*********

"Riley! Come on Riley! Ugh!" I hit the steering wheel in stress and anger.

Riley can't die.

I reach down and grab her wrist checking for a pulse. I sigh in relief once I find it.

"Riley, please don't give up," I beg as I step down on the gas pedal.

I need to get to a hospital.

I enter New York in under ten minutes. The roads are in horrible condition due to the snow, but that doesn't stop me from driving at a hundred kilometres per hour.

The same thought keeps running through my mind.

I can't let Riley die. I can't let Riley die. I can't let Riley. I can't.

Within ten minutes, I fin the nearest hospital and quickly park.

Looking at her, I curse mentally as I realize I can't take her in. The staff will ask too many questions I can't answer.

Nervously, I look around to come up with an idea. When I see an ambulance with its door's left open, I get an idea.

"Riley. I don't know if you can hear me, but I need you to stay strong just for a little bit longer. Please," I beg.

She's starting to get pale, and that just motivates me more to get on with my idea so before I exit the car, I land a small kiss on her forehead.

Leaving my car, discreetly I enter the ambulance. I close the door and look for clothes a doctor would wear. Once I find them, I quickly change.

Taking a deep breath, I climb out of the car and walk into the hospital. I keep my frame straight trying to blend in with confidence.

Walking through the hospital, I stop at a storage closet. I make sure no one sees me just before I enter. I take a plastic bag and stuff it with bandages, anaesthetic, pain killers, needles, string for the stitches, utensils and disinfectant.

I immediately exit the room and hurriedly walk through the halls once again.

I'm just glad I know how to stitch up wounds.

I stop in the lobby seeing there's a payphone. I need a place to stay and I can't take her to a hotel. They'll ask way too many questions too, so I decide to call my old friend, Liam.

After six rings, he picks up.

"Hello?"

"Ah- Liam? It's me Heath. I know we haven't talked in a while, but I'm in town and I need an immediate place to stay."

The words come out in a hurry.

"Hey, man. Don't worry about it. The old house should be empty right now, the key's are under the mat. Everything okay?"

"Yeah man thanks," I state.

"I'll try to come by," he says.

"K man." I end the call. I run out and into the car. Riley looks paler then ever, so I check for a pulse again. It's there, but it's dangerously slow making my heart sink. I start the car and drive off to the old house.

I get to the house in five minutes and carry Riley in after parking the car in the garage. The car was severely damaged by bullets, and I can't risk any neighbours calling the police because of it.

I lay Riley down on the bed. I check her forehead and she was turning cold.

"Okay, Riley just please work with me. I can't do this alone."

I can feel my voice breaking.

Come on Heath.

I start by taking off her shirt. I move her bra strap to the side, and look at the bullet. I can see it with my bare eye's meaning it wasn't that deep in, so it shouldn't have hit anything major. I wash my hands and start by injecting some anaesthetic. I clean the utensils, and dig in to take the bullet out.

My hands trembling, I pull my hands back for a second to get my mind straight.

You're not a science student or doctor, but Heath you can do this. If you don't she dies for sure.

Once I'm done consulting myself, I start again. After five minutes, the bullet is finally out and I immediately stitch up the wound trying to avoid it from getting contaminated. I clean up around the stitches, but when my eyes land on her face. My heart skips a beat.

I gulp and reach for her arm. I look for a pulse. Searching for what feels like an eternity, I can't find it. I put my fingers by her nostrils to check for air.

Nothing.

I lay my head down on her chest where her heart should be pumping.

Nothing.

My head shoots up just as a tear strays down my cheek.

"Riley? RILEY! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" I stand up frustrated with no response.

"YOU FUCKING CAN'T LEAVE RILEY! You need to fight! I know you must be tired you've been doing it your whole life, but for me." I kneel down beside her.

"Riley please. Please, you can't leave me. You can't leave Jen, Dylan, Ian or Kylie! There's so many people that care about you. I don't know why, but I know for sure you didn't put up a fight. Riley, if you're still in there somewhere, please come back." My eyes scan her for any movement, but her body lays numb. Tears rush down my cheeks.

"RILEY!"

Anger rises within me, and I stand up once again.

"GOD DAMIT! I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!" I pull at my hair.

"UGH! Riley," I sob. I take her hand in mine to give her heat.

