"But you two were still in there at the time of blast, I saw you," She said, getting off him.

"I was terrified. I thought the plan fell through." She shivered, reminiscing the moment.

Keir ran a bruised hand through his tousled hair and gazed at the ceiling above them.

"It almost did and we almost got deep fried."

Selene scooted closer to him. "Everyone thought you were dead, I-I did too," She whispered the last words, scared to even utter them out.

He sighed as the events of the worst eight hours of his life flashed before his eyes.

"I thought I was dead too.."

Flashback

Haden's eyes followed Keir as he paced leisurely in the living room.

"Glaring at me won't kill me." Keir quipped, observing his Hawk like eyes on him for a while now.

"Aye! It won't." Haden grunted, "You want me dead as much as I want you."

Keir raised a cocky eyebrow at him, "You want me? Selene never mentioned you were into men."

Haden ignored his comment and let out a wry laugh, "Selene never mentioned she was into mere boys."

This stopped Keir from pacing and he turned to him with an impassive look.

"How can you be a serial killer when you aren't even a man?" Haden sniggered at him.

"Let me carve an art out of your face then we'll decide if I'm a killer or not." Keir challenged.

"Cut these ties off then! We'll see who's the real man! C'mon! Enough hiding behind Selene's skirts!" Haden shouted.

Keir's jaw ticked off. He stomped front and swiftly cut the binds around his legs. Haden waited for him to free his hands but he didn't.

Keir flashed a cynical smirk to him.

"Do you take me as a testosterone pumped fool? Sadly, your provoking words have no affect over me." He chuckled menacingly.

Haden grunted and stood up with his newly free legs. He started pacing as well, stretching his stiff legs.

Keir glanced at the clock and cursed internally. Only seven minutes were left before the blast goes off and mere minutes before NIA comes barging in.

"Why do you keep glancing at the clock?" Haden asked.

Keir ignored him and walked into the kitchen. Haden followed and observed as Keir turned off something that looked like a knob.

He lit a match stick and set the counter on fire. The fire flared up as the oil on the wood fueled it. Soon it started spreading all over.

"What the fuck is going on?" He asked in an alarmed tone.

Keir turned another knob on and glanced at him. "Your sweet lake house is gonna blow up." He muttered.

"What?!" Haden exclaimed. "Turn it off! Abort the plan!"

Keir rolled his eyes at him, "Fuck off!"

"Why the hell are you blowing it up?!" Haden roared.

"Would you keep it down?" Keir hissed, "I don't have time for your shit. Shut your fucking mouth and follow me."

Keir glanced one last time at the clock.

"Shit! Look what you've done. You distracted me! We were supposed to leave five minutes back."

"I'm not coming with you! Not until you tell me what's going on." Haden stood his ground.

"You want to get french fried? Not my problem." Keir seethed and walked to the balcony.

"Selene won't forgive you if you leave me here." Haden yelled in panic when Keir was getting ready to jump.

He ignored him and dangled his legs to the other side of the railing, ready to take a dive into the lake.

He halted and released an exasperated sigh. "Son of a swine!" He cursed and pulled himself back, running towards Haden.

"Can you swim?" He asked cutting off the binds around his wrists.

"What?" Haden asked in confusion but later answered. "Yes."

"Good. Let's go."

Keir dragged him to the balcony while Haden protested.

"But my house.." He trailed off, looking at it one last time.

"I'll build you a fucking castle if we're alive!"

With that Keir shoved him off the balcony and Haden landed right into the water.

Keir heard the timer beep, as the seconds counted down to zero.

"Fucking Hell!" He gritted and jumped off. The loud blast and the fire followed right after him.

It almost got to him, fortunately he plunged into the water saving himself from the fire.

As soon as he dived in, it became impossible for him to come up. The blasted lake house collapsed down, trapping him under the water, blocking him from resurfacing.

The wet ruins and cut glass clogged together piercing their way into his skin, pushing him further down the water.

He tried kicking them off but the lack of sufficient breath prior to the dive, made him weak. He could feel water slowly sneaking its way into him.

With one last kick to the burning planks he broke free and gasped filling his lungs with air again. But much water was already inside him, turning him weaker by minute.

He couldn't stay afloat, his legs felt like they would fall off.

A strong wave hit him from behind shoving him directly into the sharp planks.

His chest burned as his lungs constricted. His head felt like it could explode, everything hurt at that moment. When his body started to give up, he felt a sharp pull from one side. He let the force drag him away before his eyes shuttered off.

