Page 56 of Tarek

Pierson

Ilove you.

I love you.

I love you.

Those were the last words I heard from Tarek. The last words he said to me as he lay there. I didn’t have a chance to say them back. I should have. I should have told him, but I didn’t. And that’s one of the things I’ll regret the most.

He should have heard those words. He should have had the chance to hear them before he was taken away from me.

It all happened so quickly. I wasn’t prepared for it. The guys swarmed in, and things became a blur after that. Issac was dead. My father was dead.

“You need to drink something at least,” GeeGee says as she thrusts a bottle of water into my hands. I slowly bring it to my lips and take a mouthful, letting the cold water coat my dry throat.

“You want to try and eat?” she asks. I shake my head. I can’t possibly eat right now. My stomach is in knots. My head spins. So many tears have fallen down my cheeks, and I don’t think I have any left. My heart hurts. I’ve never felt this kind of pain except when my brother was murdered.

There’s an emptiness. One I don’t think will ever be filled. I pass the water back to GeeGee before I stand to my feet and head for the room. I need out of this dress. I need the blood off me.

I drag my feet as I walk down the hall and into Tarek’s room. Another burst of tears and a sob rip out of me. How am I going to do this? How am I going to move on without him? My heart aches as I pull the dress off and let it slide to the floor. I walk to the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. I can’t do this, not without him. He made me better.

I reach for the drawer and pick up the razor blade, looking at it in my hand. I can do it this time. I can end it all because I have nothing else to live for here.

I walk back to the bed and sit on the edge, looking at the blade in my hand. None of the guys are back. They never returned after what happened, so I knew no one would find me in time.

I scoot back against the headboard and take a deep breath when the door opens. I look up to see Twitch standing there. His eyes move from the blade to my face and back.

“You can’t do that,” he says, looking at the blade in my hand once more.

“You can’t stop me.”

“I can and I will. You can’t do that, Pierson. I promised Tarek I would look after you.”

“I don’t care what you promised. He doesn’t make promises.”

“He might not, but he made me,” he says, stepping closer to me.

“Leave me alone, Twitch,” I tell him as I raise the blade.

“Can’t do that. Do you know how pissed he’d be at me if I let this happen?”

“Does it matter now?” A strange look crosses his face as he looks at me.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s gone, Twitch! I just … I just need to be with him,” I yell at him.

“Gone? What the hell are you talkin’ about?”

“He died, Twitch. I was there, remember?” Twitch curses under his breath as he looks around the room as if confused.

“No one told you anything?”

“Told me what?”

“Tarek isn’t dead, Pierson. He’s at the goddamn hospital throwin’ a fit to get to you,” he replies. My heart stutters in my chest. He isn’t dead? When they rushed me out of there, I assumed that was why. Why hadn’t anyone told me?

“He’s …”

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