I'll never forget you, my love. These were the last words I heard her speak to me before her heart gave out. I was alone in the world now.
I banged my hands against the brick wall of a building nearby and welcomed the sting in my palms. The pain fogged memories of her, but for only a short while. Her laugh, which she always thought was too loud and embarrassing. Her smile that stopped my heart. The sheer beauty of her, which dimmed the sunlight. She was my angel, my only love. And now she was gone. All because of me.
You know that isn't true. Yes, I knew. There had been something wrong with Cate's heart from the moment she was born. It wasn't my fault. It feels like it was.
That's only because you were with her. Also true. I had been in her apartment with her, holding her tightly, trying to keep her soul inside her body.
It didn't help that we had only been together for a short time before she died. I had loved her for years, but it wasn't until a week ago that she returned her passion.
Through all those years, I never told her just how much I loved her. I never told her how beautiful she was. I never told her that from the moment I saw her, I knew she was the one for me. I hit the wall of the building again, then cursed aloud at the pain. I began to walk along the sidewalk, not taking in any of the buildings around me.
Cate Isabella O'Reilly. Long, dark hair that came to her waist in beautiful, cascading waves of shadow. Eyes that resembled deep emerald stones. Lips as soft as rose petals, tinted light pink. Her nose and cheeks were dotted lightly with freckles, making her seem so vulnerable. I passed by empty shops and stores as I walked, her face clouding my vision, burned in memory. Each time I blinked I saw it there, etched in my mind.
Cate Isabella O'Reilly. The most beautiful creature that has ever existed. I sighed. Now she is just a memory, a fading hope in a dark world. I could feel the sting of tears threatening to well over in my eyes. I touched my cheek in the same place that she had just an hour ago, her last hour of life. I could still feel her lips against mine, whispering my name with her last breath.
And as I cried for her, it began to rain.
