Aurora

19.

He'd been shot.

I could tell how much shock he was in, whether that was by the blank, confused look on his face, or by the fact that he didn't seem to react very much when the bullet ripped right through his chest.

Tucker was barking, and Nala was pressed up against Landon, licking his face as if to comfort him. He was sitting on the floor of his brother's bedroom, a shaking palm pressed to his wound. When he pulled his hand away, he looked down and observed it, inspecting the blood smeared on his skin.

Julien dropped the gun and caught him before he collapsed, yelling and crying, "No, no, no, no! Oh god... Oh god... Landon! Landon, look at me! You're gonna be okay, alright?"

That was when Connor walked in. Eyes wide with horror, he froze in place and just stood in the doorway, watching Landon bleed. Julien looked up at Connor, shouting, "Call help! Now!"

Connor started to cry, turning around quickly and running to another room. I felt my stomach churn when I glanced back at Landon, whose blood had seeped through his shirt and created a small puddle on the floor. Natalie looked away from the two, crouched down and threw up.

I made my way over to Landon, kneeling down next to him and taking him from Julien's arms. "Landon? Landon, speak to me."

He looked up at me with frightened eyes. In that moment, I could've sworn that he was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. I drowned out everything happening around us - forgot the cold in my feet, forgot the blood oozing out of him, forgot Natalie and Julien...

"Aurora," he whispered. "It was an accident."

"I know. Help is on the way."

His trembling hand took mine. "Make sure they know. Make sure they know it was an accident. Make sure he knows."

I nodded. "But... But you're gonna be there too, right? You don't have to rely on me. You'll be there too."

He managed to crack a smile. "Just in case."

I nodded again. "Yeah. Just in case. I promise you. I'll make sure they know."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Just... Just don't make me have to do that, okay? Keep talking to me."

"Okay," he breathed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything, Landon. Anything."

"I don't want to die, Aurora."

"You're not going to die, remember? You have to be there to make sure people know this was all an accident. You have to be there when I come to visit you next Christmas."

He nodded. "And I have to be there to see the movie Up with you."

"Exactly."

"And I have to be there to learn how to skate with you."

"Mhm."

"And I have to be there to ski with you one more time, and watch you fall one more time... And I have to be there to muster up the courage to kiss you."

"Huh?"

"I have to tell you..."

"Tell me what, Landon?"

"That I love you."

"Landon--"

"I've been trying to build up the confidence to tell you... I wish... I wish I was as brave as Julien."

"You are brave, Landon. You're the bravest person I know."

"I don't want to die..."

"Stop saying that. You're not going to."

"It hurts..."

"You're going to be fine. Landon, look at me. You're going to be fine."

"But..."

I let go of his hand, cupping his face and planting a kiss on his lips. "You're going to be fine," I said again.

"You didn't have to do that just because..."

"I love you."

"You do?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"You see, Landon? Everything's going to turn out to be great. We're going to be so happy together, Landon. Don't you dare mention dying again, you hear me? You're going to be fine."

His hand reached up, aiming to brush along my cheek, but then he winced and his hand fell. "Don't cry," he managed to say.

I hadn't realized I was crying up until he said that. Everything was happening so quickly, I couldn't even process my own thoughts. I held him a little closer to me.

"Hang in there," I said.

I could tell that his consciousness was starting to slip away. His breaths were getting short and he could barely keep his eyes open.

"Aurora..."

"That's it. Keep talking to me, okay?"

"But I'm so tired..."

I held his hand, squeezing it tight. "You've got this. Remember: You have to be there next Christmas, and you have to be there to skate with me, or to see the movie Up with me. You have to be there."

"Aurora..."

"Stop it, Landon. Keep your eyes open, okay? Keep them on me. Look at me, Landon."

"Aurora..."

"Landon, stay with me, okay?"

His hand slipped out of mine. 

I shook him lightly, hoping he'd regain some consciousness. "Come on, Landon. Keep talking to me. Please."

He didn't.

When I looked up, Natalie was holding Julien back. He was sobbing, screaming, shouting at his little brother to wake up. He kept on repeating, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

I backed away a little from Landon's limp body, shaking and in disbelief that what had happened was real. I watched him, hoping I'd see his chest rise and fall - hoping I'd hear him say my name one more time. 

Julien broke away from Natalie to make his way to the gun. He took it, then pressed it to his head and told us to look away.

Natalie screamed at him, begging him to put it down.

Then we heard sirens.