who is...she?

twenty-eight

alexia's pov

i stared at the screen, the message half-typed, my fingers still hovering over the keyboard. the weight of everything sat heavy on my chest. i knew i had been distant—pushing people away, including her. my girlfriend, my anchor, the one who had been there for me through everything. and yet, i couldn't bring myself to open up. i didn't know how to explain what i was feeling, how broken i was inside. but now, the guilt was eating away at me, and i couldn't let it fester any longer.

"i'm sorry i've been so distant," i typed. "i'm trying to get better, but i know i've hurt you. can we talk?" i hesitated, my thumb hovering over the send button. "i love you"

i pressed send and leaned back against the couch, staring at the screen, waiting for the three dots to appear. nothing. i glanced at the clock. it was late, and she'd told me earlier that she was going out with her friends. probably at some club, letting off steam. maybe she was too busy to notice my message right now.

i sighed, feeling the tension coil in my chest. i should've said something sooner. i should've opened up to her instead of retreating into myself. but i couldn't change the past. all i could do was wait.

a strange sense of unease washed over me, and i shook my head, trying to dismiss it. she'd reply when she could. she always did.

friend's pov

the music pulsed through the club, vibrating beneath my feet as we danced, the beat loud enough to drown out everything else. we were all here to have fun, to let go of the stress that had been building up. i glanced over at her—alexia's girlfriend—laughing with us, her face lit up by the flashing lights. it was good to see her like this, carefree for once.

we'd been here for hours now, drinks flowing, the energy buzzing. people were packed on the dance floor, no one ready to leave yet. she kept checking her phone between songs, probably waiting for a message from alexia. they hadn't been in the best place lately, but she didn't seem worried tonight. maybe things were getting better.

i was mid-conversation with one of the girls when i saw her look up from her phone, a soft smile on her lips. she must've gotten a message from alexia. i was about to tease her when something—no, someone—caught my eye.

a man, standing at the edge of the dance floor, staring straight at her. there was something off, something cold about the way he looked at her. my heart dropped. i wanted to say something, but before i could move, the music seemed to fade, and time slowed.

he pulled out a gun.

everything froze.

the sound of the shot shattered the air, cutting through the music like a scream. people started shouting, ducking, running. but i couldn't move. my legs were like stone, my mind struggling to catch up.

and then i saw her fall.

one second she was there, and the next, her body hit the ground, her head snapping back as blood pooled beneath her.

i screamed her name, my voice barely registering in the chaos. i ran to her, dropping to my knees beside her. my hands shook as i reached out, but the moment i touched her, i knew. i knew.she was gone.

the world around me blurred, the screams, the flashing lights, the chaos all faded into nothing. all i could see was her lifeless body, the blood, the look on her face—so peaceful, so wrong.

"call an ambulance!" i yelled, my voice breaking, even though i knew it was too late. i grabbed her phone from the floor, still open to a message from alexia.

i love you.

and she'd never get to read it.

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