Tangled Love

Beep... Beep... Beep...

I lie my head down next to her lifeless body and shut my eyes tightly, letting the tears fall freely. My hand is wrapped around her small one and I squeeze it gently. My heart saddens at the lack of her response. A tube is lodged deep into her throat and wires are attached to every single visible part of her body.

Her eyes are shut peacefully. . . almost as if she's just sleeping. Something I'd seen her do so many times before. I always thought she was most beautiful in the morning, when her mouth was parted slightly and she looked completely content. I always wondered who and what she was dreaming of...

"Wake up please Muffin," I beg her quietly, my voice cracking. It feels like my heart was shattering into a million broken pieces. I still have her blood stained on my clothes and every time I look down, I feel physically sick.

I held her in my arms in that room as I saw her eyes flutter shut and her legs give out underneath her. My screams echoed around the room as I repeated her name over and over again, holding her to my chest. Another gunshot filled the room and I turned to find the man responsible, slumped against the wall, the back of his brain completely blown out.

He'd shot himself.

I cried tears of joy and grief at the same time. Jamie ran to Emily and applied pressure to her gunshot wound, she was barely breathing. I didn't let go of her until the ambulance arrived. I briefly remember telling Jamie to get the hell out of there with our guns before the police came but everything that came after that was a blur.

I could see it in the paramedics eyes that even they thought she was dying. They had pushed me aside and cut open her clothes to tend to her wounds, all whilst I was being held back by Brett. I didn't want them touching her, I needed to be next to her.

"Let them help her Jake!" Brett shouted at me, pulling me back with as much force as he could. I finally resisted, sinking to the floor, covering my face with my hands.

It's all my fault.

let my guard down and

Brett kneeled down to the floor

her! Pull yourself together Jake!"

how Brett's features were also twisted with worry. He nodded at me approvingly before helping me up. I walked towards the back of the ambulance like a zombie, all sounds muffled around me. The paramedics may as well have been speaking another language

stood in a daze, living a nightmare.

My eyes never left Emily, there was blood everywhere.

much

I shook my head and pointed towards Emily, unable to speak. My throat was lodged up so tightly, it felt like

can to help her." The paramedic said firmly before giving my shoulder a squeeze. Soon enough, we arrived to the hospital and everything happened so fast. They had taken her straight through to theatre,

completely slowed

became minutes, minutes became hours.

Emily had suffered massive blood loss, her body weakening considerably but they had stabilised her, removing the bullet from her body. It had pierced straight through her delicate skin and into her stomach, just above her pelvis. It wasn't long

I asked emotionless. They nodded quietly.

officer said, pocketing her black book. I nodded, knowing exactly how the procedure worked.

side. She was in her own private

the sound of the gunshot echoed through my ears almost like it was mocking me. Her scrunched up face flashes through my mind and

seeing Ivory and Tobias stand in the doorway. They both rush in and Ivory pulls me into her embrace. She looks worryingly over at Tobias and he mirrors her exact features. I can't handle it anymore, the tears began again. Neither

Emily's fragile state. Tears began to run down her