I can feel the awareness dripping from my body. My sight was zeroing in on one thing and one thing only.

Cole

His body was lying in my arms. His blue eyes were looking up into mine. My heart is beating so hard, I can feel it in my ears. A foggy feeling covers my entire body. My fingers have this tingling sensation in them as I recognize the warm substance on them to be Cole's blood.

The bullet hit him in the chest. I'm fully aware of the survival rate of a chest wound, but I couldn't possibly fathom the reality of that right now.

"Baby, talk to me," I see Cole attempting to close his eyes through my tear blurred ones.

"Cole, you can't leave me here."

I shake him, trying to get him to open his mouth.

As he moves his lips blood trickles down his chin. His eyes turn from a striking blue to a dull blue in seconds. His lips turn from a luscious pink to a tired gray. I think is the moment where I lost my mind if not prior to this-

"I know it hurts maybe, but you have to stay awake," I start rocking back and forth with him in my arms. "Baby, please stay awake, I don't know what I'd do without you,"

"Y'all, if this is a prank tell me now," I look around at the rest of the room.

Everybody seems to be still

Cazadores was on the ground, Elijah was standing next to Cazadores, and Angel was looking intensely at me.

"Cazador- whatever the fuck you name is!" I sneer harshly, "You better kill yourself because I promise you, you will die a slow and painful death at the hands of me!"

"Lore-"

"Fuck off!" I scream at Elijah even attempting to talk to me right now, "Don't fucking call me that!"

I look back down at Cole, his eyes fluttering slightly.

"Why didn't just let it hit me?" I whisper into his neck, "You're so stupid, so, so stupid,"

His lips stutter over themselves, "Incluso en la muerte, siempre te amaré,"

(Even in death, I will always love you)

"Stop, don't say that," I remove my body from under him and attempt to apply pressure on his wound.

"Don't fucking say that"! I scream, "Y-you're not leaving me."

Cole attempts to speak again, but he just enters a coughing fit. Blood escaping from his mouth more by each cough. I've never seen him so sickly. All I can think of is when we were just talking last night.

We laid in bed, staring at the clear dark sky. Cole spoke only of our future together. He stated all the improvements that he would make to the mafia back home. He expressed to me that he was tired of dealing with these other people and was going to slowly wane off of the mafia scene.

"B-baby," My chest heaves, "You can't die on me,"

"If you die, they might as well take me with you," I try to wipe the blood from his mouth, "I don't know what I'd do without you at this point,"

Cole's eyes finally shut fully.

"Open your eyes," I command frantically, "Cole, open your eyes."

Cole's eyes don't move.

"Open your fucking eyes!" I yell.

Elijah comes and pulls me off of him. I kick and scream, but I can't get loose from his grip.

"Please just open your eyes." I plead.

"You have to go so I can take him to the hospital," Elijah explains as he walks me over to Angel.

"No!" I scream, "I'm not leaving him!"

"You have to Lor- Rose,"

I turn my head to face him, "You would think that, wouldn't you?"

He pauses, before pushing me over to Angel.

***

It's been three days

I was told that by Angel today.

Three days in America, half a day in France. The doctors thought it would be better treatment if he was treated in an American hospital. My view for the past days has been only of Cole. His body looked peaceful in the bed, but the monitor above him showed that he was still fighting.

"You should eat," Elijah enters the room.

"Fuck off,"

"Could you not be a bitch for just like one second?" He snaps, almost as fast as the words exit his mouth, I'm on my feet.

"Elijah, please keep testing me," I fire back, "My gun burns against my body, please give me a reason to use it!"

"You're not the only one that's upset," He comments agai.

Shut. The. Fuck. Up.

"Elijah, please leave me alone," I quiet down, returning to my spot next to Cole's hospital bed.

"Can we-" He sighs, "Can we just get along?"

"Look, we have to be here together, so we might as well make the best of it. Besides, I hate fighting with someone that's supposed to be my side, nevertheless my sister."

"Or you could just not talk to me," He sits on the couch farthest from me in the room, "That works too."

I, again, don't say anything. I just look at Cole. I don't want to do anything, I don't want to hear anything.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Elijah, unfortunately, speaks again.

"Thinking of you shutting up,"

"No, seriously, run me through your thought process,"

I think about it, "If something happens to Cole you might as well just take me with him,"

"That's a bit extreme-"

"I didn't tell you for your opinion, I told you so you'd know what to do,"

"You know he loves you right? I know he would want you to know that."

I keep quiet as a single tear rolls down my cheek. My whole face is in flames as my heart aches at his words. I want Cole to say that to me.

I just want to hear him say it one more time

It increasingly becomes harder to hold back my emotions. My shoulders start to shake and my throat begins to tighten. My breathing becomes deeper and my eyes finally realize the tears. I feel like I can't breathe anymore. Hopelessness courses my veins as I can't do anything about this situation.

"It's alright, everything is going to be okay," Elijah coos as he embraces me. "Cole is strong I doubt a bullet would kill him. Especially if it means leaving you behind,"

"If he were to leave this earth right now, knowing it was while protecting you, his soul would be at rest."

I'm not even trying to hear that last part

The monitor starts to make this loud beep noise. The green line shown on it goes flat. Elijah's eyes widen and he runs over to Cole.

"Eli, what's that mean?"

He doesn't answer, still searching for something on the bed.

"Elijah, answer me, what the fuck does that mean?"

"Nurse! We need a nurse!" He yells, again ignoring my request.

I look closer at the monitor and all zeros are shown. My chest starts to heave again, whether I was crying or not at this point, I can't even tell. My sight starts to fog and my hearing goes in and out.

The door bursts open and multiple voices are heard. The last thing I hear before everything becomes black is: