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Giselle sat cross-legged on the bed, Xavier on a chair beside her, holding a bowl of soup in his hands. She looked up at Chris, and his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach, all the calmness molting into heartbreak.
Her frown deepened, and heavy tears started falling down her face. She raised her arms for him.
With a defeated sigh, Chris walked toward her, sat on the bed, and wrapped her up in his arms as tightly as he could. "G-Giselle." He shook his head.
"Chris!" She broke down. "Why is this happening? What have I done to deserve this? Why me?"
He held her tighter.
"I didn't say goodbye! He was right here with me yesterday. He told me how proud he was. Chris, do you know what he said to me? He asked me to bury him here!" She sobbed and hiccupped. "Did he know he was going to die?"
"Shh. It's okay—" Before he knew it, his shoulders started shaking with overbearing grief.
Her voice kept rising as she cried, "How am I going to see him, Chris? It's all my fault! I shouldn't have rejected his choice! I shouldn't have turned my back on his decision! I shouldn't have hurt him like that... And now he's not here with me anymore! I can't see him! Bring him back! Please, bring him back! Please! I need to say sorry!"
"Shh..." His tears fell. Chris held her tight and let her break down in his arms. "It's g-going to b-b-be okay..."
She broke the hug at once and pulled back, her hair stuck to her face. He reached forward, removed her hair, and wiped her tears with his thumbs. She stared at him with wide eyes.
Her head tilted to the side as she whispered, "He's dead... I can't believe it. Do you know what I said to him? Do you know what my last words to him were? I told him that I hated him. I'll never see him again to make it right..."
Words choked him as he said, "I'll m-make it b-better. Okay?"
He pushed her head till she was in his embrace again, afraid his heart might give up on him. He held her firmly as she cried into his shoulder for a few more minutes.
The clock ticked, and her sobs turned into sighs, shudders, and sniffs. Once relaxed a little, Giselle straightened up and pulled her hair back, away from her face. She wiped her tears off and rested her back on the headboard.
Chris forcefully cleaned the wetness on his face with his right palm and stared at her. She cast her eyes down, looking exhausted.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Giselle," said Xavier, placing the bowl of soup in front of her. His voice sounded foreign to Chris's ears, especially during such a personal moment. "Eat."
She inhaled deeply and let it out in shudders.
Chris took his eyes off her and looked at Xavier who nodded at him. Taking it as a signal, both walked out of her room to give her some privacy.
Once out, they shook hands, and Chris introduced himself, his voice scratchy, "Chris."
"Xavier."
Chris nodded and propped himself on a dining chair, exhaustion weighing him down. He saw Xavier sitting on the opposite one across the table, then looked around the house. The walls were decorated with family photographs. He couldn't bear looking at Abbott's face in those pictures so he focused his attention back on the man in front of him.
A realization dawned upon him, and he said, "Hey man, sorry about earlier."
"Yeah." Xavier stared back at him, his jaw ticking.
"I just..." He shook his head. "I can't see her hurt."
"Yeah."
He felt like more explanation was needed. The man in front of him was Giselle's boyfriend, after all. He must've hated Chris's outburst, and right now, he looked like someone who'd enjoy skinning him alive, so he said, "I'm sorry, we've been friends since childhood, and I have this need to protect her—"
"—like a good brother," Xavier finished for him. "I get it."
His frown matched Xavier's.
Mrs. Whitman brought a tray and placed a mug of coffee in front of each man, her hand shaking a little. Chris placed his hand on hers and gave it a squeeze.
