Ruin Series

“Can you hear me? Kiersten?” His voice was so close; maybe if I closed my eyes it would feel more real. I reached up to touch him, but all I could feel was air. He wasn’t there. He was gone.

So it really happened.

I blinked a few times and tried to focus on what was in front of me. It looked like him, but he was standing too far away. Why was I lying on the ground?

“Come back to me.” His mouth moved as he spoke softly. “Not like this, Kiersten. Not like this, baby.” His light blue eyes flared with need. “Everything is going to be just fine. I promise.”

But it wasn’t fine. I knew it. He knew it.

He was gone — and I was hallucinating.

I’d lost the love of my life — my best friend. How many times could people experience loss before they died too? Before heartache consumed them?

Our first kiss.

Our final time together.

And then, the hospital.

We hadn’t been given enough time — and I hated God for taking everyone from me. I hated that in the end, I would always be alone to mourn the loss of those I loved.

I reached for his face one last time. This time my fingers came into contact with warm skin. It was all a dream. Well, if it was a dream, I was going to enjoy the way his smile lit up the room.

His lips touched my forehead. I closed my eyes and prayed for God to take me too.

Because I knew the moment I woke up, I’d have to say goodbye all over again, and this time I wasn’t sure I’d ever heal from the experience of that one word leaving my lips.