Tragedy ✔️

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty: And He's Back
Sophia Crawford

I get up from the snow, wiping my now wet pants with the palms of my hands and waited for River to get up from the ground too, but he doesn't, he stays seated instead but when he placed his left hand on top of Daniel's gravestone, I knew why. He whispers 'happy birthday, Daniel' under his breath.

He smiles sadly and gets up from the snow, wiping his pants as well with the palms of his hands. He then offers his hand for me to grab, which I do, and let him lead me out of the quiet graveyard.

We walk hand-in-hand the entire way, just like how Ana and I walk in school with our arms hooked around each other.

I have been silent for most of the walk; I was still trying to process everything Mrs Oakley has said to me.

"I can't imagine how hard that must've been for you." He says, looking at the snow covered trees as we passed them. "I'm sorry."

I smiled although every step I took away from Daniel's grave hurt me deep inside. It made my heart ache inside my ribcage and my stomach churn with guilt, and the tears that started to well up inside my eyes were ready to fall.

"It's been hard this entire time. I just kept it from you." I tell him, lifting my shoulder in a shrug. "I don't know why I don't feel relieved yet, to know that I wasn't the one who killed Daniel, but I can't feel anything else but sadness right now. I should feel relieved, but that guy who caused the accident... he's living with the guilt right now, the same guilt I have been living with for the past couple of months. I don't want that for him. People make mistakes, bad ones."

Stupid me let my hand drift to where my ring usually hung, not even thinking that it's still missing, so I let my hand drop to my side again, focusing on River's warm hand in mine instead and how close he actually was to me; his shoulder actually kept bumping mine as we walked.

"You're not angry at the man responsible for Daniel's death?"

"People make mistakes, River, bad mistakes, even, but just because someone did a bad thing doesn't mean that they are a bad person. Yes, I'm angry at him for drinking and driving when he wasn't supposed to, and that knowing sooner could have saved me all this guilt and regret, but he has made a mistake. If Mrs Oakley doesn't blame him, then I shouldn't either. It's not right of me to do so."

"But why?" He asks.

"The real reason we were driving that night is because we wanted to run away, River. It was an idea I came up with." I tell him. "We wouldn't have been on the road if I didn't come up with this stupid idea to run away. It's my fault, too. And besides, the guy who caused the accident is living with the guilt otherwise he wouldn't have gone to Mrs Oakley's house to tell her that he caused it." I pause, only for a few seconds. "I am a firm believer that everyone deserves a second chance, and if she forgave him for the mistake he made, I should too."