Deadly Double Love

Deadly Double Love 42

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. We had one day, 24 hours, left to live. And then we’d be dead. I turned my head to look at Scott. He had his fist pressed to his mouth and he looked as if he might start crying. I’d never seen him like this before.

“Scott?” I whispered. “Are you okay?”

He shook his head as tears welled up in his eyes.

“Come here,” I said, tugging on his sleeve.

He fell onto my shoulder and cried. His whole body shook with his sobs. I ran my hands up and down his forearms, hoping it was comforting. Eventually he stopped crying and looked up at me.

“I don’t want to die,” Scott whispered. “I’m not ready.”

“I know,” I told him. “Me either.”

“I haven’t done anything yet,” he told me. “I didn’t get to do all of the things I wanted to do.”

He paused for a moment.

“I didn’t get to graduate high school or go to college or get married or have kids or get a tattoo or go to Europe,” he said. “I didn’t get to grow up.”

“I know,” I said. “We’re only sixteen; we didn’t get to do anything.”

“There’s so many people I won’t get to say goodbye to,” he whispered.

“There’s nothing we can do,” I replied. “We’re trapped.”

Scott made a sniffling noise as tears starting rolling down his face again.

“I’m just glad we’re together,” he said.

I smiled sadly at him.

“At least I got to do one of the things I’ve always hoped to do,” he said. “I got to fall in love with the most amazing girl in the world.”

I bit my lip, wanting to tell him that I loved him too. Because I did. I knew it now. But before I could, I started to cry too.

Scott laid down on the cold ground and I fell in place next to him. He intertwined his hands with mine and stared into my eyes.

I leaned in close to him and gently kissed him. He kissed me back, softly and hesitantly. I pulled back and ducked my head so it was resting against his chest.

And we just laid there, being together.

Scott fell asleep quickly, but I stayed awake. I thought about how this was my last night. My last time sleeping next to the boy I loved. My last time sleeping at all.

I closed my eyes, wanting to escape from my thoughts.

I listened to the steady rhythm of Scott’s heartbeat and eventually it lulled me to sleep.