This Wasn't Meant To End Like This

The End

   It was July twenty-first. My birthday. I was finally eighteen. Matthew and I decided to announce our engagement at my birthday celebration with my dad and Noelie. I was obviously nervous about how they would react because we were obviously very young.
We were getting ready for the birthday celebration. I wore a black dress and had fresh braids. Matthew was casual. He was wearing a pair of Carhartt shorts, a black t-shirt with his plain white Air Force Ones.
"You look beautiful. My fiancé is gorgeous." He said as he gave me a kiss. I smiled all flustered and continued to get ready.
We went downstairs and it was all decorated nicely.
"Happy birthday!" Said my dad and Noelie. They both gave me a hug and we celebrated. We danced, ate and just had an amazing time. I went to see my dad in private and closed the kitchen door.
"Dad, I have something I want to tell you." I said.
"Go on sweetheart, what is it?" He asked.
I showed him my ring and smiled.
"A promise ring? That is fabulous  sweetheart!" He said as he hugged me.
"No dad... It's an engagement ring." I said.
He had a mix of emotions, he looked disgusted, disappointed, happy, weirded out and all sorts in the space of thirty seconds.
"What?" He asked , "You're only seventeen... Well eighteen now."
"But we're in love Dad." I said
"Jodie! You're still a child!" He said
"I'm eighteen!" I snapped
"Well you're still MY child." He said with a lot of emphasis on the 'My.'
I stood there completely torn.
"Look, I can't stop you from doing anything now. You're eighteen like you said." He said.
I looked down and tried not to cry. My dad then walked out of the kitchen, and Matthew came inside.
"Everything okay?" He asked
"I don't know. I mean... He didn't seem happy but he said he won't stop us." I responded.
Matthew gave me a hug and told me that everything would be fine and there was no need for me to worry.

As my birthday party came to an end, Matthew went home and my dad and Noelie went to sleep. I felt broken and didn't know what to do.
I laid in my bed and looked up at the ceiling not knowing what to do.
   As months passed. The summer holidays came to an end. My life hasn't been the same. Dad moved to Paris with Noelie and basically left me to fend for myself but it wasn't all bad I guess. Matthew moved in with me and we were living pretty well. None of us had a job, but Matthew's parents helped us a lot with groceries and stuff. I still hadn't told Matthew about what his father did to me and honestly I never intended to. That was until Matthew caught his father trying it with me. His parents had come over for dinner one evening and we were all participating in making the meal. At one point I was left in the kitchen alone. With his dad. I was chopping up onions when his father came behind me and was touching me. It was obvious I didn't like it and tried my best to move. Matthew then walked in and saw what his father was doing and immediately punched him in the face. It was a heat in the moment reaction, but to be honest I was happy that Matthew caught him. That all this was over.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Asked Matthew.
I stayed silent because I just couldn't conjure up the courage to say anything. Matthew then gave me the tightest hug and I balled my eyes out. I cried nonstop.
Weeks went by and I went to the police station to file a complaint. Nothing was done. Matthew was more upset than me when we found out that there was no advancement. That was when Matthew decided to take matters into his own hands. He went nuts. Insane. It was as if he'd been holding all this anger inside of him and just had to let it out.
"Where are you going Matt?" I asked.
He ignored me and continued rummaging through his stuff. I went up to him and asked again. He didn't say anything and stormed out of the house. I stood there silently in the living room contemplating whether I should follow him or not. I grabbed my coat and followed him slightly behind. He was walking, which was odd. He never liked to walk and always preferred to take his car. He finally arrived in front of his parents' house. He went inside whilst I stayed outside observing. I could hear yelling and screaming. Objects were being thrown and then it suddenly stopped. I went inside the house and was in shock. I couldn't believe what I'd seen. I saw Quentin, Matthew's dad, lying on the floor with a pool of blood around him. He looked up at me, his eyes were pleading for mercy. I walked around the house and yelled out for Matthew.
"Matthew!" I yelled.
He came from upstairs and ignored me. He had a lighter in his right hand and some sort of liquid substance in his left hand.
"Matthew what the heck are you playing at?" I said, following him around the house. He ignored me and continued rushing around.
"He hurt you. That will not slide." He said.
"Get out." He said.
I looked at him confusedly.
"What?" I answered.
"Go!" He yelled.
I left the house and stood outside...waiting.
After a good fifteen minutes, His mother came back and saw me.
"Oh! Jodie!" She said, giving me a hug.
"You cannot go in there." I said.
She looked at me funnily and scoffed before grabbing the groceries in her car boot. At that very moment, Matthew came outside of the house and came towards us, before he could say anything, police sirens started ringing in the distance. The sound of the sirens were getting closer and closer. I looked at Matthew, gave him a quick kiss and told him to run. I then turned towards what was his old childhood home and saw it burning down. Flames shot up from inside the house. Neighbours had come out to see what was going on and Matthew's mother cried in my arms.
"Why would he do this?" She cried
"My husband is inside!" She yelled as the police officers and firefighters arrived on the scene.
I managed to flee the scene and started looking for Matthew. There was an abandoned house on the end of the road, I assumed he'd go there. I was right.
"Matt?" I whispered.
He came out from the corner and gave me a hug and kiss.
"I did it for you!" He said smiling.
I looked at him with tears in my eyes
"Matt...You killed someone. Your dad" I said.
"Good. He deserved it." He said coldly.
We sat and shared a few minutes together. Expressing our love for one another. Until the police arrived. I hid behind a door and Matthew planned to give himself up.
The police stormed inside the abandoned building and told him to put his hands up. Matthew was being difficult and refusing to comply. I was behind the door hoping that he'd stop this cinema and just give himself in like he'd told me.
Before I knew it. A gunshot sound filled the room. The police officers whispered amongst themselves. I ran out from behind the door and another gunshot filled the room. Before I knew it. I was laying down on the floor, ringing in my ear and a blurred vision. The only thing I remember seeing was Matthew's lifeless body laying next to mine and a gun laying next to him. Matthew had a bullet hole right in his forehead. He shot himself.
The next thing I remember was me waking up in the middle of nowhere. White light shone through the whole place and I was met by pearly white gates.
I was looking