I was on my last life as I ran, once again, up the stairs of Coit Tower to face my death. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It only made sense that since I lost my first life here, I would lose my last life here as well. I had lost my other lives from being pushed off my roof (I thought it was Alek joking around, but it turned out to be Scar Face), stabbings, a car accident, being pushed off a cable car, and a bullet to the heart. Alek and I had killed Scar Face my last death, and yet the assassination attempts still continued with no sign as to who had become my executioner.
I wasn't suicidal. I wasn't giving up. My new Scar Face was holding my mom, Amy, and Paul hostage. I'm willing to die for them. I've lived nine times; they only have one life. I would have never thought I would die willingly, and as a "hero" for my last life.
I finished walking up the stairs to my death. When I got up, I saw Brian. The first emotion I felt was shock. He had told me I was his true love. But then it all made sense. Brian had changed since our third date, always asking where I would be the next day, and if anything had happened. I thought nothing of it, considering I was, or thought I was, in love. I should have listened to Alek. He said one of us would get hurt, and I guess it turned out to be me.
"Let's get this over with, Brian. Just make sure my mom and my friends are released. I loved you, Brian. Why are you doing this?"
He answered me right before he pushed me out the window. "My father is in charge of the Mai's extinction, and he wanted you dead. He'll finally accept me if I kill the Mai's savior." He gave me a forceful push out of the tower. He seemed to be battling between letting me continue falling, or grabbing my hand, and his facial expression was first a mixture between sadness and happiness, and surprisingly, sadness was the one that dominated as I started falling. He would finally be accepted by his father for killing me, the so called "Uniter".
I saw my life flash before my eyes as, it would seem, I fell slowly toward my death. I saw my first kiss with Paul, my first day of high school, my first real kiss, me throwing Alek's basketball down the hallway into a trashcan, my dates with Brian, Alek explaining how he worried about me, and my email from my dad. My mind always wandered back to Alek's face. I wondered how he would react when he learned I was dead. He would blame himself for not protecting me, but he had protected me, and I never listened to him.
I wish I would have realized the truth about Brian, because I had been wrestling with my feelings for Alek. In the past couple weeks, I realized he had a sweet side, and his popular jerk attitude was just how he protected his emotions. He always protected me, even if I was in trouble from my own stupidity. I wished I could have more time with him. I used to think of him as a pig-headed jock, but I realized how perfect we could have been as I realized I was close to the ground. In a matter of seconds, I hit the ground with a load of force. The pain was unbearable. I saw a light, and I realized how stupid I was sounding. I always thought it was a myth about the whole "light" thing, but my whole life and existence was centered around myths.
I heard Alek's voice pleading with me to hold on. I doubted it was actually him, considering he and I had gotten into a fight over Brian this morning, and I had told him to never talk to me again.
"I love you, Chloe. Please, hold on."
"Alek..." I felt my mind start to walk towards the light, and it was all I could do to open my mouth, "Alek, forgive...forgive me. I...I love...you." I couldn't feel my lips, so it didn't come out perfectly. I couldn't open my eyelids, and I came to grasp the fact I would never look into Alek's eyes again, or have to fend off any suggestive ideas on how he could help me relax. I felt a gentle pressure around the area I presumed were my lips, and realized Alek had kissed me. It was so much better than what it had been with Xavier, even if I couldn't respond how I wanted to this time.
All of the sudden, I felt my strength return, and I felt myself walk away from the light. The pain subsided, and I felt my bones knit back together. I felt the numbness leave from my lips and my fingers, and slowly opened my eyes to see Alek chanting "I love you" directly above me with his eyes closed and his fingers locked together. It looked as though he was praying. I sat up a little, but he didn't open his eyes or seem to sense that I was alive. I sat up but didn't move, waiting to see if he would react. He apparently still couldn't feel my movements. I kissed him with as much love and power as I could muster, and he opened his eyes in surprise, and after seeing it really was me and not a figment of his imagination, finished the kiss and pulled me into his arms.
"How... How are you alive? I saw you fall, and…and then I rushed over here. I saw you stopped breathing, and started praying- pleading-for you to come back to me. I love you, Chloe King. I know you said the same thing just now, but did you mean it? Chloe, I can't live without you. I was so scared I lost you, and I didn't know how I was going to survive. I know you're with Brian, and I can wait, I just have to be close to you. So what do you say?"
I answered him with a kiss. "My relationship with Brian ended the moment he pushed me out of Coit Tower." At Alek's surprised look, I answered, "He was my new assassin. His father was the man wanting me dead, and Brian would finally get his father's approval if he killed me. I should have listened to you. One of us did end up hurt, and it was more than hurt considering I almost died. But yes, I did mean what I said as I died. I realized how much I love you when I was falling. I hope you mean everything you said, because..."
He didn't let me finish my speech as he hungrily claimed my lips. He stood up and raised me with him. He put his arm around me and nestled me into his side.
"Chloe King, I would be a fool if I didn't love you." With that, we walked down the street to meet our future...together, just like it was meant to be.