Page 139 of Goldsin

A noise drifts past the double doors on the far side of the room.

“Adrian?”

Sighing at the lack of a response, I make my way toward the door.

“Did anyone ever tell you how exasperating you are?” I push the doors open and cross my arms when I see him just standing there in the middle of the room, his back to me.

A bed stands on the left side of the empty room. There’s no furniture—if you don’t count the metallic nightstand holding a lamp and a plastic cup of water.

“You said you needed to talk to me, so ... here I am.” I close the door behind me as I lean my weight against it. “Adrian?”

He moves his finger almost imperceptibly.

“Is everything okay?”

Did something else happen?My spine tingles with dread.

I move away from the door. “Adrian, seriously, what’s going on?”

He doesn’t answer me. He doesn’t move.

“Can you at least look at me?” Frustration grows deep within me.

His shoulders fall, and with heavy steps he turns toward me.

Bile rises in my throat.

His blue eyes are as vast as the ocean, lips parted as he gasps for air.

But it’s the hand clutching his stomach and the bloodgliding from his lower abdomen that rips a scream out of me.

“Adrian!” I rush to his side. “What happened?”

My breath hitches as his body falls on me. I wrap my arms around him and struggle to keep him on his feet as his blood seeps through his clothes onto mine.

He looks at me, eyes pleading for help. Fear clutches my heart as I try to think of what I can do. But I can’t seem to think. For the first time ever, someone is dying in front of me and I don’t know what to do.

I immediately thrust my hand into my sweatpants pocket but find it empty. My phone isn’t there. I search the other pocket, patting around, hoping to find it, but I know it’s not there. How did I leave it behind? How stupid can I possibly be? I always bring it everywhere with me. Yet I had to mindlessly rush out of the house this time.

Despair starts to gnaw at my insides.

“Tell me what to do,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “Please, Adrian. Tell me how I can help you.”

His hand grips my shoulder and pain shoots right through me. His legs give out, and we both fall to the floor.

It only takes me a second to forget about the pain pulsing in my ankle. Instead I’m too focused on him. I kneel in front of him, pressing my hands on the seeping wound, but the blood keeps flowing out. With all the force I apply, I can’t undo this.

“Adrian, stay with me!” I yell as I watch his eyes flutter closed. “Stay with me,” I whisper before shouting with all my strength, “Help! Someone help us!”

I feel lightheaded, my vision blurring as I push my hands over the hole on his lower abdomen.

Adrian grunts, his mouth opening and closing on empty words. His eyes burn with something else that mixes with the fear and the pain that should be there.

“Talk to me,” I beg, tears streaming down my cheeks. “Please, just talk to me. Don’t close your eyes.”

I can see him trying to refrain from falling asleep. From giving up. From dying.

Cradling his head in my lap, a touch of hope rises within me as I remember about his phone. I pat around his trousers in search of it, but I only find empty pockets and a heavy sense of despair.

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