I couldn't stop moving.

No matter how hard I tried, sitting still in the hospital waiting room proved an impossible feat. My hands kept furling and unfurling, like they no longer knew what to do with themselves now that I didn't need a pair of scissors or a knife to keep me company. The balls of my feet bounced against the linoleum floor, ready to make a run for it if necessary. And every ten seconds I'd glance over my shoulder, scared as hell that Samantha had somehow followed us to St. Peters.

Was this how it was going to be from now on? Would I be trapped in this constant motion and fear that I wasn't actually safe—that it was all an illusion?

My eyes slipped shut. I was fine. I was safe. Samantha wasn't here. She was back at the warehouse, probably in handcuffs. She couldn't hurt me, Coden, Rosalie, or anyone else again. The rest of her life would be spent in orange and staring at cell walls.

But some part of me refused to be convinced. The movement and frantic search for any sign of Samantha continued. And the longer I sat there, the more nervous I became. You're out in the open, my mind whispered. She'll find you here.

My already searing headache grew even more intense. No. She won't. I'm safe. I'm safe.

"Excuse me?"

I jumped, gaze shooting upward to find Rosalie's mom, a caring woman with an equally kind-looking face, standing in front of me, her arms crossed loosely over her chest. The moment my eyes met hers, her arms fell to her sides. "Oh," I murmured, sitting straighter in my seat. "Ms. Parker. Hi."

Ms. Parker smiled and took the vacant seat next to mine, her hands folded in her lap. I looked down at my own, fisted hands. "Rosalie is in the bathroom," she told me. She brought a hand through some blond strands of hair and let out a sigh. "Can I get you anything?" she asked. "Some water, food—anything?"

I shook my head even though I wanted both of those things. "No thank you."

Ms. Parker nodded and fell silent, her eyes locked on the bathroom door. I wondered what was running through her mind, but I didn't ask. I just stared at the door with her, unbelievably happy that Rosalie had made it through the night alive.

My thoughts strayed to Coden, who was currently undergoing surgery on his leg. If it weren't for him, none of this would have been possible. Rosalie and I wouldn't have spoken to our families ever again. We'd have died tonight, like most of the others.

Like Valarie.

"I—" Ms. Parker swallowed. "I wanted to thank you." When my eyebrows creased, she hurried to elaborate. "For everything you've done for Rosalie. She told me that you and the boy in surgery—Coden, is that his name?" I nodded, and Ms. Parker did the same. "She told me you two watched over her and did your best to keep her safe. Thank you. I'll never be able to repay you for what you've done for us."

She grabbed me gingerly by the hand, her eyes boring into my own, like she was trying to convey just how much our protecting Rosalie meant to her. I smiled a small smile. "I'm just glad she's safe," I said truthfully. "I don't know what I would've done if she hadn't made it."

Ms. Parker's grip tightened. "I don't either," she said, releasing me from her hold and leaning back in her chair. "She's all I have. If anything ever—"

Suddenly the bathroom door opened and Rosalie appeared, her eyes flicking about her surroundings before landing on her mother and I. When she saw us, she smiled and scurried over to where we were sitting, her blond curls bouncing. "Serenity," she said as she reached us. She glanced over her shoulder before continuing what she had to say. "Do you think Coden will be out of surgery soon?"

I nodded, my lips pricking upward. "Really soon."

"And he'll be okay?"

My eyes searched Rosalie's face. I was suddenly of reminded of the question she'd asked me at the very beginning of the night, the question I hadn't been able to answer. Do you think we'll ever go home? In that moment, I hadn't been able to ease her fear. But now? "Yes," I said, lips tugging themselves higher. "He's going to be okay."

Rosalie beamed, and then she was hugging me, her arms wrapping tightly around me as she pressed her face into my shoulder. I didn't hesitate before returning her embrace. As I brought a hand affectionately through her hair, it occurred to me that this was the first time since the start of all of this that she'd hugged me not out of fear, but out of pure elation. Wow.

"I wish Valarie was here," Rosalie whispered, her happiness fading. I felt my own do the same. Valarie.

"I do too, Rose," I replied. "I do too."

Rosalie pulled away and eased into the seat next to her mother, hurrying to tell Ms. Parker about Valarie and what she'd done for us. As she spoke, my mind traveled back to those horrifying moments, and I watched, yet again, as Valarie tried to save our lives and ended up losing her own. It was then that I realized: The Browns had lost two children tonight. Not one, but two. Two.

