Beautifully Broken

- 44 -

I can feel the awareness dripping from my body. My sight was zeroing in on one thing and one thing only.

Cole

His body was lying in my arms. His blue eyes were looking up into mine. My heart is beating so hard, I can feel it in my ears. A foggy feeling covers my entire body. My fingers have this tingling sensation in them as I recognize the warm substance on them to be Cole's blood.

The bullet hit him in the chest. I'm fully aware of the survival rate of a chest wound, but I couldn't possibly fathom the reality of that right now.

"Baby, talk to me," I see Cole attempting to close his eyes through my tear blurred ones.

"Cole, you can't leave me here."

I shake him, trying to get him to open his mouth.

As he moves his lips blood trickles down his chin. His eyes turn from a striking blue to a dull blue in seconds. His lips turn from a luscious pink to a tired gray. I think is the moment where I lost my mind if not prior to this-

"I know it hurts maybe, but you have to stay awake," I start rocking back and forth with him in my arms. "Baby, please stay awake, I don't know what I'd do without you,"

"Y'all, if this is a prank tell me now," I look around at the rest of the room.

Everybody seems to be still

Cazadores was on the ground, Elijah was standing next to Cazadores, and Angel was looking intensely at me.

"Cazador- whatever the fuck you name is!" I sneer harshly, "You better kill yourself because I promise you, you will die a slow and painful death at the hands of me!"

"Lore-"

"Fuck off!" I scream at Elijah even attempting to talk to me right now, "Don't fucking call me that!"

I look back down at Cole, his eyes fluttering slightly.

"Why didn't just let it hit me?" I whisper into his neck, "You're so stupid, so, so stupid,"

His lips stutter over themselves, "Incluso en la muerte, siempre te amaré,"
(Even in death, I will always love you)

"Stop, don't say that," I remove my body from under him and attempt to apply pressure on his wound.

"Don't fucking say that"! I scream, "Y-you're not leaving me."

Cole attempts to speak again, but he just enters a coughing fit. Blood escaping from his mouth more by each cough. I've never seen him so sickly. All I can think of is when we were just talking last night.

We laid in bed, staring at the clear dark sky. Cole spoke only of our future together. He stated all the improvements that he would make to the mafia back home. He expressed to me that he was tired of dealing with these other people and was going to slowly wane off of the mafia scene.

"B-baby," My chest heaves, "You can't die on me,"

"If you die, they might as well take me with you," I try to wipe the blood from his mouth, "I don't know what I'd do without you at this point,"

Cole's eyes finally shut fully.

"Open your eyes," I command frantically, "Cole, open your eyes."

Cole's eyes don't move.

"Open your fucking eyes!" I yell.

Elijah comes and pulls me off of him. I kick and scream, but I can't get loose from his grip.