Chapter 49 Words Need Not Spoken

• Marina
• Present
• The sounds of the ocean fade away. It’s becoming more difficult to smell the saltwater or feel the waves wash and burble at my feet. The dream dispels and the warm summer sunlight dissipates. My eyes open and I’m shrouded in darkness. I feel pressure around my hand and look down to see it’s clasped around someone else’s. My gaze travels up their arm until it lands on Julien. His eyes are closed and the once harsh lines of his face have softened in his slumber. His chest rises and falls rhythmically as he breathes silently. I take in his disheveled appearance and cringe. His once pristine white shirt and jeans are covered in blood; it’s in his hair, under his nails, on his face, and even on his shoes. His clothes are wrinkled and his hair looks like he’s been anxiously messing with it as some of it falls across his forehead. I want to smooth it down and stroke his face, but it hurts to move.