Nick ran to where the scene was in post haste, as his heart seemed to have been booming out of his chest. With one final step, he saw something that made it seemed like he was walking in a daze from an unbelievable nightmare.
There lying on the ground was Riley, covered in dirt, cuts and bruises, and in blood, lifeless. He collapsed down on his knees as he brushed away her hair revealing her imperfect face as he stroke it gently. He traced her closed eye with his thumb as a single tear fell out of his eye and landed on Riley’s inert lips. “What happened?” he whispered
A frantic woman stood behind Nick, trying to find any sort of salvation she could find as to not be found guilty of being a reckless driver and be blamed for the situation. “She just appeared out of nowhere, I swear! I’m not a bad driver, I’m not a bad person, she just…out of nowhere, she just appeared and…I’m so sorry!” the lady reasoned in tears and in terror.
Riley let out a sudden but diminutive movement as she slowly opened her eyes with tears still present and pain can be sensed. “Nick?” she called out in a small quivering voice.
“Riley!” Nick called out. “Hey you!” he smiled at her as he brushed her face once again to give her comfort and to let her know that he was right there by her side.
“I can’t feel anything,” she said as she closed her eyes and tears streamed down to the side of her face and landed on the ground and was mixed with the blood that rightfully belonged to Riley.
“It’s going to be okay,” he bellowed at her, softly, trying to remain calm as to not scare her anymore than she already was. “You just have to do me one favour okay? You just have to keep breathing, okay Riley? I want you to take my hand,” he instructed her as he grasped her left hand with his own and squeezed it as tightly as he could. “I want you to keep holding my hand as tightly as you could and keep breathing!”
“Nick?” Riley with her eyes closed again while she called out. “Don’t let me die okay? I don’t want to die!” she begged as she tried to follow Nick’s demands. She moved her head slowly from left to right until she found herself opening her eyes to see Nick’s face looking down at her. “Nick? I’m so cold”
“Call an ambulance,” Nick suddenly instructed all of the sudden appearance and gatherings of spectators but not letting go of his sight on Riley. In mere seconds, Riley closed her eyes once again, but the up-and-down motion of her chest and stomach ceased as her grip loosened and the inhaling and exhaling of oxygen came to a halt as immobility reigned. He gently reached his free hand down to her neck, his entire body shaking from fear while he desperately searched for any sign of her heart beating, but there wasn’t any. “Riley?” he called out her name as his voice trembled; no response, no movement, no breathing. He leaned closed to her and whispered in her ear, “Riley?” and still there was no response. “Please don’t leave me! I’m sorry!” he cried as he pressed his face on her heart, searching for any sign of even just one single beat of her heart.
He let loose of his grip on Riley’s hand as it inertly fell straight to the ground due to the lost of his support on keeping her hand up. He moved his head away from her heart while swiftly and surely wiping all sights of tears in his eyes and down his face. He no longer was touching any part of her. He just stared at her lifeless body, looking so peaceful but unhappy. Traces of her tears were evident on her bruised up and bloodied face; the imperfect face that oddly enough Nick loved more than anything he could ever think of. But he knew he was too late to let her know how he felt towards her. Never will he have the chance to let her know that he was the one that truly accepted and loved her for the full her. In his eyes, she was perfect. She was all that he has dreamt of and now she was forever out of his life.
He got up on his feet, still looking at Riley’s body as the sound of the ambulance can be faintly heard from a distance.
It all came so easy
We had a once in a lifetime
A second once in a lifetime
Now I’m seeing clearly
We had a once in a lifetime
A second once in a lifetime
The best of romances
If ever you’re in my arms again
Never end
Yet once again, emptiness had managed to over take Nick’s body. The feeling of being understood, of being known, of being acknowledged, of being loved, were all gone. All that was left was the fainted memory of the love of a woman that completed his life. All was gone, but nothing ever really ends.
All the loving you gave me
The feelings we shared
And I still can remember
How your touch was so tender
It told me you cared
But I just couldn’t see
Until it was gone
May be too much to ask
How I still need you near me
I still love you so
There was something between us
That won’t ever leave us
There’s no letting go
But I just didn’t know it
Till my life fell apart
Isn’t too much to ask
‘Cause I swear from the heart
Deserve second chances
I’ll get to you somehow
‘Cause I promise now
This time I’ll love you much better
If ever you’re in my arms again
This time I’ll hold you forever
This time we’ll never end