Page 77 of Neverland

Everything from then on, happened within a breath.

The door swung open and the smile on my beautiful Romeo’s face dropped when he saw Dominic on top of me, his nostrils flaring in rage before he turned to me.

A raw apology passing between us, a deep sorrow that we were both caught so unawares.

A heartache knowing we’d lost.

There was no time to escape. No time to say I love you.

Dominic smiled gleefully. “Congratulations, Lucy. You’ve just killed your boyfriend.”

Dominic raised his Glock, arm perfectly straight, and pulled the trigger.

There was no saving Romeo this time.

There was no bulletproof vest that would allow him to see another day. And as Dominic fired, three bullets piercing through Romeo’s bare chest, I screamed. It tore through me like a giant shard of glass, deep and guttural, my face saturated with tears of bitter hate and lost love.

Romeo hit the wall, momentarily stunned, all strength he possessed, wiped clean out of him.

With Dominic focused on his kill, I pulled myself free, crawling desperately to Romeo who was sinking to the floor leaving a blood trail on the wall.

I reached out but couldn’t touch him. I called his name but got no response.

“No, no, no, no, no!” I turned to Dominic whose smile reminded me of a game hunter who’d claimed his prize. “What have you done?” I barely managed through cries so raw. “What have you done?” I fell to the floor by Romeo’s side, heaving with sobs. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I’m so sorry.”

He blinked and I kissed his mouth gently, knowing it would be the last time. Trembling uncontrollably, I placed my hands over the bullet wounds, blood seeping between my fingers. “Don’t die, Romeo. Please don’t die,” I begged, choking for air.

I turned to the bed and reached for the knife before Dominic could react. Waving it in front, I screamed when he started toward me. “Stay away from us. You stay away!” Collapsing with my back against the wall next to Romeo, watching him take his last staggered breaths, I held his hand wishing we could go back to the Neverland treehouse where we could stare at the stars above all night.

Dominic’s smile was now empty. “You see, little Lucy. I do control everything.”

I shook my head, seething with anger and mourning for Romeo, knowing he wouldn’t survive his injuries. “No, you don’t.” Still holding Romeo’s hand, I turned my wrist face up and placed the knife’s blade along my veins.

Living under Dominic’s violence had taught me not to fear death. I’d often willed it. But the only thing it gave me was the strength to keep going and now he was dying next to me. I lived eight years without Romeo, hoping one day he’d find me. But now, life wasn’t worth living if he was gone. “Not this time, you don’t,” I said defiantly, pressing down hard and slicing through thin skin until it formed a beautiful line of blood. It cascaded out, coating our hands as a reminder we were in this together. I turned to Dominic. “You don’t have that power over me anymore.”

Never one to lose, Dominic sneered before aligning the gun to my chest. “I will always have power over you, Lucy. Even in choosing how you die.”

“You sit there all high and mighty, taking away everything I’ve ever loved, but you mean nothing to me, Dominic. You never have. And you never will.”

Snarling at the words he knew to be true, yet loathed, Dominic, with a strange bittersweet hurt in his eyes, pulled the trigger.

I jolted violently against the wall, a searing heat spreading through my chest. My vision blurred as Dominic lowered his gun, a single tear running down his cheek.

In a strange way, the man who destroyed my life, did so because he loved me. His obsession ruled his mind and controlled his actions to the point he became a madman. So consumed in hurting me just to get any form of response he so desperately sought from me. And now, his obsession had come to an end, finally giving both him and me some peace.

Rolling my head, I turned to see Romeo’s handsome face staring at me. I sobbed, wishing we’d met in some other place at some other time, but not wanting to lose the memories I held so dear.

“I love you,” I said, fighting for air.

He smiled, small and knowing, a smile loaded with a lifetime of love before his eyes turned blank and the smile faded from his beautiful lips.

As my world darkened around me, I rested my head on his shoulder and heaved my last goodbye. “I’ll see you in Neverland, my love.”

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