Katie threw the empty picture frame at Travis, absolutely furious. "You said you had changed! You said you'd stopped stealing!" She shouted as he ducked and the frame hit the wall of their apartment and the glass shattered.
"I tried Katie! I really did!" Travis said in a pleading tone as he continued to dodge the objects flying around their apartment. "I just can't help it!"
"They have a word for what people like you are!" Katie spat venomously, holding a mug in her hand as if she were about to throw it. "They're called criminals! I can't believe I'm dating a criminal!" she growled as she flung the mug at him and he dodged it once again.
"Well, if you're so against it then why don't you leave?" Travis yelled.
Katie sat there for a minute, stunned. Travis stood there surprised as well. He had never raised his voice at Katie before.
Finally Katie's lips curled into a straight line as she glared at Travis. "I will." She said spitefully and turned and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.
Travis stood there limply, staring at the door, completely shocked and unable to move as he stood in the mess of shattered glass and other broken objects.
Katie climbed into her car and drove off to her parents to get away from everything that just went down between her and Travis.
A few days later there was a knock at the door of her parents' house. Katie put down her book and got up and walked to the door. When she opened the door there were two police men on the doorstep.
"Are you Katie Gardner?" One of them asked.
"I am." Katie said nervously, leaning on the door.
"We're here about your boyfriend, Travis Stoll." The other said.
"Why? What did he do now?" Katie asked anxiously, her eyes widening in concern.
"He attempted to rob a jewelry store in town, and when the cops showed up he made a run for it. He was shot and killed." The first said.
"No." Katie said breathlessly, shaking her head disbelievingly. She felt like she'd just taken a punch to the gut. "No, he can't be dead."
"I'm sorry, Miss, but I'm afraid it's true." The second cop said. "Our apologies for being the bearers of bad news."
Katie suddenly broke down into tears, sinking to her knees, sobbing as she shook her head and muttered "No." over and over as if she was trying to convince herself that it was all just a lie. The cops turned and walked to their car, driving away and leaving her crying in her doorway.
A few days later, after the funeral, Katie stood alone staring at Travis' grave. "It's all my fault." She cried, tears streaming down her face. "If I had just stayed, and helped you all of those nights you needed me… maybe you would still be alive." She choked back a sob and tried to compose herself. "The last thing I did was call you a criminal. But I'm just as guilty as you. I didn't do anything to help you, when you needed me the most. I'm so sorry." She paused for a minute as she held back another stream of sobs. She walked forward and placed a small bleeding heart plant by his grave. "I love you." She said, looking at the grave one last time before turning and walking away.
When she got to her car she turned and looked back, tears blurring her vision. She wiped them away and climbed in the car, driving away, no intentions of looking back.