On The Run

Chapter Twenty-Three

I let out a scream and lean down, shaking him hard.

"AJ! No, AJ!" I scream, and he shudders in my grasp.

His eyes lock onto mine and I scream as he goes rigid in my arms, before remembering the cause of this in the first place.

I spin around, and sure enough there stands Joey, gun pointed directly at my face.

"Don't move, I don't want to have to do this to you too," he warns, and I look down at AJ, trying to keep my composure.

"Joey, why? Why are you doing this?" I question tiredly, and tears begin to run down his cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry Rosalie, I am. B-but... But he has my family. I love you Rosalie I do, but what about my family?" He cries, and I frown sadly.

"Put down the gun, Joey."

He shakes his head and takes another step closer to me.

"I love you Rosalie. Don't you see what this has done to me?"

I can't bring myself to tear my gaze from his crazed, bitter, blue eyes.

"I don't know who you are, but you're not the same boy I used to know!" I shriek, and he suddenly lurches forward, reaching for my neck.

In a quick movement I kick the gun from his hands, pushing him up against the wall and sending it skidding across the room.

"I'm sorry, Rosalie." He whispers, and suddenly there is an aching pain in my lungs, as if something is squeezing them together, allowing no air through.

Joey shoves me onto the floor with a look of remorse and I glance down to see a knife sticking out of my skin.

With the last of my strength I tug it out, launching it at Joey, and with a sickening crunch I watch as it hits him right in the neck, and he immediately crumples to the floor.

The last wish I have before everything goes dark is for AJ. It's my fault he's involved with this and if anyone deserves to die it should be me, not him.