Afraid

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Ace's POV:
We had finished eating and I glanced at Ice who gave me a thumbs up for encouragement. For some reason, his face looked more punchable when he did that.

I was nervous but I was hoping Sofia couldn't tell; this evening had gone perfectly so far.

I had the ring in my suit pocket so that it wasn't noticeable to Sofia.

We joked with eachother as we talked, it was so easy for me to speak to her even when I'm nervous to the point that I'm shaking.

"I've left a mark on you Hernandez, a mark you can't replace. Even if we don't work out, you'll always look for me in every girl you meet" Sofia muttered proudly with a big grin plastered on her face. "Possibly" I raised my eyebrow with a grin; She knows it too.

A few moments had passed.

"Here, stand up with me" I ushered her suddenly before we stood next to our seats. "Why are we standing?" Sofia questioned nervously; She didn't like people staring at her.

"You're right, you've left a mark on me; You've changed me. You make me a better man and I know you'll make me a better father. I want you to be in my life forever because you've created a hole in my heart, that only you can fill" I said proudly. I wasn't ashamed of people hearing that I loved her.

"I love you Sofia, I want to grow old with you, I want you to be by my bed side when I'm dying. I want to be able to look at you and tell you that we made it when we're old and wrinkly" I rambled with a slight smile.

"I, Ace Hernandez, am no longer the monster my father created me to be and that's because of you; You took my trauma and turned it into hope, hope for a better life".

I think she finally understood at that moment what I was about to do.

"It's as simple as the fact that I love you and I want to propose properly" I mumbled as I got on one knee.

Her face became shocked as I began to kneel down.

"Will you-" I muttered, glancing down at the ring before a loud ringing sound flooded my ears; it was the sound of a gunshot that had created it. In the background I could hear people screaming and heavy footsteps as if they were running out of the restaurant.

I looked back up at Sofia who was as white as a ghost; All the colour had left her face.

My heart stopped when I watched Sofia put her hand up to her chest where the blood was seeping out of. "Ace" she almost whispered, staring at me with widened eyes.

Ice had shot the person behind us, 3 times. "It wasn't meant for her, it was meant for him!" the guy screamed before collapsing to the ground.

I felt like everything had stopped, just for a moment. It was all going in slow motion, the ringing in my ears still echoing from moments ago.

I stood up just in time to catch Sofia as her body became limp. She collapsed into my arms as I slowly placed us on the floor with her eyes widened with shock.

"No" I said, with my face, just as white as hers.

"No, no" I muttered as I cradled her in my arms, trying desperately to stop the bleeding.

"You're okay, you'll be okay" I mumbled as my eyes began to well with tears. She just stared at me before putting her hand over mine that was on her chest.

"It's okay" she uttered quietly. "It's okay" she was the one reassuring me. "No, no, no" I finally let the tears fall. "I love you" she blurted out before blood began to dribble out of her mouth.

"It was supposed to be forever" I began to sob. This wasn't fair. "This...this was our forever" she smiled weakly as a tear rolled down her face.

"I love you.....I'll be okay" she nodded as a tear ran down her cheek.

She was struggling to breathe as she began loosing a lot of blood.

"Please don't go" I sobbed uncontrollably as she lay in my arms dying. "I would if I could" she smiled slightly. "Save our baby" she whispered softly, stroking away my tears with her free hand. "You need- you need someone to- love you" she warned me.

"No, please, please!" I begged her, but I knew it was out of her control. "I- I'm not afraid to die, I'm only afraid that I'll never see you again" She whimpered quietly, almost whispering. "I love you" she uttered as the life left her eyes and her hand fell from my cheek. I sobbed as I held her in my arms, covered in her blood, my forehead against hers. I held her head and neck up with my hand as my free one held the wound in her chest.

"I can't do this without you" I sobbed frantically as Ice and Dante began to cry. I screamed in pain as I placed my forehead on hers, rocking with her in my arms. "I'm sorry" I gasped, struggling for air due to my sobs.

Suddenly, the doctors ran in. "Boss, you need to give her to us so we can save the baby; we need to do an immediate surgery" they ushered. I was too distraught to make any decisions.

"She gone" I shouted as I refused to let her go. "Let her go, it's what she wanted" Ice grabbed my shoulder, reassuring me.

I let her go; I let Sofia go.

"It was supposed to be me" I repeated as I sobbed, stumbling to my feet. Tears streamed down Ice's face as he pulled me into his arms. I couldn't believe she was gone. Every single bone in my body ached for her.

The doctors had to do an emergency C-section to save the baby.

I cried out in pain as Ice held me in his arms.

Dante had collapsed onto the ground awhile ago.

But, moments later, I heard a baby cry.

"Its a miracle; he's alive" I heard the doctor say with a heavy heart as he handed me our baby. I held him in my arms. "I won't let anyone hurt you, no one" I promised as he cried in my arms. "I'm here, we have eachother" I hushed the baby while tears were still streaming down my own face.

I was covered in blood which I'm assuming wasn't good for the baby. "Hold him" I mumbled, handing him to Ice. Suddenly my tears stopped as my whole body filled with rage.

A level of anger that I had never reached before.

I walked over to the body of the man as I searched for any gang symbol; that's when I found it. Haze's gang symbol, tattooed on this man's arm.

Then I was screaming of only of pain and fury.

An: Guess I really am that cold hearted. Only two chapters left.

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