I Should Have Told You: Part One

Chapter 20

"No!" Maya yelled, grabbing him before he fell. I helped her and we laid him on the ground, gently cupping his head. He lifted his hands from his stomach and scarlet blood ran down his wrists. I pulled up his shirt, praying it just skimmed him as it had me. A hole smaller than a dime swam under the pool of liquid on his abdomen.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, tears streaming silently from his eyes.

"No, don't apologize like that. You're fine. You'll be fine," I looked at the expanding circle of blood.

"Lia, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry," his voice shook.

"It's alright, it wasn't your fault. Okay? It wasn't your fault."

He smiled, and tears brimmed in my eyes. "I love you guys so much," he coughed, and blood dripped from the corner of his lips. "Thanks for all the crazy times."

"No, Eli, you can't—We're supposed to be roommates in college, right? We're supposed to be stuck here together," Maya clasped his hand tightly.

"You've got Quinn now."

"That's not—that's not the same," she croaked. I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Different doesn't have to be bad, Maya. You'll be okay," his breath was ragged. This was the Eli I knew, someone who was positive even when it seemed impossible to be. I can't lose this Eli.

I put pressure on his wound to try to stop the bleeding. "Mom, help," I sobbed.

She shook her head, "Lia. . ."

"Help! Why aren't you helping?"

"Lia, it's okay," Eli's shaky hand slid onto mine.

"No, it's not— it's not okay."

He made a choking sound. "It's okay. I'm okay."

Maya leaned back into Quinn, still holding his hand.

"I love you too, Eli," I breathed. He smiled again and looked up at the ceiling, closing his eyes. I held his other hand on his chest and I felt him exhale, shakily, but this time it didn't rise again.

"No," I cried.

Jack knelt beside me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I stared at Eli's face, he looked as if he were asleep. Maybe this was Ortiz playing with my mind, that it was all fake, and Elijah was okay.

I knew it wasn't. I knew he was dead.

Rage welled up inside me and I stood, gently letting go of Elijah's hand.

"Touching," Ortiz mocked.

"You—" a beep sounded to my right, where the guard still hadn't budged. Now, though, they had a gas mask over their face. I looked questioningly towards Ortiz, who picked up one from behind him and stretched the elastic to the back of his head.

"Dahlia," mom pointed at the bottom of the wall, where a mist was forming. It clouded the room quickly and we tried to cover our mouths with our shirts. The strong scent of chemicals broke through the fibers of my clothes and made my eyes water. I grew dizzier with each strangled breath, stumbling to catch myself on the desk.

We fell pathetically, my mind swirling with darkness, and I thought as I fell asleep that I wouldn't wake up again. I was okay with it though, we'd already lost. I lost dad and Landyn and Eli, and I was okay with being lost too. The only thing I regretted was not talking to Jack as he lay beside me, fading from my sight. I wanted to tell him that it wasn't a lie, that I do love him. Yet again I made that mistake, taking things for granted. I blinked and the world dissolved from my sight. . .