The Before and After Project (An Emblem3 Fanfiction)

Chapter 31

Wes’ POV:

Do you know what it feels like to stand back and watch the one you love slip away before your eyes?  Do you know what it feels like to be so completely helpless that you have to hand over someone else’s life?

Fortunately for most people, they will never have to experience this, they could never even begin to imagine what it felt like being in this position. Unluckily for me, I was part of the minority that had to go through this pain and torture. Well that’s what I should be feeling, but instead I just felt numb. Numb to everyone swarming around the house trying to figure out what was going on, numb to the shrieks coming from every direction, numb to the throbbing of my dull and lifeless heart.

She was my life, as cliché as it sounded, I couldn’t live without her. We’d grown up together, not missing a mere second of each other’s lives. And now, all of that could change, all because I couldn’t get to her fast enough.

Everything that had happened tonight was my fault. I should have listened to my gut instinct about Kaylee to begin with. I had always known something was up with her, but I could never put my finger on what exactly it could be. But now here I was, watching the girl I loved get carted off to hospital.

Somehow I knew that she would live. But that thought wasn’t reassuring in any way. It was the fact that I couldn’t even protect her that shot me down. If I couldn’t protect her now what would happen in the future? What would happen if I wasn’t even there in the first place?

Anger built up inside me. I knew this wasn’t over. I knew for a fact that Kaylee wasn’t done with us yet. She wanted to see me suffer, I knew that for a fact, but she wanted Gabby to suffer even more. This meant that those guys’ intentions weren’t to kill her, they were just there to give her a brief snippet as to what was coming next.

“Wesley, you did the most that you could do” Jared’s reassuring voice broke me out of my thoughts. My eyes trained on to him in the darkness. I gave him a curt nod to show that I had heard him but didn’t necessarily agree with what he was saying. His eyes were puffy and scratchy-red. I knew he was in an even worse position than I was. No-one should have to go through the pain of losing a child. No-one should have to feel that kind of pain. Yet the world just dishes it out as if it’s just a regular occurrence.

“Her life is in their hands now, I get that” I explained in a monotonous voice.

“I’m going to go in the ambulance with her…are you coming?” He asked. I shook my head, slowly processing my thoughts.

“No. I…I need some time. When she wakes up, just tell her I love her okay? And that I’ll be there soon.”

“Wesley, she might not—“

“I don’t want to hear it. She IS waking up and that’s final!” I snapped, cutting him off. I refused to even think of the possibility that she could be gone. He opened his mouth to speak but then decided against it, nodding sadly at me and walking off hurriedly towards the ambulance.

I was about to walk off, away from everything, but a policewoman stopped me.

“Wesley Stromberg right?” she asked, a formal tone in her voice. I nodded. “Is it alright if I ask you some questions to do with the stabbing?”

“I’m sorry, but I really just need to clear my head” Her eyes flashed with sympathy, before she nodded and said that I could take as long as I needed. I thanked her before running off down the street. Everything was suddenly becoming so much clearer in my head. I was able to process each and every thought without feeling completely and utterly numb, and that wasn’t a good thing.