Deceptions of the Heart

Its too late

Roxanne rushed towards her ex lover's office. Deep inside she wished it wasn't too late. She wished she could at least have time to speak to him and tell him that she actually loves him. That she wanted to come back.

She climbed the stairs of the building in a high speed. She almost tripped during her attempt.

"Please don't be dead, please don't be dead!" She repeatedly mumbled to herself.

A fee more steps and she was in the hall where Richard's office was in.

She ran alongside the hall until she reached the huge wooden doors. She knocked on them.

"Richard? Are you in?"

No answer. She knocked again.

"Richard?"

Still no response. She suddenly heard loud coughing coming from the other side of the door. She knocked once again and then she entered.

The sight she came across left her with widened eyes, with her hands covering her mouth as she let out a gasp of shock and an expression of terror. The man she loved was laying on the floor with three wounds. One on his stomach, one on his abdomen and one on his right side. He was clenching his wounds and was coughing blood.

The young woman immediately rushed towards Richard and kneeled down next to him. She gently cradled him in her arms and touched his wounds. His shirt was covered in blood and so his hands. Blood was flowing from his mouth as well.

"Richard?" Roxanne called out to him with a soft tone as she brought his body close to hers.

The male tried his best to open his eyes and take a last glance at her.

"Roxanne... You came back..." He whispered as he coughed more blood.

"Shhh. Don't talk. I'll call an ambulance" Roxanne whispered back.

"No Roxanne!" Snapped Richard. "Its too late. I knew this would happen. After the threatening letter I sent to Max it was normal for him to get rid of me".

Just then Max's words during a previous meeting rang in the girl's head.

"I can't tell you what I have planned for him but for your own good... Stay away".

As soon as she recalled those words she felt tears rolling down her cheeks.

"So this was what Max meant..." She mumbled quietly in between sobs.

Roxanne felt her heart breaking into a million pieces.

"I also knew that Max had met up with you. I was just acting. I had predicted everything Roxanne" continued Richard.

The young woman didn't know what to say or what to feel. She felt double betrayed. She glanced once again at RIchard's wounds. He had lost a lot of blood. Then she suddenly felt her wrist being gripped.

"Roxanne..." Began Richard. "Forget about me. I was an asshole. I was no good for you. I hurt you in the worst way possible and yet I had the courage to ask you to come back. Don't be scared to live Roxanne... Life goes on even without me. I know you've been hurt again and again in the past but trust me... You'll be just fine".

The girl was crying endlessly. Her tears were staining RIchard's bloody shirt.

"Go..." Continued the male. "Live your life with someone else. You deserve to live if anything. Let me die here, alone... But don't forget that I love you. That I loved you like no one else did..." And with those last words Richard left his last breath.

Roxanne stayed next to the corpse of her former lover. Everything within her broke. She cried for a few minutes before she placed a soft kiss on Richard's forehead.

"I love you too..." She whispered and then she gently put him down to start mourning him.