Page 31
And again.
And again.
Each crack of the metal slings blood across the dirt and covers us both.
His charming smile is gone.
His clever replies are silent.
He thought he knew me.
He thought he could predict how I would break.
He tried to make me believe I was his, but I never was. I never will be.
I keep swinging the tire iron down until he is utterly unrecognizable and the demons have finally gone quiet.
Dropping it to the ground, the world comes back into focus, and I hear Liam.
“Nora,” he chokes out. My head snaps to him, and I realize he’s alive. Barely, but alive.
I rush to his side, and he’s already lost so much blood. Tears are streaming down my face as I frantically try to make it stop.
“Lie with me, Nora. It’s okay,” he urges, his breathing shallow.
“You can’t die,” I whimper as I bring myself down to the dirt to lie next to him.
“Just lie with me, baby,” he says, weakly tugging me closer until I have my head laid on his chest. The gunshot is on the right side of his chest, so I gently place my hand over his heart. I can hardly feel it beating, and it hurts.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
Breaking up was supposed to save him.
“I’m so proud of you, Nora,” he says softly, moving his arm around my body to rest on my head. His fingers gently stroke my hair. Even though he’s dying, he’s still trying to comfort me. He’s still trying to save me from myself.
“I’m so sorry, Liam,” I cry.
“Shhh,” he says. “You did it, baby.”
“Did what?” I ask, trying to just focus on him. I can’t fall apart right now. Not when he needs me. Not when we both know this is the end.
“You asked for help,” he mutters. “Keep asking, baby. Promise me.”
“I promise,” I say quietly. “I promise, Liam. I’ll get help.”
“I love you so much, Nora,” he says, getting weaker.
“I love you, too, Liam,” I say, and I mean it. I fucking hate that it took me until now to accept it.
“Look at the clouds, baby. That’s where you’ll find us,” he says, his energy quickly fading away. “Alex and I… We always did say cradle to grave.”
“I’m right here, Liam,” I say, holding back tears. “I’ll be okay, Liam. I promise.”
“I know you will, baby,” he says, using the last of his strength to kiss my forehead. His fingers are still tangled in my hair, and my hand is over his heart. His hand is resting over mine, and I see the ring.
Back when we first started dating, we got each other a promise ring. It was our way of telling each other that it was him and me until the end. We’ve never taken it off, and it’s always been a part of me.
When I no longer feel his heart beating and his breathing has stopped, I carefully slip the ring off his finger. It doesn’t feel right to be separate from it. It’s the only piece of happiness I have left that Gabriel hasn’t destroyed.
