I don't care who's watching, I just care that she doesn't open her eyes.
I press her against me, not as a possession. Like fear.
Real fear.
"Clara, please."
And this time it's not pride, it's not competition.
It is terror of losing her without even having had the opportunity to really try.
"Clara!"
I hold her with both hands before her body touches the ground. Its weight falls on me without resistance. Too light. Too inert.
Her head rests against my arm and for a second the world becomes a distant hum.
No... No, not now.
I pick her up without thinking about it. One arm under her knees, the other around her back. Her perfume is still there... but it is no longer seductive. Now it is distressing.
"Call an ambulance," I hear someone say.
"No," I answer firmly. "My car is here."
F