The next moment he opened his eyes, he came in face to face with Haden looming over his body.

Once the air went in, the water gushed out of his body. Keir gagged his guts out, feeling his stomach wretched. He was at least grateful for the strong dry ground beneath him.

Haden inhaled sharply and leaned tiredly onto the boulder behind him while Keir continued coughing and gagging out the leftover lake water.

"You're alive! I dreaded that I had to give you a mouth to mouth manoeuvre." Haden twisted his face in disgust.

Keir stopped coughing and copied a similar expression.

"I'd rather stay dead." He scorned.

"Oh? You can hear me? I thought the blast turned you deaf."

Keir grimaced, "Unfortunately, no."

He then looked at the sky, "What time is it?"

"4:30. You were in and out of your beauty sleep for hours."

"4.30?! Shit! Selene." Keir tried to get up but a shooting pain in his legs prevented him.

He heard Haden snort beside him.

"You just stared at me as I blacked in and out for hours? You must have quite enjoyed the view." Keir snided and groaned when the pain shot in again.

"What do you expect? Wake you up with a kiss, sleeping beauty?" Haden mocked, earning a glare from him.

"I should've just left you to burn."

"And I should've just left you to drown." Haden countered.

They glared at each other for minutes like two vengeful snakes. Haden was the first to break it. He gazed at now floating ruins of his lake house.

Keir noticed his longing look.

"Faking death. That was the plan." Keir broke the silence.

"I could've suggested something that didn't involve my house."

"Buy two more with your fucking money." Keir scoffed.

"My dad left it for me," He said, still gazing at the water.

Keir's face softened when he mentioned his father. Now it made sense why he made a big deal out of it. He almost felt bad for him. Almost.

"Maybe it's for the best," Haden spoke interrupting his thoughts, "He was a dick anyway." He grunted and got up with the help of the large boulder behind him.

Haden's injuries were less severe than Keir's. Nonetheless, the bleeding wound on his leg made it difficult for him to walk.

As he limped his way uphill, he paused and turned to Keir.

"We cared about each other," Haden said, out of the blue.

"I even loved her for the time being," He added.

Keir didn't understand why he all of a sudden decided to talk about Selene.

"I think she loves me too, which is why she won't let me die or get arrested." Haden looked distantly and smiled to himself.

He glanced at Keir, who watched him intently with dark angry eyes.

Keir's face relaxed in a swift and he placed a small smug smile, "If she loved you, she wouldn't have fallen for me."

Haden scoffed, "You think your love will be eternal? How long before you lose control over your urges and decide to kill again? What about your promises then?"

Haden smirked when Keir cast his eyes down, satisfied to burst his bubble.

"You know why she chose me and not you?" Keir spoke a moment later.

"I don't make promises that I can't keep, unlike you." Keir lifted his index finger as if counting it out.

He then lifted the next finger, "I respect her and let her know that she is precious and beautiful. Unlike you, who whores around."

He then lifted his ring finger, "I prioritise her over anything," He pressed the last word in emphasis. "Unlike you and your business." He added.

By the time Keir was done, Haden was fuming like a dragon. He didn't know how to respond as a comeback.

He stuttered in anger, "When you'll be gone from her life, let her know that I will always have-" Keir cut Haden off with a sardonic laugh.

"That won't be necessary. Just stand by your word and leave us alone."

Gritting his teeth, Haden gave a curt nod and limped up to the highway road.

Once he was alone, Keir exhaled and groaned feeling his body turn stiff as stone.

He splashed some water on his face and got up ignoring the pain in his back.

With a single hope of seeing Selene fueling his body, he made his way up. The tall trees and the wild bushes only made it harder for him to trek his way through. Once he crossed the thin forest trail and reached the road, exhaustion washed over him.

He crashed down on his knees at the side of the road. His heartbeat was feeble, he could feel his mouth dry up. His eyes were shuttering close just when he saw a car slowing down near him.

The blinding front lights made it impossible to look at the person getting down from the car.

"Oh my god! Keir! You are safe. Thank god!" He heard the person that pulled him up.

He would recognise that lady like voice anywhere. The same voice that belonged to the person who he disliked for her cheerful self but now he was more than grateful that it was her.

Shana helped him up to the back seat of her car. As soon as his head hit the soft leather, Keir crashed onto it.

