Page 151 of Driftwood Daffodil 3

Darkness, blood, rain, and nothing else.

I saw the moment his heart broke and felt the crack sink deep in my soul.

“No!” Memphis screamed and snuggled his head into Chuck’s chest. “You can’t leave. Come back. Come back.”

His anguish tore a hole through me. My best friend was crying into the body of the man he loved, begging him to come back, and all I could do was hold Chuck’s hand.

No.

I wiped the tears from my face.

This was not happening.

“Come on, Chuck,” I tugged his arm. “You wake up right now!”

“Nova,” Gio put his hand on my shoulder. I could hear the sympathy in his tone, but I refused to accept it.

“No,” I slapped Gio’s hand away. “Chuck, will be fine.”

He was going to be just fine. He just had to wake up.

“He’s not fine, Baby.”

“Yes he is.” I sucked back a sob and rubbed my hands over Chuck’s arm. “He’s just a little cold, that’s all.”

Gio crouched down and tipped his head to look me in the eyes. “Nova…”

“What’s wrong with you? Go get me a blanket. He needs a blanket.” He was getting cold.

“Baby…”

“No,” I cut Gio off and turned my head away.

If I didn’t look at him, then it wasn’t true.

“He’s gone.”

Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head. Chuck wasn’t gone. He couldn’t be gone.

“Nova,” Gio tried to pry my hand away from Chuck’s.

“Don’t!” I yelled and slapped him, then I hit him again and again and again.

Gio didn’t care, he took my assault and held me in his arms while I screamed my hatred at him.

“Go away.”

“I hate you.”

“This is all your fault.”

I didn’t mean that. Chuck pushed me out of the way, and now Memphis was destroyed. His death wasn’t Gio’s fault.

It was mine.

I collapsed into Gio’s chest and let the tears fall.

GIOVANNI

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