121 Degrees

Broken Hearts

Joshua's POV:

I had to get to the sauna. I'd never run so fast in my life, terror flooded me as my frantic heart beat like a bird trapped in a cage. I had no idea where I was going, but I knew I was going to get there in time. I HAD to. I stopped for a slight breather, clutching the stitch in my chest, and I heard Samantha screaming for help. They were nearby.

I dashed in the direction of the screaming, and soon saw the sauna. I also saw Wing walking to the door with another grenade. I kicked my exhausted legs into full gear and ran as fast as my body would allow. I saw him stop and get against the wall. I was a few feet away, and I saw him lift it up, ready to pull the pin. I was a foot away, and I shouted "NO!" in a feral scream. I tackled him to the ground, but he'd already pulled the pin and thrown it to the door.

I dived for it and caught it, I threw it behind me and it exploded quite nearby me, but it didn't do too much damage. I reached into my pocket and grabbed the key before unlocking the door. I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my back, a shout of piercing agony escaped from me and Wing's voice whispered in my ear "You lose." before a fist flew past me and hit Wing in the face, making him recoil, and it gave me time to fling the door open, letting the badly burned trio outside at last.

Ryan wasted no time in launching himself at Wing and laying punch after punch after punch on his face. Melissa dashed around the door and saw the state I was in. There was blood draining from my wound, and I felt exhausted. But I'd done it. I'd saved them. I'd saved Melissa.

Melissa's POV:

"Joshua!" I shouted, as I pressed the wound in his stomach harder still. I had to stop the blood flow. "Sam!" I said to her, she wheeled round "Get some help! Now!" She ran off in the direction of the resort, white as a sheet.

He heaved a sigh of relief, I was almost in tears. "You came." I said, shaking.

"I did it, Melissa." He replied, he looked as though he had no blood left "As long as you-"

"-NO!" I answered, cutting him off "You're going to make it through this!" I told him, though I knew it wasn't true. He was going to die, and there was nothing I could do.

"Melissa...can I make one last request?" he asked, very weakly, blood continuing to pour from the wound.

"Anything, love." I replied, already sobbing.

"Can I get a farewell kiss from the woman I love?" he asked, almost whispering.

My response was to let my lips come onto his, but after a second something in his kiss seemed to vanish. The hand holding my shoulder fell, and Joshua-my stalker, my rescuer, was dead against the sauna.

My heart was sinking, my body was shaking all over, and tears were pouring from my eyes like blood from Joshua's body. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and knew that Ryan had come to join me. Just to be alive myself was because of the man in front of me, and I couldn't appreciate the fresh air I breathed without him here to share it.

I saw an ambulance driving over to us, but I didn't care. This was a wound I knew aspirin and bandages could not heal. Not even time could heal this unbearable pain. Samantha sat next to me and I heard her sobbing too. She reached out to him, and her fingers slid his eyelids down over the eyes that were no longer seeing the sky above us.

Over the next hour, the three of us were given things to help cure pains on the outside, but there was nothing that could be done for the deep and penetrating scar that Joshua's sacrifice had left on us. That was when I learned that Joshua wasn't dead-not truly. Our lives kept his memory alive, and as long as that memory remained, Joshua was not dead.

Our love kept his sacrifice alive. My love for my stalker, my equal, and my hero. Joshua Grayham.