After She Left

SIXTEEN

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."

-Dr. Seuss

Eden's POV 

"You're so beautiful, Ru," I whispered, kissing down her neck.

She laughed in response, pushing me back slightly, as she started unbuttoning my shirt. She was doing it slowly, a teasing smile decorating her gorgeous face.

I traced her leg with my arm, feeling her tense underneath my touch as my hand got closer to her inner thigh, playing with the side of her thong. Her expression changed immediately as well, her eyes turning slightly darker.

"Just take them off already," she whispered, as she kissed my lips.

"Eden."

I grinned: "your wish is my command, princess."

"Eden."

She smiled, flipping us around so that now she was on top: "this is why I love you."

"Eden, wake up!"

I opened my eyes, Blake standing in front of me, showing the worst undereye circles I'd ever seen. For a second I thought I should tell him to get some sleep, whilst the dried blood on his shirt reminded me of the situation we were in.

"How long was I asleep for?" I asked, looking around the colorless room.

"An hour," he ran a hand through his hair, "you should go to a hotel and get some proper sleep sis."

"No," I replied immediately, "you're the one looking like s**t. I can stay here, don't worry about it."

He smiled the weakest smile I'd ever seen: "not happening."

I looked to my side, seeing Luke sleeping in the hospital bed, attached to multiple machines, rubbing my eyes: "at least go and get other clothes for when this i***t wakes up. It might just kill him to see you have a s**t sense of fashion."

"I don't want to leave you alone," he responded, an ounce of fear apparent in his voice.

I ran a hand through my hair: "I won't leave Luke's side only to go and put myself in the same or even worse position than he is in. Especially not even knowing what I would be dealing with."

I suppose he understood there's no point in having this conversation as he nodded, leaving the room, "I'll check on Lilly before I leave."

Moving my chair closer to Luke's bed, I put my hand in his: "it's going to be fine, buddy. We'll get through this."

We'll get through this, I kept repeating to myself.

.

.

.

I woke up to the far too familiar feeling of metal blade digging into my throat.

"You're going to get out of this bed quietly and walk out of this room with me right now," I heard the familiar girl's voice in my ear.

I complied. Normally, I would have killed the person on the spot, but the fact that Ruby was sound asleep and vulnerable in the bed with me made me comply. She was the one I was meant to protect after all.

After getting out of the bed, we walked out of the bedroom, her leading us further from it with each step. It took me a few seconds before I put two and two together. I wasn't protecting Ruby by leaving, I was leaving her even more vulnerable to what was to come and that's exactly what they, whoever they are, wanted.

"I give you 3 seconds to tell me why I should let you live," I said to her.

"Come on, Ed, you know these tricks don't work on me," Angel said, digging the dagger deeper into my skin, making blood drip down my neck.

She was doubting the person that made her who she was today. She was doubting me. No one should ever doubt their teacher.

"Time's over," I said, flipping her over my head, breaking her hand in the process. As she laid on the ground, I grabbed the knife, sitting on her as she laughed.

"I'll give you 3 more seconds, just because I've known you for years," I warned, thinking of ways to kill her.

She laughed: "she's dead, Ed. You're all-"

For a split second, just a split one did I try to give her the benefit of a doubt. I thought about what the hell had to happen for her to turn onto her closest people, we were a family after all. But then that split second was over and I killed her.

I stabbed her in the heart before she could finish the sentence and watched her smile widen: "I changed my mind. See you in hell, Ang."

I pulled the knife out of her chest, looking at the light in her eyes fading: "such a disappointment."

I got up as quickly as I could, rushing back to the bedroom. I scanned each room on the way, making sure none of the very unintelligent people that thought they could get away with this had any chance to getaway. But to my surprise - there were none. There was no team of people, which made me fasten my pace even more.

"I.. " I heard Luke's voice and a slam.

"Told.." another slam.

"You to.."

"Not break.." I found him in the next room, his hand gripping the person head who's head was split open due to being slammed against a wall repeatedly.

"My fucking.." I walked closer to Luke, trying to talk to him.

"Luke, it's fine, he's.." the last slam was probably the hardest considering the blood splashed everywhere.

"Dead," Luke turned around with a grin on his face, "I know. That's what you get for breaking a 200$ bottle of vodka. What's going on here, Ed? Where's Lilly?"

I picked up and threw him his gun that stood on his shelf: "there's someone on the inside trying to f**k us over."

He nodded, moving to the door: "let's find that motherfucker before he causes more damage then."

The fact that I couldn't see Blake anywhere worried me. Never would I think my brother could be responsible for this, yet I had to keep my mind open. Whoever it knew us for our whole lives yet still betrayed his own family. For what? I wish I knew.

"Eden!" I heard a distant shout from the opposite side we were headed to.

We started running to the direction, soon enough finding no one else than Andre becoming quite frustrated with Ruby, a gun in his hand.

She stood there still in her silk PJ's, her feet completely bare. I couldn't see her face though, considering her back was turned on us, but I swore to myself I'd kill the bastard with my bare hands if he ever laid a finger on her.

And then I did something I knew I'd regret the second I did it - I gave him a chance: "you better put that gun down Andre."

Ruby's head turned around the same second Andre pulled her closer, using her as a shield, placing the metal gun to her head. My gaze was focused on Andre, so was my gun and my desire to kill.

A small part of me hoped he would of put it down, that I wouldn't need to shoot him because this was all a part of some sick joke. I couldn't even hear him, or Luke or even Ru as they had the worst small talk of their lives.

And the next thing I knew I was on the ground, on my knees, trying to apply pressure on the shot wound, trying to save the life of a person I considered my brother. As far as I knew, he might have been the closest thing to a family left after today.

"No.." I tried slapping him, checking his pulse, "no, no, no."

I heard her fight, I heard her fall, I saw her eyes begging me to free her, to do something, but I couldn't. For once I actually couldn't make the situation any better, which was quite ironic considering I had had multiple chances before, never had I used them, yet not that I wished I could I did anything but.

I looked at her, giving her silent apologies. I would not be able to put her first, not over my family and I hoped she would understand. But I knew she might not. She might be dead by the time I got the chance to make it right.

And so I let her go, not even hearing what that sad excuse of a best friend told me as he carried her away.

I kept on working on Luke, ripping his shirt to tie it around his waist, still trying to add as much pressure on the wound as I could. And then I lost him, the pulse wasn't there anymore, nothing helped, no matter how many rounds of pressing on his heart and breathing in his mouth I did. I still kept going, no matter how much the puddle of blood grew, I refused to give up.

Until I was forced away by no one else than Blake, medics taking over, carrying him away.

I just remember it being silent. So silent you get scared, yet at the same time, you can't even feel anymore. You just exist, your brain chopped up, fried and served for dinner by the number of things that happened in only 20 minutes.

20 minutes. Or was it 10? Or perhaps a second? I think it was even less. It takes so little for your life to be changed forever.

Sometimes, only sometimes do you get the chance to make it better. And if you get it, you better use it.