Shana frantically looked around, confused as to what to do with him. Calling Selene didn't feel like the best idea, it would only cause her further stress and anxiety.

She then decided to wake him up.

"Keir? Keir! Wake up!"

He slowly opened his eyes and saw Shana handing him a bottle of water.

He grabbed it like the holy grail and gulped it down.

"Asp.. Aspirin." Keir mumbled.

She ran to fetch her bag and fumbled for the aspirin bottle that she always kept handy.

He swallowed two tablets at once and drank the remaining water.

"Take me home." Keir muttered once he felt coherent than before.

Shana walked to the driver seat and looked back, "Are you sure you don't wanna rest?"

He shook his head, "I need to see her."

She nodded and turned her car around, towards Downtown.

"How is she?" She heard Keir's raspy voice from the back seat.

Shana contemplated for a minute before answering, "Not good. She was in shock and was crying all the way home."

She deliberately left out the part where Selene drowned. They two had already enough to worry about today.

"And Haden?" Shana asked to break the awkward silence.

"He is fucking fine." Keir gritted.

Shana nodded and glanced at the radio, unsure if she should play some music. She glanced at Keir from the rear mirror. He looked deep in his thoughts, so she decided to continue the silence.

"Do you think I deserve her?" Keir asked her suddenly.

Shana's face painted shock then to sadness later neutral.

"Selene was.." Shana paused searching for the word, "Audacious. To the point that she willingly chose situations that were deadly."

Keir silently listened to her. He had a feeling that Shana won't give him a honeyed answer.

"Death never scared her, in fact she wanted it sometimes."

Keir's face contorted in confusion, learning a new piece of information about his love.

"But now.. everything scares her. She is scared that NIA will take you. She is scared that Reyes will be after you. She is scared that she'll lose you." Shana heaved a sigh.

"Even death scares her now. You've become her weakness, something that she never had." Shana shook her head, biting her lip.

Keir glanced away, guilt and shame washing over him.

"You are her weakness because she chose to let you in." She turned to look at him, "Happily." She smiled and turned front.

From the mirror she could see a small relieved smile curving up on his lips.

Her own face copied him as he gave her a grateful smile.

Soon they reached Selene's house. Keir carefully got out of the car and walked to her window.

"Thanks, Shana. You've been a really good friend to Selene." He smiled. "And to me." He widened his smile.

Shana grinned widely, "Anytime, killer." She gave him a salute, making him chuckle.

Keir limped his way to the door and was surprised when it wasn't locked.

As he walked to the bedroom, his heart clenched when he saw a crying Selene on the ground. She was sobbing into her arms, her body rolled up like a ball.

She looked broken and fragile. At that moment, he swore to protect her every day.

"Promise me you'd cry like that when I'm old and dying." He humoured.

--End of flashback--

Keir explained to Selene of what happened after she left. It was what can be called as a vague narration.

He deliberately left out the parts when he argued with Haden and discussed his insecurities with Shana.

He only mentioned that he got out of the house late because of Haden. Woke up after hours and was found by Shana on the road and she gave him a ride home.

"I'm just glad that you are safe." Selene heaved a sigh of relief.

"It's over, Sel. We are free," He said, running his fingers through her hair.

Selene looked at him with large twinkling eyes, "It's over." She mumbled, feeling the words sound foreign on her lips. "We are fucking free!" She laughed in joy.

He pulled her face close to him and gave a slow passionate kiss on her lips.

"What do you wanna do now?" He asked.

"Anything. Everything! Travel! Eat! Visit grandma!?" She widened her eyes in excitement.

"Let's leave tomorrow. Go away and never come back." He grinned and she bobbed her head in agreement.

She placed a elated smile, one that reached her eyes. He would do anything to make that smile permanent and that started with leaving this town.

"Pack your bags. We are leaving this fucking town." Keir got up, urging her to pack.

Selene beamed, "You don't have to tell me twice," She said before skipping excitedly like a kid going for vacation.

*****
Uggh! Finally some bliss and peace in their lives!

I know after all the shit they've been through, it looks skeptical but guys trust the author. It's fucking finally over!

Or is it? 😏

WHO THE HELL WILL WRITE AN EPILOGUE THEN? THAT'S RIGHT! I DO.

Don't skip the Epilogue for a last dose of Kelene!

Thank you for all the support you have given me till now. <3

Lots of knives and Keirs.

~AURORA ✍︎.