Just My Luck

Chapter 18

Time once again seemed to slow to a standstill.

"NO!" Isaac screamed, at the same time as I did.

Without a hint of hesitation, Isaac shoved Grayson out of the way.

What he wasn't expecting, however, was for the bullet to pierce his body instead.

Grayson's body fell to the ground, landing beside of his gun.

"ISAAC!" I screamed, tears of dread filling my eyes.

Grayson quickly picked up his own gun and fired a shot directly into Christopher's head, unaware that his best friend had just saved his life.

Christopher's body fell to the floor, his lifeless form oddly satisfying.

I rose to my feet, swaying as I tumbled over to them. I think I had sufficiently stopped the blood flow from my neck enough to move, but the world was still oddly in and out of focus.

But the only thing on my mind was getting to them as soon as possible.

"Isaac!" Grayson turned to him, beaming. I could tell he wanted to thank him for pushing him out of the way.

His grin slowly faded as he noticed the splash of blood staining his shirt. "Isaac?" he gasped, voice so soft I barely heard it. Panic blossomed across his face as he took everything in.

Grayson's gun clattered uselessly to the ground as his eyes grew blank.

I reached Isaac just as his legs gave out, but I wasn't strong enough to hold the both of us up. Together, we fell to the ground; my body broke most of his fall.

I had enough strength to sit up beside of him as Grayson finally snapped out of his trance and raced over to us, sliding on his knees to kneel to our level.

"Isaac!" he exclaimed, taking his body between his shaking hands. "What have you done?! Why did you do that?!" Grayson panicked, holding his head in his hands as tears flooded his vision.

Isaac choked on blood, coughing as he tried to speak. The bullet had inevitably pierced his chest.

Grayson didn't seem to notice the blood staining his clothes as he held his deteriorating body tightly in his grasp.

Isaac shakily rested his hand against Grayson's arm. "I-I lied," he wheezed, breathing hard to get the words out. His eyes were wild as they searched Grayson's.

"I know, Isaac; it's okay, I forgive you. You saved my life," Grayson hushed him, muffling his cries. "I understand why you worked with Christopher, and it's okay."

"N-No. I l-lied when I... when I s-said I didn't have any... any f-family," he choked, blood trickling down his chin. His own salty tears mixed in with the blood. He blinked rapidly, as if trying to remain conscious.

The tears spilled over Grayson's cheeks and onto Isaac's body, but he kept going.

"I-I always had... you. You are my family. I... I had to... protect you," Isaac whispered, his grip on Grayson loosening.

His breathing was unhealthily ragged now. Each wet breath tugged at my heart, feeling like a punch to the stomach. Tears fell down my cheeks as well, no matter how much I tried to stop them.

Grayson put pressure on his chest, desperately attempting to stop the bleeding, but it was too late. Isaac was losing too much blood, entirely too fast.

Grayson released a gut-wrenching sob. "You crazy bastard, you. This was all a plan to save me, wasn't it? This was your plan all along. You were never with him."

Isaac chuckled, the familiar sound harshly twisting my insides. He ended it with a cough, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he nodded. "I would... do anything for you. You're my brother. I d-didn't say it back in the car, but I-I love you t-too. You've always had my back. Now... it was time I had yours."

His attention turned to me, the girl who had stumbled into his life. "Take care of him for me," he whispered, eyelids drooping, a sad smile crossing his lips.

I gripped his hand, tears streaming down my cheeks as I nodded my head.

"He's... He's h-happier with you... than I've ever seen. What you two have got... don't ever... don't let it go." His voice was hushed now as his eyelids fluttered.

His eyes met Grayson's again as he said his final words, sending him a private message.

It felt wrong to intrude on their moment, but I was transfixed.

"Love gives us something worth fighting for. Don't ever forget that," he whispered, one final tear dripping down his face.

His voice faded away, eyes closing for what would be the last time.

Grayson shook him, despair etching across his entire body. "Isaac, no! Come on, hold on. We're going to get you out of here."

Isaac's body didn't move.

Grayson released a heartbroken sob. "No, you can't leave me. I'm not... I'm not ready," he cried, hunching over Isaac's motionless form. "Please don't go."

"Grayson," I whispered urgently.

As hard as this was for me to process, we needed to get out of here. I could hear sirens approaching in the background, no doubt having heard the gunshot. I also wasn't sure how much longer I could stay conscious.

"No, he's going to wake up, Adeline!" he yelled. "Come on, we just have to... We have to get him to a hospital," he snapped, clutching Isaac's body to his chest. "They'll fix this. It's all going to be okay," he murmured under his breath.

I don't think he realized that Isaac could no longer hear him. He rocked back and forth, whispering things under his breath.

"Grayson... It's over," my voice broke. I rested a hand on his shoulder, feeling them begin to shake underneath the gentle touch. "He's gone."

I was vaguely aware that he might have almost told me he loved me, but in this moment, all that mattered was getting all of us out of here before it was too late. We would address everything else later.

I looked up as Damien and a now present Lucas crouched with us. "Come on, mate. We have to go," Lucas whispered solemnly.

The sirens in the background grew uncomfortably closer.

"I'm not just going to leave him here," he snarled. "I-I can't. He's my best friend... my brother. I won't leave him here for the authorities to dispose of him. He deserves better." He was clutching onto him for dear life.

I have never seen a man look as broken as he did; I wouldn't wish this feeling upon even my worst enemy.

The small amount of irony wasn't lost on me. This all started because Christopher wanted revenge on Grayson for the death of his brother; he wanted him to know what it felt like. Turns out, he got his wish. Here Grayson was, experiencing just that.

Damien gently rested a hand to his other shoulder. "I'll take him," he breathed, tenderly prying him from Grayson's grasp. "But we have to go, now."

Grayson slowly nodded, allowing Damien to pick up Isaac's still body. The physical weight didn't seem to impact him at all, but I could see that the emotional toll was immense.

Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, but he was trying to hold it together for Grayson. His always fearless leader needed him to be the strong one right now.

Grayson still sat on his knees on the ground, looking at his bloody hands blankly as more tears streaked his cheeks.

I carefully took his hands in my own, tugging him to his feet. He folded his into mine willingly, and together, we made our way out of the building.

We may be leaving behind one victoriously dead body, but we were taking with us an earth-shattering one.