❝𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧❞

25 | Theodore Bernardi

Florence's P.O.V : 8 years later...

I adjusted to flowers slightly to the left, the same way I had been doing for many a decade. Except this time, it was different. For many years, I adjusted the flowers slightly to the left, and went my way. Today I speak.

For many minutes I stood, staring. It took me 20 years to say this, to tell him what happened. 20 years too long.

"Theodore,  June 12th." I paused, allowing myself to get together.

"My life depended on a small cut, that day. I remember the fear in your eyes as you saw that the bullets only grazed him, not one got through.".

I let myself drift to recollection...

The Don laughed strangely, even he was surprised at how his voice sounded, almost like without air. I still held my gun, now empty. I watched in horror and realization that I made a mistake. I fucked up. The bullets had no impact.

That was until he started turning blue, first at the neck and then his face. He started gagging, retching whatever he ate tonight. I picked up a bullet that fell to the ground, the tip of it was laced with some sort of venom. In this case deadly.

As the Don writhed on the floor, gasping and twitching. I finally understood.

I was free.

I turned around to Theo, and started to him, he picked me up and held me tight. His tears wet the top of my head, as he placed kisses onto my forehead, I could see the rest of my brothers coming to embrace me too.

That was until I was jerked away..

A gunshot rang out in the air.

I hit my head so hard, at first I thought it was me.  I looked over at my brothers who stood frozen, but they weren't looking at me.

They were looking at Theo.

The Don's dying wish was to kill me. But Theo, my brother saved me. Again, and again. Every moment I had my brothers, it slipped right between my fingers. 

Eternity isn't enough time for us. We never had enough time.

Still dazed by the bullet in between his head, and the fact that he saved me. It cost him is life, it cost everything. I looked at my siblings, Bentley, Spencer, Xavier, Finn, ever since I stumbled into their lives, I changed everything. I took everything. I ruined them. I looked at the only living remnant of my Ezra, Wren. 

I couldn't even save his father, I couldn't save Ezra. 

It's not coincidence. It wasn't misfortune. It was me.

I brought this upon them.

And it was I, in the end, who realized that it was all me.

-

"Theodore, June 12th." I said to his headstone.

"June 12th is the day you died."

a/n: ngl I started to tear up. this was actually my fav chapter as of now. it's not a particularly happy chapter, but it's a good piece of work. anyways the next few chapters are going to go back to normal time, not in the future. thanks for the love and support, make sure to vote!!

-love, cherry