Killing Carter

Chapter Seventeen - Events That Change Us

Chapter 17

“That was your last chance.”  Carter growled glaring at Jay who was standing his ground bravely despite being heavily outnumbered as Carter had two goons with him.  I was about to run, to fight on his side but before I could put one foot in front of the other there was a strange noise then Jay was falling.  I threw my hand over my mouth to hold back a scream as the blood drained from my body.  I saw Carter’s dark green eyes as he did a quick scan of the area making sure that there were no witnesses.  They pierced deep under my skin as they passed over where I was hiding behind a large oak tree and I stopped breathing, fear gluing my feet in place.  He didn’t see me through turning his attention back to my brother.  I fell back against the tree as my legs felt weak, my whole body going into shock as my brain failed to process what had happened.  “I’m sick of fuckin’ kids screwing everything up.”  Carter spat as he tucked the gun back into the waistband of his dark jeans looking down at Jay who was crouched on the grass clutching his bleeding chest before turning and walking away from him.  His two goons moved to pick Jay up but Carter stopped them.  “Leave him.  Give the police something to do beside catching my guys speeding.”  He laughed sending chills down my body.

At that they left, leaving Jay bleeding onto the grass alone.  I let out a breath I didn’t realise I had been holding then ran to him, tears forming in my eyes.  As soon as I reached him I sagged to the ground my hand touching something sticky and warm.  Blood.  A sob escaped my mouth and I held onto Jay’s head as a million emotions burned through me.

“Kay?”  He croaked out as he looked up at me with his innocent eyes.  My heart ached as my whole world spun upside down.  I stroked his hair muttering soothing sounds through my sobs listening to his breath becoming raspy.  He sounded like he was choking.  When my brain kicked in I pulled out my phone calling an ambulance with a shaking voice as I held onto Jay, trying to keep him here with me.  “I’m sorry.”  His voice was now a whisper.  He was getting further and further away from me no matter how tight I held him.  I was losing him. 

“Shh.  You’ve nothing to be sorry about.”  I soothed.  I took off my jacket no longer feeling the cold, no longer feeling anything but the pain of seeing him fade away in my arms and knowing that it was my fault, and pressed it onto his wound.  Deep down I knew it was already too late but I wasn’t ready to accept the truth.  I would never be ready.

His body was getting heavier and heavier until I was too weak to hold his chest upright so I had to lay him back onto the hard, damp ground.  I felt like my heart was shattering into a million razor sharp shards, scraping my chest as they tried to rip out my body.  I wanted to scream, to cry, to curl up into a ball beside him but instead I kept pressing my jacket onto the wound praying for a miracle as I couldn’t survive the worst.  I couldn’t lose him.  Why was the ambulance not here yet?!  They need to be here!  “Stay with me Jay.  I’m so sorry.  I’m so...so sorry.”  I sobbed causing a tear to fall onto his cheek.  I wiped it away gently as his dark eyes stared emptily back at me.  I knew he was gone; he’d stopped breathing, his skin was cold to the touch and his body was heavy and relaxed but denial stopped me from accepting these facts so I kept praying, hoping and wishing.  “I love you Jay.  I never ever told you that and I should have but when you wake up you’ll be able say you love me back or that you hate me.  I don’t care as long as you say something.  I shouldn’t have thrown it away.  I didn’t think I was just so angry.  I’m sorry.”  I could no longer stop the tears that dripped from my cheeks onto his and there were too many to wipe away.  Finally I heard the screech of the siren and saw the flashing lights but it was too late.  He was dead...

“You got yourself a pretty one.”  Carter said clapping his son on the back before sitting down at the table beside his wife.  Cole glared at him squeezing my hand enough to make me wince.  Hilary set Carter’s dinner down on front of him and he tucked in watching me.