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“You’re gonna be okay,” Maddie said, her voice shaking.
Saff loosed a breath, her shoulders relaxing a fraction.
Something tugged at her to close her eyes, and for a second, she obeyed, letting the darkness cover the road before her.
“What was—” she whispered, her voice floating out as if it was someone else’s entirely. “What was the date?”
“What?” Maddie asked, gripping her arm as she became the one pulling them both forward.
“The date you wanted to take me on,” Saff mumbled, her legs shaking beneath her.
“I told you,” Maddie gritted, anger flaring in her voice, “it’s a surprise.”
The corner of Saff’s mouth tugged upward. “Tell me anyway.”
Maddie pulled her forward, faster than before, and Saff stumbled. Maddie caught her then, and Saff barely registered the movement as she swung her arm over her shoulder.
Maddie’s arm wrapped around her waist, hand pressing into the wound on her side. But even that pain now seemed dull, vibrating outward through her body as if casting one final warning.
She cracked her heavy eyes open, turning her head to the side to look at Maddie’s tear-streaked face.
Slowly, she lifted her blood-soaked hand to cup the side of Maddie’s face. Then she leaned into her, placing a soft kiss against her cheek. And as she did it, she knew then that she could’ve done it every single day for the rest of time, and lived a happy life.
Because that’s what she’d had in those few weeks with Maddie.
And maybe this was her happy ending.
She felt the sob from Maddie more than she heard it.
“Don’t do this,” Maddie pleaded, her lip quivering as another sob ran through her.
There was a faint sound of gunfire from somewhere behind them, but Saff couldn’t bring herself to look. She couldn’t do anything as her head began to sag. But her legs continued moving, as if her body was forcing any last steps to be taken at Maddie’s side.
She couldn’t tell how much time passed before they finally buckled beneath her.
And even then, she was only faintly aware as Maddie caught her, holding her upright.
The pain of Maddie’s hand pressed into the bloody hole in her side awakened her just enough that her eyes flitted open as Maddie knelt them both to the ground.
“You have to go,” Saff mumbled, her eyes finding Maddie’s beautiful face.
“No,” Maddie shook her head, a sob escaping with the word. “No. Come on,” she whispered, her arms cradling around her. “You have to keep walking, okay?”
A smile flitted across Saff’s lips. “I’m glad I found you that day,” she whispered, her eyes growing heavy again.
Maddie wiped away the fresh tears on her cheeks, then placed a gentle hand on Saff’s cheek, pulling her in closer. “You have to get up, okay, baby? Please, just get up.”
Her voice cracked, and with it, Saff felt something in her crack too.
“Just get up, okay?” Maddie whispered, and Saff finally gave in to the heaviness in her eyes once more. “I’ll get us there. It’ll be okay. You’ll be okay.”
Saff felt the tug again. Like it was somewhere deep inside of her, yet also entirely separate from everything she was. Cold, but also somehow warm, like feeling the sun on her face when it first rose on a winter morning.
It called, pulled, begged her to let go.
Maddie’s crying sounded far away then. Too far. Like she’d fallen into a void she’d never be able to return from.
And the last thing she heard was Maddie’s muffled, broken voice as it begged, “Please don’t leave.”