This time, his head lifted slowly. His eyes were unfocused and bloodshot.
There was a bruise forming on his jaw that I hadn't noticed before. Someone must have hit him. Or maybe he'd hit something else besides the wall.
When his eyes finally found my face, they widened—then filled with tears.
"Is this real?" he whispered. His voice was broken. "Or am I dreaming again? Please... please tell me you're real."
My chest tightened. "I'm real, Cahir. I'm here."
"You came." A tear slipped down his cheek. "You actually came. Even after... even after everything I said. Even after I was so stupid and pushy and—"
"Shhh." I reached out and gently touched his shoulder. "It's okay. We can talk about it later."
"I'm sorry," he said again. "I'm so sorry for everything. I just—I've waited so long, and when you showed up, I thought maybe finally—" His voice broke completely.
"I know," I said, even though I didn't really understand. "But right now, let's just get you home, okay?"
