Miss Clumsy and the CEO (UNDERGOING EDITING)

Chapter 60- No matter the cost

Darkness consumed every inch latching on as it drowned any single speck of hope. Exposed. Vulnerable. Powerless. For that moment the excruciating pain that fed through appeared to go numb as it caught a glimpse of her. It was more agonizing to see the affliction it caused on her face than the pain that one felt...

One day, you're going to fall in love so hard that you breathe for them. Ever been told true beauty comes from within the heart? Or have you ever thought you loved someone else but in truth it was right under your nose all along? Considering the choice James had made on that day it was enough for him to realise that he truly was captured, enchanted and enthralled by her that he took no second thought taking that single bullet. And no matter the danger his own life was put in, he would have done the same over and over. Cliché: But it's not. When you're truly in love you'd do anything. No matter the cost.

Tick-Tock

Tick-Tock

Tick-Tock

Seconds perhaps even years went past. The clock on the wall continued to tick that each second it went by, the little hope Harper had bundled up was starting to slowly diminish away. Harper sat on the floor rocking back and forth with her eyes sealed shut, and rejecting any sort of contact. Others sat around, few fidgeting like the raucous sound of consistent pacing from Michael Brewer that became enough to agitate the little patience she had left. Her whole body trembled even to her bottom lip that shifted uneasily.

Haunting. Vivid as it could be along with the faint reminder on her hands.

BANG!

She jolted forward crashing her head forward into her palms as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut. No matter how she tried there was no way she could get rid of the image of how he fell to his knees. The piecing scream that fled from her lips or the lake of blood that ran across his chest screamed like a nightmare inside her head. All she could picture was James lying there squeezing her hand one last time, slipping away from her reach as her entire body was lifted off the ground and dragged away. It would scream again, the gunshot. Louder and louder it was getting that in defeat a whimpering choke of tears flooded down her cheeks. Harper covered her ears defying to hear no more as she curled into a ball.

"Harper! Harper!" A voice called out quickly approaching her. Harper instantly jolted back with fear drenched over her face that the familiar face before her resembled only James who uttered her name repetitively. Dani halted holding her hands out as she murmured, "Harper, it's me Dani." Her words fading as Harper shook her head frantically crying out, "No, No, No. It was for me! Why didn't I get shot? Why?" Her outburst crawling the attention of the others. Harper squeezed her eyes shut calming down as she muttered repetitively over and over. "Should have been me. Should have been me-

Michael interjected in crouching down to his knee as he spoke, "Harper...it's not your fault." Harper jumped slightly at the single touch of his hand holding onto hers then gently bringing it away from her face. "Harper, look at me." He said resuming no change in his tone. Harper encouraged herself to look up meeting his eyes, "Harper, don't blame this on yourself. My son, he did this on his own accord." He muttered, not once looking away.

"B-But..." She blubbered. "I-I-I should have got s-shot."

Michael shook his head firmly. "No. James got shot. That deranged man got him instead. Now I know, how...much you're hurting. How you feel like the world has collapsed on you. And every single moment, you are blaming yourself continually over and over or going on what you could have done different. I know Harper. I blame myself." He said, then gently sighed before he added. "But, James got shot. He did in the sake of saving you. And I couldn't be more proud." Harper watched the strain upon his forehead as he closed his eyes for second. "But Harper, please don't blame yourself. James wouldn't want that. We've all got to be strong for him."