Wretched Roses √

Chapter 33-Gone

*third-person pov because I feel like it fitted better for this chapter*

*This chapter talks about losing someone, death, sensitive subjects. If this is too much for you, feel free to skip this chapter. I tried my best to make this realistic*

Time of death,

22:34.

Leona didn't know how to feel.

They'd prepared for this moment for months, yet, nothing could prepare you for when it actually happened. She was relieved Layla wasn't in pain anymore. That she knew, that was the problem, that was the only thing she knew.

You were supposed to cry? Right? Leona didn't, not yet, at least.

It wasn't cause she didn't care, it just hadn't fully processed. Or it might have been denial, she wasn't sure. A normal response to grief, however, when everybody around you was crying, it makes you feel guilty.

Her parents were holding each other, her mom sobbing into her dad's shoulder while he cried as well. Julian buried his head into his hands, it wasn't noticeable to the eye that he was crying. But it was quite obvious. The nurse was speaking to her, she didn't hear any of it. She'd expected to cry, shake, feel.

She didn't want to, deep down, therefore, she didn't let herself. No, it had been processed. Leona just didn't know what to do now. There had been months, or even, years for her to accept it. Albeit, you couldn't really accept something like this. She'd cried for months leading up to this moment. Leona wasn't ready to cry again. It had processed, she just didn't want to believe it.

Leona wanted her twin back. That was impossible.

She'd acknowledged that fact despite not accepting it.

This wasn't it. It couldn't be. No, it couldn't be.

What the hell was she gonna do now?

Julian looked up, seeing his girlfriend's twin fo the first time since she died. He didn't know how long it had been. It might have been ten minutes, or two hours, he wasn't quite sure. She looked almost exactly like her.

It was a lot.

Not only was Julian physically weak because of his cancer, he did a bit good job at hiding it, but he also felt like he could move because then he'd been walking away from her. At the same time, he couldn't stay in the room. Seeing her was too much, it was all too much.

So he exited the house without a word and somehow made it into his car. It was all a blur. His actions didn't process. It was like he watching from an outsider's perspective, rather than with his own eyes. Julian sat in his car, for god knows how long, trying to figure out what to do.

Eventually, he drove home and lied down on his bed. Wondering if that would ever be him and hoping, Layla was at peace.

Meanwhile, Leona was still in the same spot, she had been for hours now. She was staring at a spot on the wall, her internal clock having failed hours ago. Stuck in an almost trance-like state, she didn't notice when her mom entered the room.

"Leona?" She snapped out her trance.

"Yes, mom?"

"It's late, you should get some sleep," her mom suggested. She nodded and stood up, walking to her room like it was nothing.