Chapter 27 – his body
Emelina dawdled down the street, towards the Safe House, a blissful smile across her face as she replayed Christopher's words in her head; it was if his kiss still lingered on her lips. She was looking down at the ground, carelessly kicking a pebble. As she looked up she saw Christopher's black, Chevy Camaro Classic parked out the front. Her heart rate quickened with joy and she sped up her pace, jogging up the steps and quickly swinging the door open. Her joy left her body; a smile no longer existed as she saw his saw his beaten, bloody and lifeless body lying helplessly on the mattress. She stumbled over to his body, willing her knees not to give in until she reached him. She collapsed at his side, her fingers desperately looking for a pulse, "Please… please… oh god no… please, no." She sobbed as she found no beat, she held his hand in her lap, slowly rocking back and forth while tears streamed down her cheek, "Please, please don't leave me, I can't do this alone, please come back to me." She numbly ran her fingers through his hair, it was sticky from his blood but she didn't care, she needed to touch him. As tears streamed down her face on question was ringing in her head, 'what am I going to do? What am I going to do?' She sat there for hours, asking the same question over and over again as she numbly continued to run her fingers through his blood soaked hair as tears fell carelessly down her cheeks. She mindlessly shifted slightly only to discover a pair of car keys as they fell from his limp, lifeless hand. She stared at the keys for a moment and then something clicked, 'The car.' She stared at the keys lost in thought, 'I can't… can I? No! But I have no where else, I can't stay here, with my father – But it's wrong – I could get away, get a job, a new start . . . ok… when? Now.' She looked back at her lover's lifeless face, gently brushing her fingers across his bruised jaw, "I'm sorry." She whispered as she picked up the car keys. She cringed at the next part, she hated that she was doing this, she reached over into the pocket of his jeans and pulled put his wallet; one hundred dollars worth of cash along with two credit cards. Tears were still streaming down her cheek and her hands were trembling as she tucked the wallet into her own pocket. After a few shaky breaths she leaned down and gently brushed her lips against his, more tears fell as she realized how cold he was. She whispered softly, her voice shaky, "I love you… I'm sorry." She slowly stood up and walked out of the room, she felt her heart had been literally been ripped out of her chest as she shakily opened the car door. She felt more tears fall as she took one last look at the Safe House; the place where she tasted her first ice-cream, the places she felt the safest, he sanctuary but now… now she would never see it again. She closed the door and turned the car keys, starting up the almost silent engine. She took a shaky breath as she gripped the steering wheel cautiously. A few more tears fell as tree heart breaking words escaped her lips, "I… love… you"