Oh god. Had Valarie's and Emily's parents been told yet? Or were they still sitting at home, hoping, praying that their girls had somehow survived the night?

I was tempted to puke again—either from the thoughts in my head or the concussion Dan had given me—but I held it in, pressing my lips together and closing my eyes to battle with the oncoming sickness. But closing my eyes only made things worse, because now I could see Valarie's and Emily's bodies lying lifeless on the floor of the warehouse we'd left them in.

"Serenity!"

My eyes flew open.

Running toward me and completely ignoring the exasperated looks of everyone else as they plowed through were Skylar, Angie, and Tommy. All thoughts of what happened that night flew from my mind as I sprang from my seat and sprinted to meet them, the tears I'd been refusing to shed all night slipping down my cheeks. But these weren't sorrowful or terrified tears. They were happy. So damn happy.

They were here. They were here!

We collided hard, but none of us cared. I can't say for sure whose arms were whose, and I had a really hard time wrapping my arms around all three of them, but I don't think I'd ever been happier than I was in that moment. Because I was with the family I never thought I'd see again. Nothing gets better than that.

Eventually we untangled ourselves, and I hugged each of my siblings individually. "I'm so happy to see you," I breathed as I released Tommy from my hold and reached for Angie, who, for once, did not object to human contact. Her arms wound so tightly around me it hurt, but I didn't complain, just hugged her back as hard as I could. "All of you."

"I think that is the understatement of the century," Skylar mused as he switched places with Angie and enfolded me in his arms. I laughed softly at his response. It was true, of course. No words would ever be enough to describe what I was feeling at that very moment. How could I possibly hope to find any?

After a moment or two of embracing my brother for the second time, I pulled away and folded my arms over my chest, eyes flicking about in all directions. "Where are Mom and—?"

My question died in my throat as my mom and dad rounded the corner. The expressions on their faces were enough to have me in tears all over again, and suddenly I was running through the hospital for the second time that night, ignoring everyone else as I made a mad dash for my parents. "Mom!" I cried. "Dad!"

My mom spotted me and burst into tears, hurrying forward to meet me as I closed the distance between us. As we embraced, I cried along with her, face pressed into her shoulder blade. I could hear her murmuring my name, and I tightened my hold.

A moment later, my dad joined in, and then, like with my siblings, we were in a group hug, tears mingling with ecstatic and relieved greetings.

After giving my dad a hug of his own, I put on a smile. "I'm sorry I'm out past curfew," I said. "I'm not going to be grounded, am I?"

God, it felt so good to make a joke. Even if it was a lame one like that.

My mom laughed and put her arm around my shoulders, tugging me toward her as we headed back to the waiting room. "If grounded means hot chocolate and a family game night, then yes, you are totally grounded."

I grinned.

"We need to speak to your doctor, but after that we can go home," my dad said as we reached the waiting room. "It shouldn't take too long."

"I need to stay until Coden gets out of surgery," I replied. It wasn't a request, and from the glance my parents shared, I knew they understood that. I wasn't leaving until I saw Coden again and his parents arrived. I wouldn't leave him alone in this place, even if he was under the protection of the hospital. If the situation were reversed, he would have waited for me.

My mom and dad paused before nodding. "Okay, honey," my mom said.

I smiled. "Thank you."

○

A moment later, my dad left to fetch the doctor, my mom struck a conversation with Ms. Parker, and I collapsed into my seat and remembered that I had a headache. I ignored it, however, while I introduced Rosalie to Skylar, Angie, and Tommy. Now wasn't the time for a headache. It just wasn't.

No one asked Rosalie and I for details about what we went through, though it was obvious that the temptation was there. I was thankful they didn't. I didn't want to talk about it—any of it. I didn't want to talk about the fact that I'd killed someone tonight and helped kill another. I didn't want to talk about the death and bloodshed I'd witnessed. I didn't want to talk about the suffocating and never-ending fear. I wanted to enjoy the fact that I was back with my family, safe and sound.

And, excluding the feverish search for Samantha and the images of Valarie, I was able to do just that.

"Mommy, where's Coden?"

I glanced up from my game of rock-paper-scissors with Tommy and over at a mother, a father, and two little children as they entered the waiting area. Coden's family.

"We'll be able to see him soon, honey," his mom said, the anxiety clear on her face. As she spoke, she steered everyone toward the front desk, directing her attention to the woman seated there. "Hi," she murmured. "My son, Coden Dhodary, is in surgery."

"Ren?" Tommy said.

