Sitting Ducks

Epilogue: 199

Epilogue: 199

Have you ever felt broken? Just completely and utterly broken? I have.

It has been three weeks since Bradley's death. I was pretty much in a comatose state, much to Tyler's dismay. Everyday I asked, why did he spare me? Why didn't he kill the person who was already dead.

I wrapped my coat around me, shivering from the cold Boston air. I was currently sitting by Bradley's grave, in a cemetery. It was deserted, and I was surprised that Tyler had let me go alone.

Bradley "Shrimp" Patel

Born May 2nd, 1993, Died December 16th, 2012, Brother, Son, the jokester that will forever be in our hearts.

That didn't cover the half of it, I thought bitterly. Tears started to leak out of my eyes, until I was full out sobbing. No matter how many tears I shed, no matter how loud I screamed, he wouldn't come back. He would never come back.

He had been so prepared to die, he had expected it. Only my Brad would go out with a smile on his face, so full of life even after his death. I smiled through my tears at the memories of jokes he told me.

"Knock knock Silver!" He asked and I groaned. Opening my eyes sleepily, I smiled up at him.

"Who's there, and they better have a good reason for waking me up!" He chuckled.

"Doris." I had already heard this one but I played along.

"Doris who?" "Door is locked, that's why I'm knocking." He cackled and I grinned, playfully shoving him away.

"Alexa,you can't bottle yourself up like this forever." I felt Tyler's hand on my shoulder. I shrugged him off, still staring at Bradley's grave.

"I had to do it, he was too big of a threat to me. You think it doesn't hurt me too, I killed my own brother!" He raised his voice. I had no sympathy for him, not an ounce.

"It was your choice to pull that trigger, it was your finger that moved. You have no one to blame but yourself Patel." I snapped venomously. I couldn't even look him in the eye.

"I quit BrickStone." My eyes widened, really? I resisted the urge to turn to him and settled on nodding instead.

"Congrats. Are you going to lock me in a facility?" I traced over the raised letters once more, stopping at his birthday, just the day before mine.

"No. Elise Silver doesn't exist anymore, thanks to Danny. You're a free woman Alexa Houston, 199 is nothing now." I closed my eyes, it didn't even matter any more.

"It's a little bit funny actually, how you think that will change anything. Freedom was the one thing I craved, and now that I have it, it doesn't mean shit. So you can take my freedom, and shove it up your ass. Leave me alone!" I broke again. My words turned into sobs as I felt Tyler wrap his arms around me. I tried to push him away, but he stayed persistent, keeping me close as I bawled. He whispered comforting words in my ear, trying to calm me down.

"When you killed your brother, you also killed me. Do you really think I'd come running back into your arms, craving your touch? Are you joking, is this some joke? You killed your own brother, and spared a girl who doesn't love you anymore." I pushed him away, and he fell over. 

"You're nothing to me, you broke me.  You're cruel, demented, you're fucked up! I hope you suffer the same fate as your brother." I dropped my head into my lap. Tyler shoved me and landed on top of me, his face red with fury. However, I could see tears in his eyes.

"Lies! Lies is all you tell Alexa, lies! You love me, you have too, I can't lose you!" It began to rain, and I tried to push him off of me. He put his gun to my forehead, frowning.