After Midnight

Chapter 40

Dalton's POV. One year later.

I visit her grave often. I don't think I've ever been this depressed. It's been over a year since she died, and ah mince everyone of those men have been either put to sleep or locked up for life. I think death was an easy way out for what they've done.

"I met a new girl", I said, sitting next to her grave."Her name is Amy. She's helping me get over you. Over your death. Barry and I have become a lot closer, which would have made you happy. You were always trying so hard to help us", I pulled my knees to my chest and rubbed the tears out of my eyes."I wish people could have understood why I loved you so much. I don't understand it myself. And, I want to love her as much as I still love you, but I'm getting sick of trying. She knows it too. She knows everything I'm telling you. If you were here, you'd tell me to get over you. You'd tell me that it's not healthy for my heart. And then you would put your tiny had over my heart, and you would just feel it. You have no idea how crazy you drove me when you did that", I shook my head and looked down at my arm."My burns have healed..", I took off my jacket."And I got a lot of tattoos", I looked down at my sleeved arms."I covered every scar. Every burn", I felt my eyes water again. This time I couldn't stop myself from crying. The sad part, is that every one if these has a meaning. And there are a lot", I pointed to the moon I had on my arm."Everyone asks me what this one is for. I just tell then I lost a friend, and that I'd rather not get in to detail", I put my hand on her gravestone."The night that you died, I was so mad at everyone. At everything. I even yelled at the moon", I laughed, wiping my tears."But it yelled back, and it's voice was yours. It told me to be a man, and that you were okay. That was all it ever told me. But that was enough, because I know that you are safe. You're even safer than you were with me and Barry. Oh, and he goes by Trevor now. Says that 'Barry' reminds him too much of you, which I understand. You said our names a lot. Most of the times I wanted to laugh at you, because it was funny how you would always scold us like you were our mother or something. I miss you, love", I let my hand drop from the cold stone."And I love you so much"

I put my head in my hands and started crying hard. After a few minutes of me crying, I felt two hands on my back and wrap around me. I looked back and saw my light red haired girlfriend behind me.

"I thought I might find you here", she said. She sat by me, avoiding Rain's grave, and she wiped my tears.

"I'm Amy", She said to her grave."I'm so glad I finally got to meet you", She out her hand on top of the grass that was above her grave, and looked up at me."She was so beautiful. No wonder you loved her", She said. I had showed her a picture or Rain before. She's always been supportive of this. I do love her. I love her so much it hurts, but there will always be a little extra flame in my heart that burns for her. For Rain. It rains a lot more now that she's gone. The town still blames Dane and the rest of her family. They didn't take it well at all when they found out she was  gone. Her dad screamed so loud that the whole neighborhood called the cops.

They found my mom in the basement of the house. They hurt her, but not as bad as they could have. Just enough to give her terrors at night. But my new stepdad, Rick is a big help. He taught me everything my real dad never taught me.

"Hey", Amy whispered. She held my face and wiped my tears."You can talk to me about anything. I'm serious, anything. Wether is Rain, or it's those...those terrible people, you can trust me. I will listen, I promise. I know you still love her, and I know that you still stay up at night thinking about her, and I am okay with that. Because I know that you love me too"

"You deserve all my attention though", I bit my lip."And I'm not giving that to you. I'm so sorry. I don't know what it is. I just, I can't get over her"

"It's okay. You two have been through so much together. It's going to take time. And I'll be right here to help you through it"

"How did I get so lucky", I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her neck.

"You spilled all of your coffee on me, that's how"

"That's so cliché", I laughed. She pulled out of the hug and kissed me.

"As long as I can be cliché with you, I'm okay with that"

I hugged her tight and closed my eyes.

"Thank you", I said, running her back a little.

"I'm always here", She said, putting her hand over my heart."Even if I'm not physically here, I am always with you"

I blinked away the tears in my eyes, remembering the last words Rain had said to me. And with one last breath, I took all the courage I had left in me, and I stood up. I looked at her grave, and for the first time, I said goodbye.