Loving the Dead

Chapter 34

Everything seemed to move in slow motion.

My breathe stopped as Breccan's smirk disappeared into one of disbelief. He fell to the ground and started clutching his chest.

I got up off my knees and ran towards him, tears just flowing down my face in regret.

I bent down and put his face in my hands.

"Breccan, just breathe. I can fix this. Don't worry." My hands were shaking at I clutched his face, watching his life slowly drift away.

"Annora, just stop." Breccan's voice was slow and raspy. I tried holding back sobs, but the tears just kept falling.

"I'm so sorry. I was blinded by my anger. You deserve better than me. I see the love in Jacob's eyes for you. He would do anything for you. I love you, and I know you will be a great mother."

"Breccan, Breccan, please. Don't leave me. I need you." I stood over, feeling like I could do absolutely nothing.

"I will forever be with you in your mind and soul. I would never leave you."

And with one final shuddering breathe, he was gone.

I felt numb as I watched his life slip away. I kept saying his name and heard no response. I started screaming and screaming, and started banging on the sand like a child.

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

Breccan, my best friend, my companion, was forever gone. He didn't deserve a death like this.

And I had killed him.

The emotions all flooded in at once. I felt anger, shame, regret. Breccan was supposed to be by me forever.

But I guess you can't have everything you want, can you.

I looked over to see Jacob still on the ground, unconscious. His face was swollen from all of Breccan's punches, and his leg was bloody. Blood was pooling around it.

I scrambled over to Jacob, and ripped off the sleeves of my shirt to slow down the bleeding.

I lightly tapped his face and said his name, but he wasn't waking up. Fear tore through me.

I started shaking him and screamed his name. I was not going to lose him too.

I stopped shaking him and saw he wasn't waking. I just sat and cried into my hands.

"Hello, my love." I jerked my head out my hands and saw Jacob had opened his eye.

"JACOB!" I yelled, and threw myself on top of him and hugged him hard. He grunted in pain, and I remembered his leg.

"Sorry." I mumbled.

"Where's Breccan?" Jacob asked.

I stiffed up, and my heart dropped.

"Annora, what happened?" Jacob said as he gently brushed his hand against my face.

I turned my head and saw Breccan's body laying a few yards away.

"He's gone, and it's all my fault." I whispered, and a new wave of tears came out of my eyes.

"Annora. Do not blame yourself. This is my fault. If I wasn't here, none of this would have happened. You could have lived a peaceful life with him. I'm so so sorry."

I grabbed his hand and enfolded it in mine. "I fell in love with you Jacob. Do not tell me this is your fault. I will have to carry this burden of his death the rest of my life, and I know that. This was my choice. The course of true love never did run smooth." I bent over and kissed him softly on the forehead.