The List: One Year, One Adventure ✔️

Chapter 23: The Sound Of Her Heart Breaking Shattered The Air

Dean

She stood there motionless, her arm outstretched in front of her, her fingernails gripping into my hand like she had seen a ghost. Was she breathing, because it didn't look like it. The only movement from her frozen body were the tears streaming from her vacant eyes—streaming down her perfect cheeks, which had turned pale white. 

What had happened in that short amount of time that caused Ari to immediately change from the now vibrant person who had stolen my heart a second, third, and millionth time since I met her? The Ari that stood there motionless was a shell of the girl I loved, a corpse waiting to be buried and forgotten. 

I looked at her vacant and tear filled eyes, pleading with her to just say something. Oh god, what was happening? My heart picked up in my chest when I saw her eyes roll back into her head, only white remaining where her stunning ice-blue eyes always sat. White that caused chills to slither up my spine and clench every nerve ending, twisting like they were wringing out water from a towel. 

Her head rolled back after her eyes disappeared and her body went limp. This was the moment I wasn't prepared for, this was the worst moment of my life. I think I yelled as I rushed back to her. People were silent, frozen in place, so I must have yelled. All I could hear was what sounded like my voice booming through the room and all I could see was her lying in a heap of beautiful pink fabric on that floor.

I pulled her up to me, my hands around her body. "Ari! Please, oh god, please. Don't do this to me. Don't do this to me! I just got you, don't leave me now!" I could hear the panic in my voice, it was so unfamiliar. This was fear.

I cradled her in my arms as I yelled for someone to call someone, anyone... A woman came rushing over to where I was kneeling, holding Ari in my arms, clutching her to my chest like a protective animal would clutch their child. She tried to help, placing her hands on Ari and I instinctively growled at her like I would rip her apart if she even slightly touched her. 

I felt Venise's hand on me, pleading with me. "Dean! Please, let them help her!"

I looked up into Venise's eyes and the expression on her face was utter fear. I realized that I was shouting at her, my voice splitting any silence that may have tried to enter the frantic room. My eyes were like molten lava, no longer the calm blue of the ocean that soothed Ari when she stared into them. My grip on her couldn't be broken as several people tried to pry her out of my strong arms.

I felt my elbow rear back and it collided with something. I hit someone. Oh god, what's happening to me?

"Ari! Baby, please wake up. GET THE FUCK OFF ME BEFORE I KILL YOU!" I saw Patrick backing away, holding his nose, the blood gushing out of it.

Venise stepped in again and clasped her hands around the sides of my face, forcing my eyes to focus on her.

"Dean. You have to calm down. Please, let us help her." Her voice was calm and for a second, my brain resumed its duties and pushed my heart aside. My grip weakened on Ari and I felt her being pulled from my grasp.