Frozen Hearts

It’s ironic.

Gabriel now lay in the same position I had only just fully recovered from. His body was stable, but they weren’t sure if his brain would be after a piece of debris hit him hard. As I sit beside him and hold his free hand, I can think about this being my fault. I shouldn’t have let the wedding continue, I should have canceled it and walked away. Gabriel wouldn’t be in this position now if I had. I look up as the door opened and Gabriel’s mother walked in and sat on the other side of him. She looked like she’d been crying, I’d heard from Salvador some of the things she’d said to him and I can only imagine the regret she felt.

“Lucas…” She began.

I held my hand up to stop her, “don’t. I know how you feel about me, but Gabriel is your son and I think you should stop following your husband so blindly when he’s been crooked for years,” I said as I toss a tape in her lap, “I want you to watch that whenever you get the chance. It’s your lovely husband attacking me while I was on a walk and trying to kill me outside of a legal challenge for my title,” I add but do not say anymore. I turn back to Gabriel and kiss his hand as I hold it close.

I hope that one day she could look at us and realize that we truly did love one another. I lay Gabriel’s hand down and stand from my chair. I needed to go home and get changed from my bloodstained tux.

“I’m going to head home and get changed, if anything changes please have the nurses call me,” I said to his mother, I walk up to Gabriel’s head and place a gentle kiss, “I love you more than life itself Gabriel,” I said hoping that he was like me and could hear everything that was going on around him.

“I’m sorry...” His mother said from behind me.

I don’t look at her as I face the door, “no you’re not, you’re only sorry because he could be dying,” I said before leaving.

I decline being picked up and opt to walk home instead. I knew this put me at risk, but I didn’t really care right now, I probably deserved to die after everything I put my family and Gabriel through. I’m so tired.

The walk home was grueling as my thoughts circle my head; I knew I had to die because no one around me deserved the trouble that I seem to bring. I look up to see the door on my house has been jimmied open and was slightly ajar. I enter without drawing a weapon since I had an idea of who would be behind the door.

“Hello, Lucas,” Gabriel’s father said as he stood in the kitchen of my home.

I nod to him and sit down on the couch; he looks confused as he stares at me.

“I’m not going to fight. I know you’re here to kill me and that’s exactly what you’ll do,” I say as the look of surprise passes across his face, “I’m tired, but I have too much pride to kill myself. I’m not going to grovel or beg because I don’t want to keep living and here’s the deal: you kill me and cut off my head, I want no chance of survival, and in exchange, you get to tell the world you killed me. Gabriel doesn’t know what I’m doing and by the time he wakes up I’ll already be dead,” I said as I look up at him, “I just don’t have the strength to watch any more people around me fall, the explosion at our wedding was too much,” I add.

“Explosion? Are my wife and my daughters okay?” He asks as he calms down since he knew it would end the same.

“Yeah, I got them away from the triad and to safety before the explosion,” I add since it was the truth. I saved them despite everything I felt towards them.

Gabriel’s father draws his sword and started walking towards me. I remove the top portion of my tux and kneel on the floor with my head on the coffee table in front of me. Lynx and Salvador would know the truth of what happened because they’ll have letters delivered to them in three days’ time, but they won’t be able to save me. No one can save me from the fate I have bestowed upon myself. I move my hair out of the way and close my eyes as I feel him raise the sword.
I love you, Gabriel and I’m so sorry what you’ll be waking to.

I feel the blade slice for a split second then nothing. There was darkness as the last seconds of my consciousness fade away.