I looked over at my brother and ruffled his hair. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Without waiting for an answer, I stood up and made my way over to the Dhodary family. I wasn't really sure what I was going to say to them, but I knew I had to say something. Their son was the reason I was standing here right now. He was the reason why I stayed sane throughout the night instead of losing myself to the fear.

"Mrs. Dhodary?"

Coden's family turned to face me, and I swallowed.

"Yes?" Coden's mom asked. She had Coden's eyes, I realized.

"I—" I swallowed again. "I was with him—Coden."

For a moment, his mom didn't say anything as her eyes widened and her lips parted with surprise. Uncomfortable with the stare, I glanced at his dad and saw that his expression was quite similar, except his mouth was closed. Only his little brother and sister didn't seem to register what my words meant, because they were too focused on trying to jump while staying in the individual squares of the makeshift tiles on the floor.

"You were with him?" his mom finally whispered.

I nodded.

She was about to answer, but then the woman behind the front desk regained her attention, and I waited patiently while the woman gave Coden's parents some of the information they needed. They would have to wait for the doctor to know any gritty details about his injury, which they clearly hated but understood.

After finishing with the front desk, Coden's family and I headed over to where my and Rosalie's families were congregated. As the twins made a run for the children's play area, his mom and dad turned their attention to me.

"You were with him?" his mom repeated.

I nodded again. "Yes," I replied. "The entire night."

"And his injury—they said he was shot in the leg," his dad said, folding his arms over his chest. "How did he seem before he went into surgery? Was he all right, considering?"

There was a calmness about his father that reminded me of Coden's strength throughout the night. The two shared more than some of their looks, it appeared. "Yes," I replied. "He seemed to be all right, considering what happened to him." I smiled faintly. "He's really strong. In all honesty, without him, I'd be dead right now."

His parents were silent for a few moments as they absorbed the information I gave them. They didn't seem to know what to say, which was understandable. What did one say in this situation?

"What's your name?" Coden's mom asked eventually.

"Serenity."

Coden's mom smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Serenity."

She held out her hand. I shook it briefly before letting our hands fall. "It's nice to meet you, too," I said.

○

After my conversation with his parents, it wasn't long before Coden woke up in the recovery room. Only immediate family was allowed to visit him there, but his mom promised that Rosalie and I would be able to see him once they brought him up to his hospital room. His parents, like Rosalie's mom, were such kind people.

Now in the elevator on the way to Coden's room, my mom reached for my hand and squeezed. "Take as long as you need," she told me.

I squeezed back. "Thank you."

I didn't plan on staying more than a few minutes. Coden was probably exhausted, and he needed to enjoy his time with his own family. I just wanted to go in, thank him for everything, say my goodbyes, and then leave. That was all.

The elevator dinged and we all piled out, heading for the front desk so we could get Coden's room number. The man behind the desk smiled warmly at us as he told us the room number and asked all of us to sign in on the sign-in sheet. We did as we were asked, one after the other quickly jotting down our names and the time—6:43 AM—before standing back and waiting patiently for everyone else to finish. And then, after thanking the man, we left.

Rosalie walked beside me was we traveled down the hall, toward Coden's room. She didn't say anything, and neither did I, but we didn't have to.

We reached Coden's room and stepped inside. The first thing I noticed was that it wasn't a private room. He was sharing a room with a middle-aged man, who was fast asleep in the first available bed. I stepped past him as quietly as I could, making my way over to the other bed, where Coden's parents and his little twin siblings were gathered. His brother and sister were coloring in little activity booklets, their faces taut with concentration as they scribbled all over the pages.

My eyes shot over to the bed, and my lips pricked upward. "Hey," I said softly.

Coden looked over at me and returned my smile. "Hey."

"We'll be right over there if you need us, okay, honey?" his mom murmured. When Coden nodded, she kissed his forehead and grabbed onto her husband's hand, pulling him toward where Rosalie's and my families were waiting in other half of the room. The twins looked up, saw their parents leaving, and hurried to follow.

I moved to Coden's side and took one of his hands in mine. "How are you feeling?" I asked. It was a stupid question, I knew, but I had to ask it anyway.

"Okay, considering." Coden shrugged. "You?"

"Okay, considering," I replied, copying his words. I smiled again. "We made it."

Coden entwined our fingers and squeezed. "We did," he said. He glanced over at Rosalie, his lips lifting. "Hey, Rose."

Rosalie stepped closer to the bed, and, after a moment of hesitation, grabbed onto his free hand. "Hi," she murmured.

