AN:

***

Seeing him collapse and lie on the ground with blood pooling around him is the most terrifying scene I've ever seen in my life. My heart stops beating. I can't breathe, the air ripped out of my lungs. I can't even comprehend what's happening around me even when the cops finally ambush us and take Derek.

My hands shaking as I touch Vaughn's arm, staring at his lifeless figure.

He was trying to protect me.

"N-no," I whisper. "S-somebody, please help him." There's a cop bending down to me, and I grab his arm. "Please, sir, s-save him!" I stutter.

He looks at me with sympathy in his eyes. "The ambulance has just arrived, Ma'am. We'll do our best to save him."

Jake rushes toward me, and I snap my head toward him. He stares at Vaughn, shock and disbelief skating all over his face.

"Jake," I cry, shaking his shoulder. "He-he's not leaving us, is he?" I whisper brokenly, shaking Jake even more, but he doesn't say any word, still speechless due to the sight before him. Instead of saying something to calm me down, he pulls me into a tight hug, and I can't contain my tears as they flow hard and unforgiving.

I run, gripping the patient trolley as we transfer Vaughn to the operation room. My eyes fall on his face, so pale. Once the medics bring him into the room, the doctor greets us at the door.

My breath is short and fast, Jake panting as well beside me.

"He's in a very bad condition, and I must say this to you beforehand." The doctor takes a deep breath and stares at us with a guilty look, as if bracing himself to deliver the horrible information. "His chance to survive might be really small."

And those words are like knives to my heart.

"But, we will do our best," the doctor says, and I can hear the determination in his voice.

When he closes the door, I collapse onto my knees and break down, feeling Jake's arms wrapping around me.

Vaughn's words echo again in my ears.

"I'm sorry."

More tears fall on my cheeks, the lump in my throat getting bigger.

"I messed it up."

My chest tightens, and I grip it harshly.

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

My sobs break even more, his words keep playing in my mind.

How can you leave me like this, Vaughn? I haven't even given you a proper answer. You haven't even heard it.

I won't forgive you if you leave me now, Vaughn. Do you hear me? I won't.

Hours pass by, and we still haven't heard anything good from the operation room. The surgery takes so long, making me feel numb as I keep praying for it to go well.

Mom and Dad have arrived from New York. They went to the airport as soon as they heard the news. And here I am now, sitting beside Mom while she's trying to comfort me, stroking my hair gently as I lay my head on her shoulder.

Vaughn's parents arrive, and that makes us abruptly stand up. Vaughn's mom and dad have just taken the flight from Michigan, and they look devastated. Their only child is struggling between life and death.

Mom is the first person who approaches them. She lets out a small cry as Vaughn's mom bursts into tears. Mom hugs her, whispering her soothing words, trying to comfort her. Meanwhile, Vaughn's dad seems to lose the ability to speak as he leans his back against the wall, staring at the blank space before him with an empty look.

My throat hurts even more. They're suffering. If it weren't because of me, Vaughn wouldn't be here in critical condition. His life is on the line now.

He took three bullets for me. It's all my fault.

The door to the operation room finally opens, and that makes us all immediately rush to it. The doctor stands by the door. He opens his mask and sighs, making my heart thump hard against my ribs as I wait in anticipation for what he's going to say.

I don't even breathe.

"We've finished the operation. It took quite some time to pull out all the bullets," the doctor says. "But he hasn't survived the danger." His voice is filled with concern. "He still needs to pass the critical point. We have to wait for him. I'm afraid to say that in this case, the probability for him to open his eyes again is 50:50. At the meantime, we will transfer him to the designated room."

My heart sinks. So, there's still a chance that he won't open his eyes again? That he won't see me and talk to me again?

I can hear the people around me saying 'Thank you' to the doctor, but my mind is still blank, my body still numb. My heart is still broken.

If Vaughn doesn't open his eyes anymore, what will I do? How am I going to live?

I lose count of how many hours have passed while I'm here in the hospital. Night has turned into day, and vice versa.

Vaughn still hasn't woken up, and the longer time passes by, the more it tortures me. I walk down the hall toward the room where they treat him and halt in front of the door when I see his Mom standing beside the bed.

She gently strokes his hair, and a soft cry leaves her lips. That sight shatters my heart all over again.

She walks toward the door, startling me. I still can't brace myself to speak to her. Once she steps out of the room, she finds me, and I gulp, feeling her stare. To my surprise, she only plasters a soft smile and pats my shoulder. I hate myself for tearing my gaze away, and then she walks off, leaving me.

I look down at the floor for a while before something inside me finally snaps. "Wait," I call her.

When she turns around, I'm surprised that tears are already streaming down my cheeks. "I'm sorry," I cry.

She approaches me, worry crossing her expression.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "If it weren't because of me, he wouldn't be here."

"Hush now, my dear." She quickly pulls me into a hug, stroking my back, soothing me. "It was never your fault."

I pull away and look at her. My tears won't stop flowing. "But... But he was trying to save me," I choke. How can she forgive me so easily? Because of me, her only son is dying.

Her eyes soften, glistening with tears. "That means he loves you, my dear. And he must be grateful now that he could save your life."

I sob, shaking my head.

Then it flashes back in my mind. That time when he confessed to me again.

"Did you really believe that it was all an act? Do you really believe that?" he rasped. "I love you. I'm in love with you."

My heart screams for him.

I do believe you, Vaughn. So please, come back to me.

Vaughn's mom smiles softly at me even though her lips are trembling now. There's only affection and kindness that I can see in her eyes.

"Tell me now, Melanie, do you love him too?" she whispers. "Do you love my son?"

I nod, squeezing my eyes shut. When I open them again, the words slip out from my lips, mixed with tears as I say them with all my heart.

"I do," I whisper. "I do love him. I love him so much."

She smiles again at me, tears now rolling down her face too. "Then it's all that matters, sweetheart." With that, she gives me a warm hug again, letting me cry on her shoulder.

I don't know how long I've been waiting for him, sitting beside the bed, watching him. We've been taking turns to look out for him, but I just can't stand being away from him that I refuse to take a rest.

"You should get something to eat first, Mel," Jake says. He's been sitting here beside me.

I shake my head, having no appetite to eat. Jake sighs, stands up and pats my shoulder. "I'll buy some foods for you, okay?"

I nod, and he walks off, leaving me alone in this room with Vaughn.

Slowly, I hold Vaughn's hand and gently stroke it. All this time, I've been praying to God to give us the miracle, to bring him back.

I close my eyes. I'm shaking again. Watching him like this really tortures me that I wish it were the other way around, that I were the one dying and not him. I'm too occupied in my thoughts that I barely realize a small movement from inside my hand.

"Melanie?"

And that one word surprises me. I snap my eyes open, and my heart freezes in place as I see a pair of eyes staring at me.

A pair of amber eyes.

I realize even more how I've missed them. My chest is about to explode due to all of these emotions inside me. I'm staring back at him, and a soft smile tugs at his lips although it's very weak.

Vaughn.

And then, I finally burst into tears.