Avenging Love

Chapter Forty-two

Last Chapter!

Jennifer's POV:

We were on the floor, the chill of the unforgiving surface seeping into my knees. His weight rested heavily against me, but I refused to loosen my grip. My arms stayed wrapped around him, holding on for dear life, as if letting go might mean losing him entirely.

My hand pressed harder against his stomach, trying to stop the constant bleeding. Warm, sticky blood pooled between my fingers, no matter how desperately I tried to stop it. Too much. Too fast. I felt the panic rising in my chest, tears streaming down my cheek.

His breathing was shallow, each gasp a struggle. I could hear it, the ragged, desperate sound of air being pulled into his lungs. His chest barely rose, trembling with each strained breath, his body pressed hard against mine as though seeking some comfort, some connection. His face was as pale as ash, drained of life, and sweat clung to his skin like a second layer. Every line, every muscle in his face screamed in silent agony.

And then, through the haze of pain, he moved. Slowly, his hand reached out. I watched, barely breathing, as it hovered, unsteady, before finally landing over mine. His touch was warm, though his fingers trembled. He held my hand tightly, as if afraid to let go.

I looked at him, and our eyes met. His wide, tired, yet somehow still full of something I couldn’t name. Hope. Trust. Faith. Maybe all of them. A spark of something I couldn’t let die, no matter how fragile it seemed.

"Please... don't go. Don't leave me. You're not just my angel; you're the very breath that keeps me alive. You mean everything to me, more than I could ever express in words. If this is to be my last breath, I can die in peace, but only if you forgive me. I never meant to hurt you. All I wanted was for you to know how much you mean to me, but fate was against me. If my last breath comes, let it be filled with thoughts of you, and the hope that you remember me with love."

I pressed my hand firmly over his mouth, desperate to silence him. His words cut too deep.

"Please, don’t say that, I can't bear to hear it anymore," I begged, my voice trembling, each word barely holding together.

His eyes, filled with a quiet desperation, locked onto mine. They pleaded with me in a way his voice no longer could. Slowly, I loosened my grip, and his lips brushed against my palm as he whispered,

"Say that you forgive me."

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The weight of those words crushed the air from my lungs.

I nodded, unable to find my voice, as tears rolled freely down my cheeks. The sight of my silent agreement seemed to bring him peace. His gaze softened, and his lips curled into a faint, bittersweet smile.

I wanted to scream, to cry, to beg him to stay. But the moment felt sacred, fragile, as if anything louder than the sound of my breaking heart would shatter it entirely. So I held his gaze, nodded once more, and let the tears speak the words I couldn’t.

"Now, I’m okay. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine," he said softly.

His hand reached up, trembling slightly, as he wiped a tear from my cheek with a tenderness that made my heart ache.

I nodded, swallowing hard against the lump forming in my throat.

"You have to be fine," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

He gave me a weak smile, one that seemed meant to comfort me but only deepened the weight pressing against my chest. I wanted to believe him, to cling to his words like a lifeline. I nodded again, as if my agreement alone could compel him to keep his promise.