Broken

Chapter 1

Like every other night, Jake went to race in the street racing. When he drove in, he noticed Isabella at a corner watching the cars. They broke up two years ago. Jake mumbled to himself, "Tsk, she still shows up," not knowing Isabella read his lips and understood what he said. She quickly left the place. He was frustrated that he couldn't move on from her. When he noticed that she left after looking at him, he felt guilty.

She went back home. After the race, Jake drove to her place and knocked on the door. She opened the door and looked up to see Jake. "Hey," he greeted her awkwardly. She returned a polite smile and waved a hi back to him. Her smile fluttered his heart. He took her hand softly in his and humbly whispered, "I missed you..." She was surprised at his words. Her eyes sparkled with joy, but then she looked away. Jake felt a sharp pain in his chest when she looked away. He gently held her chin and turned her face to look at him. "Look at me," he requested gently. She moved her beautiful doe eyes to look at him. He stared at her once she looked at him. His eyes were filled with tenderness as he saw the girl he once loved. However, he was also reminded of the reason why he broke up with her. He didn't want her to get hurt during road accidents or involved in gang wars.

"Say something," he whispered, feeling that time was ticking as he looked into her eyes, waiting to hear her voice. He didn't want to mess this up once again. She took a paper and wrote, "I lost my voice in an accident a few months after we broke up. I can't speak anymore." Jake was taken aback by her note. He took the paper and read it. Once he read the note, he was filled with even more guilt as he looked at her. He never knew that she had lost her voice due to a horrific accident. She was one of the loudest and most outgoing people he'd ever met, and he couldn't imagine her quiet. He looked into her eyes, his gaze never wavering as his heart started to ache from guilt and sadness. "I am so sorry..." he whispered. She moved her hand, gesturing to say, "It's okay." He let out a deep sigh and looked away. He was devastated by the fact that she was unable to speak anymore. The cheerful girl who used to light up the world. He left like a scumbag for breaking up with her.

He looked back into her eyes as he cupped her cheek. His eyes filled with love and guilt. Isabella softly held his hand that was on her face while giving him a reassuring smile to not make him feel guilty. He pulled her into a tight hug. She nuzzled closer to his chest. A slight smile formed on his face. He missed her. He missed holding her close to him. "I missed you so much." He whispered. She smiled and went back to the table to write something else.

"I wish you luck for your race. I may not be able to see all of them, but I will pray for you. I wish you to have a happy family with a beautiful wife and pretty kids. I'll be watching you from up there." She wrote. When Jake read that, his eyes welled with tears. He couldn't accept the things that were written. "No, no, don't say that. Don't say things like that." He said pleadingly as he hugged her once again, his grip tighter than before. She looked away, feeling guilty. She handed him her medical report of having a heart problem from the accident. When Jake read the papers, his heart sank. "No, no, don't do this to me. Please, I beg you," he cried. She held her ears and mouthed a sorry. He wiped his tears and hugged her again.

Suddenly, he felt her getting heavy. When he pulled away to check, he found her body getting pale and cold. He went into complete shock as he noticed her pulse not beating and her body was limp and cold. His heart practically stopped beating as he stared blankly at her lifeless body. He was too stunned to think properly, and all he could manage to do was pull her body into his arms and hold her tightly, not wanting to believe what was right in front of his face. A part of him still believed that he could get her back, but deep down, he knew that nothing could change the outcome.

"Please, please, please..." He held her close, tears streaming down his face as he whispered to her softly. He planted a gentle kiss on her cold lips and tenderly brushed away strands of hair that had fallen across her face. With a heavy heart, he continued to call out her name, hoping against hope that she would somehow respond.
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The hardest part of love is not always letting go but learning to live without the one you can not live without.

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