Sienna's POV:
I suck in a breath, expecting to be in the worst pain I have ever felt. But I don't feel pain. I don't feel anything. There's no blood pouring out of my chest. But when I open my eyes, there is something in front of me. Someone. Timmy.
I try to hold him up right, but he's too heavy. We sink to the ground and I cradle his head gently in my lap. Casey is long gone as I grab my phone and call 911. I see the bullet wound in Timmy's chest as blood trickles from out of his mouth.
"Hey," Timmy whispers as he looks up at me. His beautiful voice was much different now. His eyes no longer the palest blue they had been. This was all wrong.
"If you're planning on saying anything that sounds like a goodbye, don't. You're not going to die. You can't die."
He lets out his best attempt of a laugh.
"You're not going to die, okay? We're gonna go back to America and you're gonna see John and take care of him, because he needs you. We'll go back and you'll be with your family and friends once more. Just stay with me, and I promise I'll take you home."
He grabs my hand and presses it against his still beating heart.
"I am already home," he whispers.
"No, Timmy, please!" the words were more sob than sound. "I care about you too much. I need you. I love you. I love you so fucking much! I know I've never said it before but it's true. I love you and I always have. I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to say the words but you can't leave me!"
"Look at me, please. Death isn't what I fear, Sienna. I'm only afraid that I'll never see you again."
"No!" I shout once more.
"It's okay," he says softly. "This is perfect. Everything is perfect because at least, in the end, I didn't die alone. I died with the love of my life, my soulmate, holding me in her arms. It's perfect."
The light vanished from his eyes. His chest stilled beneath my hands. And that's when I knew he was gone.
1 year later:
Dear Timmy,
It's been exactly one year. 365 days, yet I still find myself longing for you; the boy I once called my enemy. I still can't believe you took that bullet for me. I mean, I always knew I was smarter than you but... it should've been me. Everyone keeps telling me that it's not my fault, but I can't help but blame myself for your fate. Our fate. We were soulmates, I'm sure of it. Destined to love each other too slowly, and lose each other too quickly. I keep thinking that Casey was our biggest enemy. But as more painful days pass on, I now realize that our biggest enemy, the antagonist of our too-short story, was time. I spent so much time hating you, and not nearly enough time giving you the love I always knew you deserved. Perhaps in another life we would've made it. The two of us. Together. I suppose that death is the price you pay for love. And I'm never gonna fall in love with anybody the way I fell so deeply in love with you. Until next time,
Sienna.
