“I love you, too. I’m so sorry, Aidan.”
“How are you certain? About us dying.”
“It’s how they got us back, poisoning the wound,” she explained. “If we can’t be detained, we’ll be denied our freedom here. And now I have it, too… whatever it is.” She sighed stormily. “It’s all my fault. I see why you didn’t trust me undercover five years ago. I put too much confidence in the doctor. He’s obviously working for his brother. Can you forgive me?”
“I’m not angry,” Aidan whispered. “I knew they wouldn’t let us live.”
“Do you still want to go home?”
“Yes, to Paloma Falls. I’d like to find a house… Just you and me.” He managed a weak smile.
“I want that, too. How many days away?”
“Just one more.”
Etcetera 
Elizabeth – sounds like this is part of something much larger? May I ask generally what structure it has? Novel/novella? Short story? Certainly has may interest.
Thank you, Trent! It’s an experiment of flash fiction chapters. I have parts I-IX on earlier blog posts from this month, and I think it will conclude in this form after part XV. The more I play with it both on the blog and in my mind, though, I think I may be looking at this November’s NaNoWriMo project. In that case, it would expend to 50,000 words and be a short novel. I might have discovered a good way for me to plot novels by this new experiment! Thanks again!
I’ve never done that NaNoWriMo thing – good luck with it. November is just around the corner but sounds like you have a head start on things.
You might enjoy NaNo if you write longer (50K) works. I always like a challenge. It will be my 11th such thing and in April next year my 12th will occur and I’ll have officially spent one full year of my life in writing marathons! What I like the most about them is letting go of inhibitions, perfectionism and the inner editor for those 30 days. What I don’t like is having three unfinished stories and one finished novel to finish and/or edit. That’s the state of my project load now. And November is coming, roll on project #4!
I do write longer but I doubt I’d have the time to do it… I like my shorts!
I like shorts, too! Longer pieces are challenges but fun in a different.