"I love you," I speak softly now. "I don't know what it was or what it is about you that just drags me towards you. You don't even know how much energy is taken out of me, when I see you biting your lips or as simple as smiling and I can't just pull you closer and kiss you. It tortures me. I've never admitted it to anyone. Not even myself. But losing you without you knowing the truth would kill me. I've never been in love Riley. I don't know how. Kirsten was just a distraction for me nothing else. I love you Riley, and that's why I have to let you go. If you stay I'll let you go. I put you in this position and I'm so sorry, but I can't be with you. I'm worse than a beast. I ruined your life and I'm sorry. If you stay, I'll leave and you can start your life again. It'll kill me, but knowing that you're happy will be a million times better. Please stay. If not for me, for yourself. The Riley that I know would fight for her life. Not give up. I don't care if that's the real Riley or not. I want you to fight for yourself." I stare at her.

I look away after a long endless minute. I close my eyes.

She's dead.

I look at her once again, and tighten my grip around her hand as I lean down to kiss her forehead. Her whole body was chillingly cold.

"I love you Riley." I whisper as a tear slips down from my cheek landing on hers. I scan her face for anything.

*********

*********

"He-Heath?" I ask with closed eyes. My shoulder felt heavy, and my head was throbbing.

"You're awake?" Shock visible in his voice. I peel my eye's open to see his head hovering over my face. His eye's were swollen and puffy red. Fresh tears were visible on his cheek. He looked scared almost as if he's seen a ghost.

"What happened?" I ask as I sit up. It was unbearably painful, but I did it anyway. Heath slams me with a hug. "He-Heath? W-what happened?" I stutter. He was really hurting my shoulder, but seeing the state he was already in. I didn't want to make him feel bad.

"After you got shot, I drove as fast as I could to a hospital. Stole some necessities, performed surgery on you, and found a place to stay." He states not meeting my eyes. His hands were in mine so I started playing with them.

His eye's were full of happiness, yet I could see the stress hidden beneath as well. I don't even remember anything except that I got I shot while we were on a highway.

"Thanks. It's cold in here." I state.

"I'll turn up the heat." He gets up and turns a dial attached to the wall. "Don't say thank you. I know you would've done the same. It was nothing." He smiles. " And I'm sorry. I got you into this mess." He states.

I smile,"Like I've said I'm responsible for my actions not you. You told me to stay away from all this, but I got involved it's not your fault. Are we in New York?" He nods. "So what's the plan?" I ask as he grabs a glass of water and Tylenol. He hands it to me and I swallow the pill.

"The plan is for you to sleep here while I go out and find Mr. Bad." He states.

I raise my eyebrows," Mr.Bad? Really?" He nods proudly. I laugh," As much as I would love to sleep. We can't afford to do that. Now tell me the plan again. This time it involves me doing something more productive."

"I knew you wouldn't rest. Good thing I always have a plan B. So he's going to be at a business party tonight at Grand hotel. Only people that were invited are allowed in, so I'm going to ambush the mail man, and steal two invitations."

"Nice. What time is it?" I ask.

"It's around three in the afternoon." He states.

"Thirtieth?" He nods. We sit there quietly. I reach out for his hands which were overly hot. "You're burning up." I state. He looks up looking a little nervous.

"I'm not burning up." He states.

"No, Heath you are. You're very hot."

"I'm not hot Riley. You're just very cold." He states making me speechless.

"Ah y-yeah I mean it's probably snowing outside." I retort.

"No as in you were dead." No.

"I-I-"

"Riley you died. You had no pulse for approximately ten minutes. You weren't breathing either."

"Th-that's not possible. I wouldn't be breathing right now." I argue.

"I don't know what happened Riley. I wish I knew, but I need you to promise me that you'll fight next time."

"But-"

"Not buts Riley. You were fucking dead."

A tear slips down my eye. I was fucking dead. I didn't want to die, did I? I could have died. I was practically dead, and I accepted it? What's wrong with me? Why wasn't I scared. Everyone's afraid of death. Why wasn't I? I gave up so quick.

"I promise Heath." He smiles. "You know why I believe what you're saying?" He nods sideways. "Because you've been crying." I let out a dry laugh. I reach up to his cheeks with my good arm and wipe away his tears. "I made the bad boy cry." I laugh.

********

*********

"You made the bad boy cry." I repeat and let out a smile. You made the bad boy fall in love.

A/N:

Short but intense! How did you like it?!!!?!!!?? There were tears in my eyes as I was writing this. No joke. Who else cried???? Don't be ashamed to comment, because I totally get you!!!)':

Thanks for reading! Please vote &, or comment!

This chapter is absolutely not edited so I'm sorry for any really obvious mistakes!!