They said their goodbyes then, and I watched in silence as they did so, letting go of Coden's hand so he could give her a proper hug. Something about their embrace made tears prick at my eyes again. I don't know why. Maybe I was exhausted, maybe I was just too ecstatic for my own good, or maybe it was a combination of the two. I didn't care, though. All that mattered was that the three of us were here, together. Alive.

After Rosalie was done saying goodbye to Coden, it was my turn. I pulled her close, wondering how long it would take me to get used to not having her by my side. How long it would take to feel normal again after we all went our separate ways.

"Thank you," Rosalie whispered, clinging to me as tightly as she could. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you, too," I replied, pressing my lips into her hair before holding her out at arm's distance. "Be safe, okay?"

It seemed like such a stupid thing to say, but I couldn't take the words back now. Rosalie nodded, and I hugged her again before letting her go completely, watching as she hurried back to her mother's side. After a soft goodbye, she and her mom left, the door shutting behind them.

And then Rosalie was gone.

For a moment, I was tempted to go after her, a reflex. Not having Rosalie in my sight or knowing exactly where she was made me uneasy, but I pushed it down and returned my attention Coden. I knew he could tell what I was feeling, and I didn't have to ask to know that he felt the same way.

"Well, you need your rest so I won't keep you," I murmured, sidling back to his side and reaching for his hand again. As our fingers entangled, I used my free hand to push back a few stray strands of hair. "I just want to thank you—for everything. I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you."

"I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you, either," Coden said.

I scoffed. "Yes, you would be."

Coden shook his head. "No. Dan would have shot me again—and not in the leg."

All at once, I was back in the warehouse, watching as Coden fell to the ground, truly believing that I'd lost him. The horror built up inside me again, threatening to overwhelm me, but I shoved the thought out of my head before it could. "Yeah, well, I still wanted to thank you," I muttered. "So thank you."

Coden's grip tightened in mine, like he could sense what I'd just been thinking. It's okay, his grip said. You're safe now. I squeezed back. "Thank you, too," he murmured. "I relied on you in there."

I hurried to mask my disbelief. He relied on me? It seemed so impossible. All night, it felt like he was the anchor, and without him we all would have been lost. I didn't understand how I could have been his anchor, when I was such a terrified mess. But we all needed something to ground us, to keep us sane, and I guess making sure I didn't lose it was his something.

After a moment of silence, I squeezed his hand again before letting go, spreading out my arms. Coden copied my movements, and then I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around him. Even now, after it was all over, his embrace felt like a shield, a form of protection. "Thank you for not dying on me," I whispered.

Coden tightened his grip. "Thank you for knowing how to drive."

I grinned and pulled away. "Truthfully, I haven't driven that often."

Coden's expression turned thoughtful. "Ah, that explains the nausea. I thought it was from the blood loss, but I guess it was from the swerving."

I tapped his shoulder playfully, not wanting to slap him when he already had a gun shot wound. He tried to hide it, but you could tell he was in pain. "Well, on that note, I guess I'll be going." I sighed, and the joking air evaporated. "Bye, Coden."

Coden gave my hand one last squeeze. "Bye, Serenity."

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his cheek. We shared one last smile before I pulled away completely, ready to head back to my family. I was about to do just that when Coden caught my wrist. "Hey, is that invitation to your birthday party still open?" he asked.

I almost laughed. "Of course," I told him. "I'll leave my number with your parents so you can call me for details, okay?"

Coden nodded. "Mango-Something nail polish, right?"

I grinned. "Yeah."

We said our goodbyes—again—and I walked over to where my and Coden's families were waiting. As promised, I jotted down my cell phone number and told his parents about Coden's invitation to my birthday party. I could tell they thought it was strange that I'd invited him to my birthday party while going through what we were going through, but they didn't say anything, and I didn't either.

After I handed them my number, I looked to my family. They all stared back, the relief, happiness, and exhaustion clear on all of their faces. I'm sure I reflected the same emotions, and as I continued to stand there, I realized just how tired I was. I wouldn't be getting much sleep, though. Because of the concussion, someone would have to wake me up every few hours to make sure I was okay.

"Are you ready?" my mom asked, her fingers brushing my arm. She smiled.

I glanced behind me before nodding. "Yeah."

My mom wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and I leaned into her, watching as my siblings and dad filed out of the room. My mom and I followed after them, and soon enough we were out in the parking lot and piling into the car, not caring that we were all crowded and uncomfortable.

And then we went home.