Please, dont go.

Traces POV

Bye! I called over my shoulder to Jack, one of the guys that

worked with me at Petes.
See ya Monday, Jack replied and then I was alone.
I had about a half hour of work left for the day, so I turned the
music up on my iPod, hoping that it would help make the time go
faster.
I lay down on the creeper and slid under the car.
I heard the gravel crunch in the parking lot and smiled to
myself.
Olivia was home.
After my dad died, I never thought Id tie myself down with a
relationship again. Aubrey had been a nagging rich bitch and no one
ever made me feelalive. No one until Olivia came along, that is.
I sang along under my breath to the song that was playing, my
eyes intent upon my work. Sing with me, sing it for the year. Sing for
the laughter and sing it for the tear. Sing with me, if its just for today.
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away.
I startled when I heard a shrill scream. I banged my head on the
undercarriage of the car as I jerked upright.

Fuck, I groaned, lying flat and sliding out from underneath the
car, with a hand pressed against my head.
The scream sounded again and my stomach plummeted.
Olivia.
I jumped up and immediately fell down as I tripped over the
creeper. I hastily scrambled to my feet as the terror filled screaming
continued. The sound of Aces barking was almost as shrill as her
screams.
What was going on? I ran out of the garage and towards the
upstairs apartment. It didnt escape my sight that there was a strange
car parked beside Olivias.
I dashed up the steps, skipping some altogether, and time
stopped when I saw what was happening.
Blood covered the floors as the large man stood above her,
beating her. Her screams were lessening and being replaced by quiet
whimpers.
I wanted to block out the horror before me, but I couldnt.
The only thing I could do, was stop it.
I charged towards the man. He may have been bigger than me,
but I was strong, and young.
He turned when he heard the sounds of my footsteps.

I couldnt contain the animalistic roar from escaping my mouth

as I lunged at him, determined to inflict as much damage to him, as he
had done to Olivia. I was going to make the bastard pay.
I punched him over, and over, and over again.
I couldnt make myself stop.
He tried to fight back, but it was futile, with the adrenaline
roaring in my veins I was unstoppable. He kept yelling at me, but his
words were nothing but a dull roar in my ears.
Blood spewed out of his nose and mouth as his eyes dulled.
I.
Was.
Going.
To.
Kill.
Him.
A small whimper ceased all my actions. I froze, my eyes wide, as
I released my hold on the mans shirt and let my arm fall to my side
before I could punch him again.
I rolled off of him, pushing his form away from meaway from
us. He wasnt dead, the small rise and fall of his chest was proof of
that, but he wasnt going to wake up any time soon.
On my knees, I gazed down at Olivia, and I felt like someone had
kicked me in my stomach.

A large pool of blood seeped out of a gash on the back of her

head, matting her hair, and her skin was paler than normal. Bruises
were already taking shape all over body. I watched her chest, waiting
for the telltale signs of breathing. Butnothing.
She wasnt whimpering.
She wasnt moving.
She wasnt breathing.
Olivia, I reached for her arms, hoping that the sound of my
voice alone would wake her. Olivia, I pleaded, desperately now.
Wake up! I screamed at her. Dont do this to me! Dont you dare
leave me! I shook her and she swayed like a rag doll
Her eyes opened, the brown dull, not the vibrant copper color I
was used to.
Olivia? I asked, afraid to feel even a smidgen of relief at the
sight of her eyes. Can you hear me, baby? Olivia, please, focus on
me. Just look at me, baby. Can you do that? I felt like I was pleading
with a corpse and that my words were pointless. You cant fight for
something thats no longer there.
I grabbed my phone from my pocket, dialing 911, and giving
them all the details I could manage to spit out before throwing my
phone in the corner.
Her eyes widened a fraction further, as if startled by the crash
of my phone against the wall, before they drifted to the side, and

rolled into the back of her head. I shook her again, my grip on her
hands too rough, but I couldnt get my muscles to work in order to
release her.
Her eyes fluttered back to me and I let out a sigh of relief. She
wasnt goneyet.
Olivia, keep your eyes open. I know you want to go to sleep,
but you cant. Just listen to my voice, okay? I tried to keep a grip on
my emotions, but it was impossible. This girl had been my undoing
from the beginningand now this very well might be the end.
Paramedics are on their way. Hang on, baby. Dont leave me, please
dont leave me. I gripped her hand in mine, and it was so, so, cold.
She didnt respond to my touch, but as tears fell from my face, onto
her, her mouth opened as if she was surprised. I cant lose you. Stay
with me, Olivia.
I had already lost so much, I couldnt stand to lose the person
that meant the world to me, the girl I loved more than life itself.
I felt like an idiot for never telling her that I loved her. I had
known ever since that day we danced in the rainhell, I think I knew
that day that I stopped to change her tire. This girl changed my life.
She thought I had changed hers, but it was the other way around.
S-s-s-o t-t-t-i-i-r-r-r-e-e-d, she forced the words between her
lips. The air going in and out of her lungs kept making a wet, sticky,
sound, and my gut told me that was a very bad thing.
I know, baby. I know youre tired but you cant go to sleep, I
told her, gently brushing the hair off her forehead. She didnt appear

to notice the gesture. You have to stay awake. Im so sorry, Olivia,

my voice cracked on a sob. I couldnt protect you. Im sorry. Please,
baby, stay with me, I begged. I had failed her, and that made me sick
to my stomach, when she needed me the mostwhen she needed me
to protect her, I wasnt here. I cant lose another person I love. Dont
do that to me. We stick together, Olivia. You and me, baby, till the end
of time. I was full-on ugly crying now, but I didnt give a shit. Id cry
all the tears in the world if theyd save her. Id do anything for Olivia.
My hands sought a place to hold her, but she was so bruised and
battered, that I was scared to touch her. Finally, I settled on taking
her chin between my fingers. I stared down at her fiercely,
enunciating each word carefully, so she would understand. Youre
going to be okay, Olivia, but I want you to know I love you. I love you
more than anything in this world. Im sorry I didnt tell you sooner. I
wanted to tell you so many times but the time was never right, I
shook my head, choking up, and angry that I hadnt told her a long
time ago. She deserved to hear those words every single day. Not like
this. Definitely not like this. I wanted it to be perfect when I told you,
because even though perfection doesnt exist, Im never going to stop
searching for it when it comes to you, I brushed her away from her
eyes again. I was determined not to lose herId do everything in my
power to keep her alive, but if she did die, I wanted the love in my
eyes to be the last thing she saw. Please, forgive me baby. Please.
I-I-

I shushed her efforts to speak. I wasnt a doctor but I knew she

would be better off not trying to talk.
I know you do. Dont talk. Conserve your energy. Im going to
try to stop the bleeding from your head, I pulled my shirt off and
lifted her slightly so I could press the fabric against her bleeding
skull. She whimpered in pain and the sound shredded a piece of my
soul.
Im so sorry, baby. I have to stop the bleeding, I spoke in the
hopes of distracting her from the pain. I know it hurts and Im so, so,
so, sorry that I didnt get here sooner. The paramedics should be here
soon. In fact, I could hear the sounds of their sirens now. Just stay
with me, Olivia.
Her whimpering grew quiettoo quiet.
Olivia? I asked, pulling the shirt away from the wound to see
how much it was bleeding.
Silence.
Olivia?
Nothing.
OLIVIA?!
I laid her back on the floor, my shirt cradled underneath her
head.
I pressed my ear against her chest, listening for a heartbeat.
Zilch.
I pressed my fingers against her wrist.
Not even a light flutter.
It was like someone sucker punched me as the air rushed out of
my lungs.
This couldnt be happening.
Somebody, anybody, please, wake me from this nightmare.
Olivia was the part of me that was good, without her, I was
incomplete. How could you continue to live when the person that was
your heart, was gone?

I screamed at her, pleading with her to stay with me.

Dont leave me.
I need you.
Breathe.
You cant leave me.
I wrapped myself around her cold body as the paramedics
rushed into the apartment.
They pried me from her body and I fought them with the last of
my energy.
LET ME GO! I yelled at them, trying to yank my arm from the
beefy paramedics grasp.
Finally, I pulled hard enoughprobably dislocated my shoulder
in the processand I rushed back to her side as the paramedics tried
to revive her.
I was convinced that they couldnt do anything to save her.
Only I held that power.
They hooked her up to something and the sound of her heart flat
lining became the loneliest sound in the world.
I continued to plead with her still form. Listen to me, Olivia!
You cant leave me like this! I love you! Do you hear me? I love you! I
reached for her lifeless hand. We have our whole lives ahead of us,
Olivia! Please, dont leave me! I sobbed brokenly. Were going to get
married one day and have lots of pretty babies that will look just like
you, Olivia! Youre going to write that book! But most importantly,
youre going to live, Olivia!
Then, the most beautiful sound in the world, replaced the
loneliest.
Her heartbeat.
We have a heartbeat, one of the paramedics announced
unnecessarily.
And I could breathe again.