Page 54 of The Forever One

“Shh, don’t try to speak. Keep your energy and you’ll tell me everything later when you’re better.” River bends again and kisses his forehead. “Marco, why is he so clammy? He’s going to be okay, right? He’s going to be fine?” Panic is starting to take over, her fingers on his face trembling, her back heaving from the sobs she’s desperately keeping at bay.

“Just keep him awake, Tesoro. Help is on the way.” I don’t have the heart to tell her she needs to say goodbye. I just can’t.

Screaming gets our attention as we all look over to the top of the stairs where a very pregnant and very distraught Petal is holding on to the door frame with everything she’s got.

“Sunshine. I’m okay, I’m okay. See?” Everest rises to his feet, slowly making his way to his wife. Needing to calm her down. This cannot be good for the baby.

“River?”

“Yeah, sweetie. I’m right here.”

“I know… I fucked… up.”

“Shh, Kai. Please.”

Lifting a weak hand to cup River’s face, blood covering her cheek and neck, he closes his eyes for a brief moment before he continues.

“I fucked up… with you. But it’s how… it’s how it was supposed… to be.” Goddammit. He’s saying goodbye, he knows.

“No. No, no, no. You are not doing this, Kai Briggs. You are not allowed to die. Do you fucking hear me?” He smiles at her, blood running down his cheek from the corner of his mouth. I’m still using my entire body to apply pressure but when I see blood trickling from his ear, my jaw aches with how hard I’m keeping my emotions in check.

“I have… loved you… my entire life. But…”

River shakes her head, whispering “No” over and over again, tears now streaming down her face, over her cheeks and down her neck.

“You are… so happy. Stay… happy, Riv. Be ama… zing.”

“Well, I will be, you goof. And you’ll be here to witness it.” She says the words but they are resigned; flat and watery from her tears.

She bends down and kisses him on the mouth and I can’t look away as their tears mingle over their lips, sobs racking over her chest. They whisper words I can’t hear but I feel their intensity in my bones.

My hands are soaked with his blood, the towel and my shirt doing nothing to keep the hole from bleeding. But I try. I try everything I can to keep my wife from suffering more than she already has.

“Kai, please, please, please. Don’t go. Don’t do this, please.” Next to me, River is howling with grief as I feel his body slack away. His muscles give under my touch and I know.

I just know.

CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE

RIVER

“Kai, please. Oh, God. Marco, do something, do something!” I’m helpless. There’s nothing I can do. My words are a desperate scream as I try really hard to keep myself together… and do a really bad job of it.

There’s so much blood. And Kai’s so pale, so cold, and his gaze slowly moves from mine.

“River, sweetheart.”

Marco’s speaking to me but it’s barely registering, my eyes locked on Kai’s honey orbs. They’re unfocused, he’s not moving.Why isn’t his chest moving?

“No no no no no no no. Kai, come on… please… please come on, Kai. Stay with me. Please… oh gods, please.”

Marco leans over and gently pushes Kai’s eyelids down, his head bowed in grief.

No, this isn’t happening.

It can’t.

No.