Lies

Chapter 14

I felt a sharp pain in my side and I immediately dropped behind a car. I held my hand to my side for a few seconds before pulling it away. I looked down at my hand and almost threw up at the sight. My hand was covered in hot red liquid and I could smell the copper in the air. I pushed my hand back into my side and looked around for Shadow. He had just realized that I wasn't behind him, which made him hesitate for a second.

He saw where I was and dropped behind a car before the gunmen were able to shoot him. He quickly made his way over to me and gave me a confused look, until he saw my side and the puddle of blood on the floor that was steadily growing. His face paled whiter than I had ever seen on him, which made me think that a hit like the one that I had gotten was fatal. The area around the wound was growing numb, along with my fingers and toes. I looked up at the ceiling as Shadow tried to stop the blood flow, but I looked down after a few seconds.

I said quietly, "It's pointless. There's no way that I'm getting out of here now. Leave Shadow. Get out of here."

He shook his head and said forcefully, "Not without you."

He picked me up into his arms, but I was too tired to fight against him. He carried me away from the car and I heard a few more gunshots go off. Shadow moved quickly, so we weren't hit with any bullets, but he was only able to move me to the farthest point away from the gunmen. He set me back down on the ground and the movement made me hiss through my teeth.

He whispered quickly, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

I shook my head and said, "It's not your fault."

"If I hadn't made you run towards the door...I could've made another distraction."

I shook my head and said, "Hey at least I tried something new."

I smiled weakly at him and I saw tears prick his eyes.

I said quietly, "It's not your fault. Don't think that it is Shadow."

He shook his head and I said mockingly, "Stubborn boy."

He laughed a little and smiled down at me. I heard gunshots go off and sparks flew just a few feet above us. Shadow covered my body with his until the sparks were gone and then he looked behind us back towards the gunmen. He looked back at me and picked me up gingerly. He carried me over behind a car and set me down slowly.

He said, "I'll be back."

He slunk away and I knew that he was going to take care of the gunmen. After a few seconds, I heard a few more gunshots go off, but the sound of one gun was quickly cut off and I knew that Shadow had gotten at least one guy. The gunshots continued, but one by one, they all stopped suddenly and I heard grunts from the men that Shadow was taking out. I heard footsteps running towards me and I knew that it was Shadow. He ran over to me and checked my side.

He said, "A guy was able to send out a call for help before I took care of him, so we have to leave."

He picked me up, but I hissed loudly from the pain. He set me back down and we both knew that I wouldn't be able to move.

Shadow said almost to himself, "Getting outside isn't going to be the hard part. Once we're outside I might be able to take them if I put you down somewhere safe."

I looked down and sighed in defeat. We both knew that there was no way that I was going to get out alive. I looked down at my side and it was almost as if I felt the blood leaving my veins and pouring out onto the concrete floor. I started to hyperventilate when my heart started to beat irregularly, which made Shadow's eyes go wide.

He shook his head and said, "I'm not going to lose you. Not now."

He moved so he was sitting behind me and he put his legs on my sides. He pulled me closer to him and I laid against his chest willingly. He put his hand over my heart and controlled his breathing.

I said through breaths, "You need...to leave."

He shook his head and said, "Match your breathing with mine."

He breathed in deeply and I tried to match my breathing with his.

He said as we breathed together, "You're the only person in my life that I truly care about and I feel like I don't know you at all."

I smiled sleepily and asked him, "What's your...favorite color?"

I heard him laugh and he said, "Black, obviously. Yours?"

"Blue, ...like the sky."

He whispered in my ear, "You're the only person who has taught me how to care. Everyone else in the world only cares about themselves and selfishly goes through life. You're the first person that I felt like I could relate to. I'm glad I met you Aleksandria Baynes."

"And I'm glad...I met you...Shadow."

"Bradan."

"What?"

"My actual name is Bradan Sampson. I know I said it that night we had pizza, but I just wanted you to know I wasn't lying or making a name up. I just wanted you to know."

I said quietly, "I like...that name. "

I started to feel sleepy, almost as if the lack of blood was making my body fall asleep to make more. I started to close my eyes, but Shadow shook me a little to keep me awake.

He said, "Don't close your eyes. Please."

"I was...just resting...them."

I heard him force a laugh, but he didn't say anything more. He breathed in evenly, but I started to feel little drops of water on my head and I knew that he was crying. I brought my hand up clumsily and rubbed his hand that was over my heart. I tried to keep my eyes open, but my eyelids started to become heavier than ever before. I blinked as fast as I could so I wouldn't be tempted to keep them closed when I blinked slowly. I breathed in fully, but my breathing was ragged and hitched. It started to become harder to breath and I knew that I was about to die.

I willingly closed my eyes and was about to accept darkness, but Shadow pulled me out by saying, "I wish it was me in your place. I wish I could go back and change it."

I barely breathed out, "I...wouldn't..."

I felt my last breath leave my lungs and I closed my eyes slowly, as if I was falling asleep. Shadow's concerned voice drifted into the distance, but a warm spread through my whole body. I felt my heartbeat slow down tremendously and I knew that I was dead.