Page 53

Fifty-Two

Killian

I hear the sound of a monitor beating and someone whimpering and crying as I slowly open my eyes.

When I do, it’s blurry at first. People are in the room, but the image isn’t clear for a few seconds.

I see Malcolm, Lia, Kyra and my sister sitting on my bed in front of me.

Everyone’s eyes are red and puffy except for my sister who just looks sad and almost guilty.

What the fuck?

Why am I here?

I’m supposed to be fucking dead?

So, what happened?

Who fucked up?

“Why are you all looking at me like that?” I ask, getting frustrated.

Malcom’s face turns around as he glares at me, but he doesn’t look just pissed off.

He looks torn apart.

Last thing I remember was tackling my dad and the sound of a gunshot.

Where the fuck is Reign?

“Killian-”

“What the fuck is going on?” I cut Thalia off and look at everyone in the room, no sign of Reign. “Where’s Reign?” I look at Malcom, but he comes closer to me instead.

“You don’t get to ask where she is. It’s your fault! Your fucking fault!” Malcom yells, making me furrow my eyebrows.

“What happened?” I ask, as my heart pounds against my chest hard and fast. It doesn’t feel right. There is no burn or clenching around my heart. Something isn’t fucking right. I move the hospital gown out of the way and see a bandage right where my fucking heart is located. I look at Malcolm, refusing to believe what this means. “What happened? What the fuck did Reign do Malcom?”

Kyra and Lia start crying and Malcom just lets a tear fall from his eye.

“She saved you. Reign fucking saved you and gave you the most precious thing! To you out of all people!”

And at this point, my heart, Reign’s heart in my chest, beats ten times harder.

No, they have to be lying.

This has to be some sick kind of joke.

Because there is no way Reign did what I think she did.

I look at Thalia and see her staring at me, the same guilty and sad expression on her face.

“Why would you let her do that?” I look at Malcolm and sit up. “Why the fuck didn’t you stop her?! Where were you when this was happening?”

“I was on my way to the hospital,” Malcom says.

I look back at Thalia. “Explain everything.”

Thalia sighs and wraps her arms around herself. “You fainted on dad and then he took you to the hospital. After that, they kept you on life support since your heart was about to fail. Next thing I know, Dad gets a phone call that they found a donor for your heart in the hospital.”

I shake my head, not believing it. “That’s not possible. They told me my heart was rare.”

“Reign did,” Kyra says, making me look at her.

“They did her procedure and then took you in the surgery room to perform the transplant to give you her heart,” Thalia explains.

“Where’s Reign?”

“On an ECMO machine in another room. They kept her on that because I know you would want to say goodbye. But after, they’re taking her off,” she explains.

“I’ll never forgive you,” Malcom says, making me look at him. “I will never ever forgive you. The only reason I’m not going to kill you is because my daughter’s heart is in your chest, and I’d be breaking Reign’s promise. But know this, I’ll forever hate you. There is nothing in this world that will make me see you any different.”

I can tell how hard Malcom is trying to keep himself together and not let himself break down. I know that once he’s behind closed doors he will do it.

I take out my IVs and swing my legs off the bed making me wince. The heart monitor starts beating faster as I place my feet on the floor.

Thalia gets off the bed and holds my arm. “Whoa, what are you doing? You need to stay in bed.”

“No, I need to see Reign.”

“Killian you can’t-”

“Don’t tell me what to do right now, Thalia.” I look up at her, practically begging her to just make this easy for me. “Where is her room?” I look at Kyra. She sniffs and walks towards me. I put my arm around her waist, and she helps me walk out of the room.

Kyra takes me to Reign’s room in silence.

There is nothing much to say.

When we get in front of her door, Kyra stops and turns to look at me.

She grabs my hand and starts crying softly.

“Reign left a letter for you. It’s by her bed. When you read it, I need you to have an open mind and not be mad at her for what she tells you. All she wanted to do was save you, Killian. She loves you so much to the point where she would rather you live than her,” Kyra explains, and she grips my hands. “I like you Killian, I like you a lot, always have. I know you never wanted to hurt Reign, you were just hurting and wanted to make the pain go away or pretend it wasn’t there. Just please, don't hate her.”

My hands clench around the door handle.

She lets go of my hand and turns around to leave.

When I push open the door, it’s dark inside the room.

The only light in the room is from the moon outside shining through the window.

I walk further in the room and the door closes behind me. The monitors around her beep and I try to ignore it.

Outside the windows, you can see the stars shine bright.

How fucking ironic.

I force myself to look at Reign.

Reign looks so still and pale. She has wires attached to her everywhere and an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. A tear rolls down my cheek as I kneel by her bedside and hold her limp hand in mine.

“Why, Reign?” I ask her as my thumb runs along her hand. The heart in my chest beats hard and fast as if it wants to go back inside her. I want nothing more than to rip these stitches and put her heart back inside her, where it belongs. “Why did you have to do this shit?” I ask as more tears fall from my eyes. “You were supposed to let me die. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but fuck, Reign! You were supposed to let me die!” I yell at her still form.

She’s gone.

My Star is gone.

It hurts so much to the point where I would rather feel any other type of pain than this.

It would hurt way less.

All I want to do is punch something.

More specifically my dad.

He’s the one who made me go on this mission. I fell in love with her and then he made me try to kill her.

Who knew I’d fucking fall in love.

He is the reason I lived and turned into this.

“I’m so fucking sorry, Reign. I wish you never met me. I wish I never met you,” I cry to her, while still holding her hand. “I told you not to make me fall in love with you. Why?” I ask, as if she’ll fucking answer me. “I brought my tragedy into your life and for that I’m sorry. Love keeps can kill you while it keeps you alive to feel it.” I hold onto her hand and press my lips to her as my eyes close.

It’s quiet in the room with just Reign and I.

I look up at Reign but nothing about her changes. My eyes go to the white envelope next to her.

I pick it up and see my name on the front with stars surrounding my name.