Author's Note: This chapter might be a little upsetting for some readers. I don't want to say too much and give away the huge plot twist but it deals with the mention of a terminal illness and I know that can be upsetting for some people. So please don't read if that makes you uncomfortable.
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"I just can't believe you, Jennie!" You angrily shouted as you stood across the room from your girlfriend. "This is the third date recently that you're too busy to show up for. This one was extremely important! Why can't you understand that?"
"I told you already how sorry I am!" She shouted back at you. "I'm sorry, Y/N. Truly, I am. But we're almost done with the album. We have to get everything done. I just can't make it."
She put her bag over her shoulder with a sigh and a look of frustration on her face.
She's been insanely busy with the girls lately and anytime you arrange a date together, something always seems to go wrong or come up at the last second to keep her from being able to show up.
And this date was so important and you felt frustrated and scared.
Tonight, your date night was supposed to be here at home.
You cooked a lovely meal with a bunch of her favorite foods and you lit candles all over the room to set a romantic mood.
When she walked through the door, you greeted her with a kiss and a smile, only to realize that she was just here to take a quick shower after practice and to change before she headed over to the studio.
"I understand that you can't get out of your commitments all the time. I don't expect you to. I know you're busy most of the time, I knew that before I even began dating you. But I just miss you. Don't you miss me?"
"How could you even ask me that?" She scoffed. "You know, Y/N, sometimes you seriously get on my nerves! Asking me if I miss you? That's absurd! You know I do."
"Sometimes, I just worry, Jennie! I love you and sometimes I think that you just don't want to be with me. I understand you have a busy job but I need you around too! Things have been hard lately and... I need you,"
"Not everything is about you all the time!" She frustratingly said. "You say you understand me being so busy but it doesn't seem like you do when you ask me the stupidest questions and make me feel bad by saying you need me!"
"Stupid?" You scoffed. "Jennie, I just love you and I miss spending time with you. I don't need much, I just want an hour or two with you. It's really important to me."
"Maybe I don't want to spend time with you. Did you ever think of that?" She asked and your heart dropped in response. "Maybe if you stop being so damn annoying and you start being patient and understanding about how busy I am right now, I would want to be with you!"
You had tears in your eyes now as you listened to her harsh words.
"I have important things to do. See you later."
She began to walk away, only to turn back around to face you again.
"Sometimes, I wish you weren't even around."
With that, she stormed out the door, and that's when you let out a sob.
You sat down on the floor and let all of your tears fall as your heart ached.
Were you that bad of a girlfriend that sometimes she didn't even want you around?
It was a crushing thought.
You love Jennie.
You love her more than you have ever loved anyone in your entire life and you try to always be everything she deserves because she deserves someone who loves and cares for her unconditionally.
Knowing that she thinks of you as annoying and that she sometimes wished you weren't around broke your heart.
You didn't even bother to save the food you made.
You just dragged your feet up the stairs and crawled into bed, where you sobbed until you fell asleep.
--
When Jennie arrived home, she felt the weight of her words and the guilt that brought along with it was inexpressible.
She made her way upstairs and to the bedroom to find that you were sound asleep in bed.
She saw the tear stains on your cheeks and it broke her heart to know that she'd broken yours.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered as she kissed your forehead. "I love you so much."
She quietly changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed, wondering if you'd wake up at all anytime soon so she could apologize profusely to you and beg for your forgiveness.
But she laid there for an hour and a half and you didn't move even once.
"You must be sleeping deep tonight." She whispered. "I'm truly sorry for everything, my love. I'll do everything I can to make it better in the morning."
She closed her eyes and began to fall asleep, hoping that you'd forgive her when morning arrived.
-
But when the morning came, something didn't feel right.
Jennie woke up to her alarm.
Letting out a groan, she reached over to turn it off before she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"Y/N, baby? Are you still sleeping?" She asked as she noticed that you were still lying there beside her. "I need to talk to you."
All she got in return was silence.
"I deserve the silent treatment, I do. I'll give you a few minutes. I'm going to get ready for more work at the studio but I hope you'll talk to me soon. I'm truly sorry."
She got out of bed to get dressed and brush her teeth.
She figured you'd do the same too because she knows you have a busy day ahead.
But when she was finished and she came back into the bedroom, she saw that you were still curled up in bed.
"Are you taking the day off and having a lazy day, baby?" She chuckled. "I don't blame you if you did. You deserve it."
She didn't get a response again.
"Baby, come on. Are you still asleep? You must be exhausted. You never sleep this late after the alarm goes off." She joked and came over to you. "Get up, lazy girl."
She shook your shoulder... but then realized you were cold to the touch.
"Y/N?" She asked as her heart sank. "Baby? Come on, wake up. You're scaring me."
But you didn't get up.
You didn't move, you didn't open your eyes, you didn't even take a breath.
That's when she realized that your chest wasn't moving up and down as you breathed... because you weren't breathing.
"If this is a prank to get back at me, it's not cool, baby." She said as she continued to try and get you to wake up. "Y/N? Wake up!"
She was frantic now as all the pieces began to fall into place.
You were still in the same position you were in last night, you hadn't moved a finger.
You were cold and not breathing...
You were gone.
In a panic, she grabbed her phone to call for help.
But, deep down, she had a feeling that it was too late already.
—
And she was right.
She paced around the room as help arrived but it had been too late.
"She's been dead for hours." The paramedic explained. "It happened in her sleep."
"How could this even happen?" She sobbed. "You can't do anything to help her? You have to help her!"
"I'm sorry." The other medic said.
"I have to," Jennie paused, sobbing. "I have so many people I have to call. I can't believe she's gone. What am I going to do?"
"Was your girlfriend sick?" An officer asked as he came downstairs.
"Not that I know of. She's always been pretty healthy. Why?"
"She had a prescription for a new medication. A very serious medication for a very serious illness."
"She didn't mention being on medication." Jennie sniffled as she dried her eyes. "What's it for?"
"Cancer."
Jennie's heart dropped even more upon hearing that.
"She," Jennie paused, trying to find the words to say. "No, she would've told me if she had cancer."
"It's in her name. As were some papers we found confirming the diagnosis of the terminal illness. She was probably hiding it from you and looking for a good time to tell you."
"Like over dinner last night..." She mumbled aloud before falling onto the couch in shock. "Oh, my god. She was dying. I said the harshest things to her last night because I was frustrated and we were arguing and I said such horrible things to her! Now she's gone. What am I supposed to do now? Without her?"
The guilt was now overwhelming, almost eating her alive as it sank in that the reason why last night's date was so important to you was because you wanted to tell her about what you were dealing with.
Her whole world was shattered, falling apart all around her as she realized that you probably didn't even hear her say how much she loved you last night.
You were probably already gone.
You might've passed without hearing her say she loves you after those awful things she said to you before.
Jennie was devastated.
And there was nothing in this world that she could do to make things right or to say she loves you one last time, even though she'd give anything to do so.