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The presence of my parents and the brothers’ parents are only highlighted by the women's sobs and their husband's hushed words of comfort.
There is no comfort to be given to us now. We are gone...right along with our girl. The love of our lives. The one who has fought through the worst of humanity, only to live not once but twice.
Is she buried beneath the ashes with no energy to rise?
My hope was built on her strength when we weren't fast enough to save her from unrepairable damage.
The signs were there; she fought with everything she had. We weren't there when she ran out of strength.
And now, my best friend is dead.
Korren
What the hell?
My shock is punctuated by Nolan falling into me and promptly throwing up everywhere. My surprise is short-lived as he slumps against me, his body giving out underneath him.
"Shit," I rumble trying to control his body weight while simultaneously moving us away from the mess. "Nol, come on, man. Look at me."
His droopy eyes finally register me. "Somethings wrong, Kor..." My breath gets lodged in my throat at the vague and terrifying statement, but I don't have time to dwell on it when more shouting persists across the waiting room.
The security guards are about to arrest Ryan, and I can't have him taken away from us. I don't know what's going on, but I can protect him. Shooting Nolan one last look and seeing that he's steadied himself, I run to our golden boy and wrap him in the biggest hug I can manage.
Nodding at the guards manhandling him, they reluctantly release his writhing body while giving me pointed looks that say if I can't control him, they will have no choice but to do it themselves.
"No, stop! I have to get back there!" He tries to pry his face out of my shoulder, but I just hold him tighter.
"Ry, talk to me. I'm here; your family is here. You're with us; tell me what happened." Digging my right hand into his blonde locks, I twist his head enough to talk into his ear.
His body begins to give up its fight, but his next words completely steal the air from my lungs...and I don't know if I can ever breathe again. I don't know if I ever want to.
"Please, she can't be gone..." Unable to hold up his weight, we fall to the ground in a heap of limbs that refuse to walk the earth without Evelyn at our sides.
With my arms still around my brother, I shatter just like he does. We cling to each other in the horrified unification of our loss.
My mind is a whirlwind struggling to comprehend this new reality that we now have to live in. What if I don't want to live through this, though?
The guys and I were a unit before we met Eve, but we became a family when she came into our lives. A family filled with love, understanding, and support. A family with dreams, plans, and goals. A family who may have been traumatized and filled with struggles...but we were a team who sought out the happiness and brightness that the world could offer.
What are we now?
A group of men reduced to shadows of grief on the floor of a hospital. A woman who gave everything she could to live...only for it to not be enough.
A family in tatters with our only hope of salvation floating into the abyss.
Chapter 19
Evelyn
"Eve honey, come on, it's time to get up."
Momma's voice hums through my ears, but she sounds far away. Peeking my eyes open, I sit up and take in her serene face. Dark hair fans around her shoulders, her face glowing with a light spattering of freckles across her nose. Sweater and jeans...she looks just as I remember her.
"Mom?" I squint my eyes, trying to get a better understanding of what's going on.
Wherever we are is bright as fuck. And white. Are we in a hospital again? Looking down at myself, I find myself in my dress from the courthouse. Except it's clean, and my hair is back up in its ponytail.
This isn't right. My thought is confirmed when I don't notice any pain or weariness throughout my body. Wait. I know this isn't right, but I'm having trouble piecing together answers.
