The mafia's bride (On Hold)

Chapter twenty-one: visional future

"Someone help me, please!" Not again. I see myself on the same street as the place I'm supposed to die. The desire to live is the reason I choose to holler out for help while my killer lingers behind. This should be the perfect opportunity to unmask the man who hunts me through the streets, shooting me at every turn and angle. He gets me in the leg, the second one misses, but the last shoot hits its target. My side stomach. Blood colors the pavement as shouts mute out my slow grasp and breaths. I feel my hands twitching and the pain throbbing."Why did you do it?" a male voice accuses from behind me, shadowing the night. Their face is hidden from my blurry eyes and the darkness filling the night. I try to lift my finger to them, trying to choke my dying words across to them but my voice is nowhere to be found.

"Pryor?" His concerning voice echoes in and out of my coconsciousness as I feel his body tugging my sluggish body into his, conjoining our warm and pain together. His tears are mine and my mine his. I want to hug him. To kiss him. But it's like I'm a soulless puppet who can only watch as he cries out and curses my killer out for coming after me. His tender voice sounds familiar but as my head grows heavy so do my feeling for him. I can feel his beating heart, the joy at finding me. Yet at the same time seeing me in this current state of mine corrupts his heart with sadness. In these times of death and regret I can only think of one thing to say to him before I depart from this word. "I.....I didn't want to pull you into.....this....I.....love....you."

"Pryor! Baby, wake up." I open my eyes and give breath to the pepper mint scent and warm, heating body lying beside me on my bed. Jonah stares at me with his beautiful, shimmering green eyes as they light up in the dark. His hands lie on top of mine as he shifts upright in the bed and takes me along with him. I comb a hand through my streak and feel the rush of blood drain from my face. "You scared me, you nut-burglar." He breathes deeply before sighing. "You don't remember falling asleep in the car? You should have told me you were a deep sleeper. Thankfully your mom let me put you to bed." I blink once and double check my clothes. I'm still wearing my dress from the party; my cheeks fluster as I growl and hide my face with my sleeve. Jonah moves towards me and removes it, smooching my cheek with his soft lips. "What happened? I heard you talking in you sleep." Crap. I snatch my and back and rock myself back and forth while trying to come up with some kind of excuse. He won't leave the issue alone if my lie doesn't sound convincing. Plus he told me before not to lie to him right? I promised him too-but this is the one thing I plan to never share with anyone....even if that includes the person I love the most. Probably more than my own life.

I sigh and lay back on my pillow, thinking about the voices in my dream. I may have been focusing on the boy cuddling me in his arms-but about the ones dealing with my killer, now that's new. Jonah stands over top of me and interlocks our fingers together. He then lays his head gently on my neck and gives it a light kiss before his breathing makes my heart beat with excitement. "Did it scare you? Was it a nightmare?" I open my mouth to answer his question but instead manage to utter a smile, one that is easily reassured by the people in my family. If it doesn't trick Jonah than nothing else will. "No, nothing like that. There was this one scene that was just too overwhelming, it filled me with joy."

"But then why'd you say 'I didn't mean to pull you into this?' And then you said I love....you." Double crap. What is with me and my big mouth sometimes? Next time I'm leaving a pile of tape on my nightstand for good measure. Well actually to be completely honest, they're might not be a second time if I tell Jonah everything about my future. How we won't be together for much longer-and how he'll be alone again. I never thought in a million years the urge to cry so badly drifted me off. Clenching his shirt close to me, my face buries in his attracting smell as his mouth comes close and rubs through my hair. "What's wrong? It was a nightmare wasn't it?" My head moves on its own and he changes directions, leaning on my left, he tries to brush my tears away, taking the make-up with it.