped the ring.” He says. “You were the reason we found you.” Lucy hums softly, and she lifts her head to look at him.
“You never told me what happened.” She says. “You pulled me out.”
“I did.”
“So you saved my life?” Lucy asks. Tim blows out a breath, and he remembers doing CPR on her. He remembers all the looks on everyone’s faces but he wasn’t giving up.
It would be his fault if she died, just like if they didn’t get out of here…
“I did CPR.” He says. “You started breathing again.” Lucy studies him for a few minutes, like she’s trying to figure out what he’s thinking.
“So you saved my life.”
“I wouldn’t say—I mean I helped sure.” Tim says. “It was the least I could do.” Lucy frowns a little.
“What is that suppose to mean?”
“Well—”
“Caleb wasn’t your fault either Tim.” Lucy says. “Okay? None of it was your fault.”
Tim sighs and he wants nothing more to hold her. Feel her. She’s here but she’s a million miles away.
“I should have known.” He says. “I’m a cop.”
“So am I.” Lucy says. “There’s nothing either of us could have done. And you didn’t know Everett would actually get revenge.”
“If I—” Tim says. “I hate the beach. Why the beach?”
“I mean I think it was going to happen one way or another.” Lucy says. “They were following us and they knew.”
“Yeah.” Tim mutters. “I guess but if—”
“If you hadn’t saved me before—I wouldn’t be here.” Lucy says. Tim swallows hard, a lump in his throat growing. He doesn’t want to think of that. He hates thinking of that. He’s not sure where he would be if Lucy wasn’t here.
The guilt.
The guilt of her not being here and not being able to save her. It would be even worse now because he would lose the person he was suppose to spend the rest of his life with.
He can’t lose her.
He can’t lose them.
He dreamt of proposing to her, he dreamt of getting married and beginning a life with her.
He can’t lose that dream.
They need to get out of here.
“Tim.” Lucy voice once again draws him out of his thoughts. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For saving me once.” Lucy says. “I’m going to save you now.”
“Lucy.” Tim says because he wants to get out of here. He wants to hold her.
“One more thing,” Lucy says and she turns to look at him. “I love you.” The lump in Tim’s throat disappears a little.
“I love you too.”
***
Lucy is the one who ends up getting them out. The first thing Tim does before anyone can even touch him is pull her into his arms. It’s the first contact he has had with her since they got kidnapped. He reached out for her hand, and then that was it.
Lucy is crying even if she is trying to hide it. He just holds her. Someone comes to take them to the plane.
Tim holds onto Lucy not willing to let her go. Lucy clings to him too and when Angela approaches them, Tim shakes his head.
No they aren’t ready to talk.
Angela backs up but then others are approaching them. Lucy mutters something into his chest, he doesn’t know what she says but just gives her a kiss.
“Later.” He finally says his voice raspy. “We just need time.” Everyone backs up, they look concerned and confused. Tim just feels defeated as they make their way up the plane steps.
He looks at Lucy, and then around the plane.
They were safe.
He saved her once and now she saved him—them— and now they were going home.
Exactly where they need to be.
***
Lucy finally starts talking but only when she is moved to Tim’s room. She lays in his bed, and he doesn’t mind at all.
“This was hell.” Lucy says. She puts her hand on his chest, and he glances at the ring on her finger.
“It was.”
“It’s over.” Lucy says. Tim nods even though the emotional part is not over. He knows they are going to be dealing with a lot.
“Yes, it is.”
“We will celebrate our engagement right?” Lucy asks. Tim nods and leans over to kiss her.
“Absolutely.” He says. “Do you think Angela would let us get away with not celebrating?”
Lucy laughs and it sounds like music to his ears. “True.” She says. Tim nods and gives her a smile.
It’s going to be hard, but they would get through it.
They would get through it.
No matter what.
“It’s going to be okay.” He says. “We will be.. eventually.”
“Eventually.” She agrees.
Tim nods and maybe it’s not perfect but they would be okay.
They would be together, and eventually make it over this hill.
Together.
Like always.