Mi Corazón Book 3(Camilo Madrigal and y/n story)

Chapter 8- Don't leave me...

                                            Trigger Warning- Bl00d, dea!h, 

Dust sprinkles down on us through the spaces between the vines as the crumbling pieces of the house crash down on the dome. Isa covers her ears, and I hold onto Camilo, my eyes tightly closed. After a few moments the sound of the house tumbling down stops. I slowly open my eyes, and my vision is flooded with light as the vines around us fade into the ground. A cloud of dust creates a haze around us. "Isa? María?" I whisper, looking around. "We're ok," Isabella responds, and I see her stand up. I look down at Camilo, but he's not moving. "Camilo? Camilo can you hear me?" I shake him gently. He doesn't move, his eyes remain closed. "Camilo? CAMILO!" My tears drop down onto his freckled cheeks. My stomach is in knots, and I feel like my heart is being torn out of my chest. "Please, Cami!" I hold his limp body in my arms. His blood soaks my hands. I press my ear against his chest. Thump............Thump..........Thump..... His heart beat is weak, and barely discernable. "CAMI!" I cry out, my voice cracking. I can barely hear his shallow breaths. "Mi amor, don't leave me!" I gasp for air as I'm drowned by my own tears, my body shaking. "Don't leave me..."

I feel a hand on my shoulder. Puffy eyes I turn to see María, covered in dust, still holding the no longer glowing amulet in her hand. "Can- can you help him?" I stammer, sniffing and wiping my tears off of my face. "I don't know, the amulet, it's unstable." She says, looking down at the jewel in her hand, conflicted. "You have to try, please, I need him!" I beg her to try. I don't even care if I look stupid or desperate, I need him to make it. "I'll try," She says, kneeling down beside me. "Come on, cami..." I whisper, squeezing his hand. María places both her hands gently onto his dark red stained left shoulder, closing her eyes. I watch anxiously as her face screws up in concentration. Isabella rushes towards us, leaning over me, just as tense as I am.

After a few moments I see a soft glow begin to flow around Camilo's shoulder. I gasp softly in amazement, watching as the light grows brighter. A moment later Camilo's eyes flicker open, and he gasps, inhaling a large gulp of air. "CAMILO!" I exclaim, my eyes flooding with tears again. "Mi amor, wha- what happened?" He asks, sitting up slowly. I wrap my arms around his neck, holding him close to me. "Mi vida, you're shaking are you okay?" He strokes my hair gently. "You were bleeding- Gracie was trying to steal the amulet- the house collapsed- you wouldn't wake up!" I nuzzle my face into the crook of his neck. "It's ok, cariña, I'm ok now." I pull away and he cups my tear stained face in his hands. I lean my forehead against his, and take a deep breath.

"Thank you, María, thank you," I say, hugging her. Isabella hugs Camilo extra tight. "I'm so sorry primo, I was responsible for you, I should never have let you come!" She blurts out. "Isa, it's not your fault." He says, hugging his cousin appreciatively. As I stand up I brush the dust and building residue from my skirt. Looking around, I'm reminded sharply of the collapse of Casita. Rubble and debris surround us. The anxious and confused faces of villages encircle the perimeter. "Wait where's Gracie?" I suddenly remember the missing factor. I scan the desolate scene. My mouth falls open and I gasp as my eyes fall on a spot in the debris. Gracies lifeless body is visible under a large piece of concrete. 

"Don't look, mi vida," Camilo says, grabbing my arm and turning me around. "She's, she's dead..." I stammer, trying to control my quickened breaths. "Camilo, she's dead! What- that wasn't supposed to happen-" Camilo wraps his arms around me, squeezing me securely. "Shhh, there's nothing you could have done to stop her, she was determined." He whispers, resting his chin on my head as I press my face against his chest. "She didn't deserve to die though..." I feel a mixture of fear and regret twisting inside me. She didn't deserve to die... I hold onto Camilo, my body shuddering with every breath. "I know, mi vida, I know," He whispers. "Breathe, just breathe." I can hear the strain in his soft voice, he's holding back his tears, to stay strong for me. I press my face into the front of his ruana, taking deep breaths. I never want to let him go again. 

María makes her way out of the rubble, to address the townspeople. I let Camilo hold me, never wanting him to let go. "We should go home, we need to tell Abuela," Isabella says, still disorientated. Camilo turns to her and nods. "What- what about Gracies...body," I ask hesitantly. "I will bury her, you should go home and tell her parents. Maybe they would like to come live here..." María suggests, walking over to us after talking to her people. "Are you going to be ok? Your house is destroyed..." I point out, looking around at the depressing scene. "Don't worry about me, I have the whole village to help me, I'll be ok." She gives me a warm hug. "Thank you. Without the 3 of you Gracie would have stolen the most important thing to this place, so thank you." She says, turning to hug Camilo and then Isabella. None of us really have the right words to say, so we just nod and smile weakley, before making our way out of the dusty haze, out into the fresh air.