Chapter 33
Ella:
And suddenly I felt nothing but the reverberation of my pulsing panicked heart roaring through me like thunder rupturing the sky. He smiled, bringing his index finger to his vile lips, tapping the window again with the tip of the gun, motioning for me to unlock and open the door quietly before settling the gun back on my face. My stomach squeezed, a ball of anxiety sitting heavily in its pit, growing, stretching, sprouting as quick as just a simple snap of your fingers.
Behind me, Olivia's voice shakes. "Who i-is that?"
I gulped, having no other choice but to lean forward and slowly unlock the door knowing my life was nothing to him and he could end it just like that. "That's Julian."
My mouth drops open at the condition of the person, and my heart hurts for them. What kind of present is this? Until he lifts his head and my whole world goes spiraling. And I'm choking, tears spilling, as I go to get up and sprint to him only to be shoved back down by my shoulders. He's almost unrecognizable.My Declan.I try to get back up again, lashing out at the guy keeping me from my Declan. But the man twists my arms behind my back and steps down on my heels immobilizing me. Declan wrestles too, even in his condition he tries to fight the guys holding him but he's as skinny as I've ever seen him, his forest eyes sunken in, and his cheeks hollow. He's so weak he almost looks sick. "Ellie." He yells, his voice is a brittle rasp as if he's been deprived of water for days. And the very sound ofhisvoice makes my heart sing and crack and
Chapter 34 Declan: Ella. My mom. Ella. My mom... JULIAN— Ella. I can't find the words to talk. Ellie's here. My mom's dead. Ellie's holding me up. My mom has a bullet in her head. People are yelling. There are so many people. Voices from all directions. It's making me dizzy. Ella's crying, I can feel her warm salty tears drip onto my dirt-drenched, blood-skidded skin. But I can't console her. I'm so tired. I'm so fucking tired. I can barely move, I feel so heavy. Like a barrel of boulders. Sleep, I want to sleep. My head is pounding, pulsating. And my eyes—my eyes are closing. They won't stop closing. I can't keep them open. I don't want to be here anymore. Something hurts. Everything hurts. And it won't go away, amplifying and expanding and evolving. Like a parasite or a disease.
AgapeAgape: noun. 1. The highest form of love. Selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love; persists no matter the circumstance.Chapter 1
Chapter 2Ella:My eyes are closed but I'm awake. I'm ready to sleep but my brain doesn't seem to want to shut off. Thought after thought circles around like a cycle wi
Chapter 3Declan:Have you ever met someone
Chapter 4Ella:How is it that people actua
Chapter 5Declan:
Chapter 6Declan:In the rain we stand, our