Excerpt: Love in Death

"I once said 'Love is overrated,'" she confided resting her head against his shoulder.

"Really? What happened?" he asked curiously looking into her dark eyes.

She turned her head to see his face. She took a deep breath then turned away to watch the dusk settling in that would conclude the day with him. She sighed. "And then, I met you..."

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“Oh my God, Reilly, thank God. Did Vincent tell you I was here? They’ve got it wrong or something. She’s just in a coma. I saw it on the computer downstairs. She’s not dying!”
“Kadence, I’m not here to comfort you…”
I pushed away from her. Reilly who looked at me sympathetically. I glared at her. My own best friend was going to take my sister. My best friend. I stood in front of the bed blocking Reilly’s way.
“Get out of here Reilly, I can escort her myself.”
“We know you can’t, dude. You love her. I didn’t pick to do this. I got a message.” She opened her hand the familiar note with crimson ink on it.
Marcy G. Dwayne.
“And I don’t want to get into trouble for not doing what I was told to do. She’s a vegetable right now. Maybe her time is up. She is over eighty.”
“How could you say that?” She wasn’t who I remembered. I backed away from her. “Get away from me, Reilly.”
“I can’t do that,” she said carefully. Her hand reached out to me, but I dodge her touch as if it were a burning iron. “You know how this works, Kadence. Don’t make this harder on yourself. I didn’t tell you were I was going for a reason.”
“And what? Pretend you weren’t the one who stole my sister’s life?”
Reilly looked offended. “I would’ve told you eventually!”
I shoved her. “What…ever.” I turned toward my sister. It was like she was asleep. I felt Reilly’s hand on my shoulder. I grabbed her hand, the beast roaring in me. I was fed up with everything. I dug my nails in and flipped her onto the ground. Reilly gave out a yelp. “Stay away from me,” I screamed. She got to her feet holding a hand up. She rubbed her back and I was glad she was hurting, but I felt bad too,
“Kadence, just leave,” she urged her eyes filled with tears.
“You leave! I was here first. She’s my sister.”
“Everyone dies…it’s just her time. Are you going to argue with the messengers? With God?” she was clawing desperately for anything to make me see reason, to calm me. She knew well enough I hadn’t believed in God in the beginning.
I went over to her, pinning her onto the ground. She struggled under me. I couldn’t keep her down, she was almost a foot taller and stronger than I was. She pinned me on the ground. “You can’t do this. Please Reilly, I’m begging you.”
“I can’t,” Reilly whispered.
“Then I can’t either,” I growled. I moved my leg between us and kicked. A rush of air escaped her as she flew off me and into the wall. She slide down the wall, blood trickling down from her lip. “Leave,” I demanded.
I heard shouting outside in the hallway. I looked at the metal structure. I was still visible. They must’ve heard me. Reilly got to her feet between me and Marcy. A male nurse ran into the room.
“Hey! You! Security!” he cried.
I fixed him with my purple eyes before he ran for me. I swore in my mind. I shoved Reilly out of the way. She cried out as she hit into the IV stand knocking it over. The nurse seemed confused staring at the falling IV stand without seeing Reilly on the floor, her teeth clenched. She held her shoulder her brown eyes finding mine.
The nurse grabbed me, his strong arms trapping me against him. “Let go of me! You’ve got the wrong girl!” I shouted.
Voices of doctors were getting closer, too close. I couldn’t see my sister anymore, her figure blurring. I felt hot shameful tears fall from my cheeks. I couldn’t keep it in anymore. I had killed myself without ever thinking I would miss all the time I could’ve had with her. Then, I never went to even try to see if she would believe I was real. “I’m her sister!” I wailed as all the fight went out of me. Marcy never stirred, but Reilly watched me with those eyes. I didn’t care if she cried, I hoped she would. But slowly, she went to the side of my sister, her face close to Marcy’s ear. All I could see clearly was her figure and I could imagine what she was saying. The nurse was saying something, but I wasn’t listening. I went limp in his arms and just like that, he let go of me. His arms moved on their own accord, his eyes confused. Marcy! I wailed inside. The security personnel came into the room looking around.
“She was here, a girl, eighteen maybe,” he tried to explain.
“Search the building,” one of the security guard was saying.
“I’ll stay and repair the IV,” one of the doctors said. And just like that, they were gone.
The nurse’s mind was probably connecting missing dots. Let him think he’s gone crazy, I sniffed. I got up slowly. I could see the outline of the spirit slowly taking place. Marcy was staring at Reilly intently. I lost it and ran at Reilly. Reilly turned around just as I was grabbed. Marcy’s eyes found me seeming confused for a second.
I turned around confused. The doctor had grabbed me. I clawed at his fingers, but his grip was unbreakable.
“Haven, it’s time for you to go,” he whispered none to kindly. It took me a second to finally recognize Adrastos. He looked different without his piercing, and taller. I tried to elbow him, but he didn’t leave me enough room. He was stronger than I thought. I was getting his jacket all wet. What would be his excuse?
“Let go of me!” I cried, I bit down on his hand. He only loosened his grip for a second before he held me tighter.
“That was not polite.” His voice shook with anger. “I will go when you leave. Reilly will take care of her. Get lost, Haven.”
I snorted. Reilly stiffed pausing in whatever speech she had come up with. I struggled against him again, but my strength was snapped.
“I will be back,” he told Reilly. He kept his grip on me. “You are coming with me.”