PROLOGUE
I stare down at his moon lit face, worried.781Please respect copyright.PENANAyGTcb3Qmdw
He's shaking underneath my grasp.781Please respect copyright.PENANA1wgmDgbd89
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"Livia," he says. His voice is soft.781Please respect copyright.PENANAmCavbtcOnp
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I run the palm of my hand down his cheek, feeling the cold tears that have managed to escape without me knowing.781Please respect copyright.PENANAOJoyrxqx2b
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I smile bitterly.781Please respect copyright.PENANAaoxhkSqsGN
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"It's alright now Jere." I kiss his eyelid lightly as more tears threatened to fall. I tasted the salt.781Please respect copyright.PENANADKHDrTpHLN
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"Liv," he calls again, his voice wavering this time.781Please respect copyright.PENANAb8GK3Kw6vs
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I continue to stroke his cheek, trying to ignore the amount of blood coming from his side, where I press my free hand onto.781Please respect copyright.PENANAWOCzY0vF4Y
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"Just breathe Jere, are you still breathing? In and out just like I told you."781Please respect copyright.PENANARuK1DkfYBI
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He struggles to take staggering breaths, obeying me.781Please respect copyright.PENANANbC5HLNskI
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I look around, seeing if the ambulance had arrived yet. Faintly I heard sirens, but they still sounded far off.781Please respect copyright.PENANAfvY27CueQZ
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I allow myself to drop my calm charade and panic a little. Jere's forehead is beaded in sweat. The life in his eyes that once blazed brightly is now dark and sullen.781Please respect copyright.PENANAlwxEKrxo4P
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I'm scared of how his each breath seem to grow more difficult then the next.781Please respect copyright.PENANA875iGLFdnq
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I'm scared to look down at my bloodied hand, which determined his lifeline.781Please respect copyright.PENANAL5qK1Lq62L
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I'm scared my Jere will drift off if I don't keep him awake.781Please respect copyright.PENANAE6iNwM72zE
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I must at all cost keep him awake.781Please respect copyright.PENANA5j9zhrUOJ8
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"Livia, how long?" He manages to croak out. "How long do I have to wait?"781Please respect copyright.PENANAvhWjdAduOJ
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Feigning a smile I continue my charade.781Please respect copyright.PENANAzLo00i52IN
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"Not that long baby I promise."781Please respect copyright.PENANAh9HlvfHxJp
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Any other human being would have passed out by now, unlike my Jere.781Please respect copyright.PENANAG2ZSJvd9RD
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My Jere laughs, somehow managing the energy to do so.781Please respect copyright.PENANAImaUqbBQQv
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He then breaks into coughing spasms from exerting himself too much.781Please respect copyright.PENANAdxaj68of0l
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But he continues to laugh, not knowing how to stop.781Please respect copyright.PENANARuPS3RMpnj
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"I'm going to die aren't I?" He laughs.781Please respect copyright.PENANABLahCUXhrK
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I frown at him.781Please respect copyright.PENANAvH4fpZMe8g
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"Don't say that."781Please respect copyright.PENANAVERmhDIOv6
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He laughs hysterically now then coughs up blood in response.781Please respect copyright.PENANA4D0a8qaXf2
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I gasp.781Please respect copyright.PENANACY7n6hQh5O
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"Jere stop!"781Please respect copyright.PENANAlWxQcHPqQW
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He goes on.781Please respect copyright.PENANAUHoErNZoZ2
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"I'm better off dead anyway. I've always wondered what it would be like." He says this all dream like, his eyes narrowing.781Please respect copyright.PENANAoDV0EUVM2b
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Forgetting all about being calm, tears stream down my face, as I yell at him frustratingly.781Please respect copyright.PENANAEuoC81Vdhz
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"Jere stop it you're not going to die! I won't let you!"781Please respect copyright.PENANAc9Jv7miUZv
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Jere chuckles a little but his eyes don't. He stares up at me bitterly and reaches to brush away my tears.781Please respect copyright.PENANAw1Rtn65tSS
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"Don't laugh." I tell him again softly.781Please respect copyright.PENANAa6VdDOTUby
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"I won't."781Please respect copyright.PENANAeE2BcFwxyp
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He obeys, watching me soberly.781Please respect copyright.PENANAU6Wp0YzESg
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"I don't want to leave you." Jere says in a barely audible voice.781Please respect copyright.PENANAQLPmSBS4LQ
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All the laughing has put him in an even worse condition than before.781Please respect copyright.PENANAyROcnroxJc
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I don't even try to hide my distress face from him anymore.781Please respect copyright.PENANAjtp5wMNTx4
Specks of blood covers his daunt face from his coughing spasms earlier.781Please respect copyright.PENANAoTQDsbshxs
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His already weak body sinks heavily into me while I try to keep him comfortable.781Please respect copyright.PENANAmh7vdMXpR0
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"Livia. I don't want you to leave me," he says a bit louder.781Please respect copyright.PENANADTsNDKefMw
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"Shhh I know baby, just don't leave me okay?"781Please respect copyright.PENANAdHEWUgRGaH
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He tries to nod but he can't.781Please respect copyright.PENANAdnxNjSPHnS
He continues to try but I hold him steady so he wouldn't overdo himself again.781Please respect copyright.PENANAUxWmdPOcvf
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I look into those beautiful, moss green eyes that I love so much.781Please respect copyright.PENANA4Pp059LtA1
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He looks up into mine.781Please respect copyright.PENANArwnVOcgv7x
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"Don't leave me." He whispers.781Please respect copyright.PENANAwsCIyVahZm
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"Stay awake." I tell him.781Please respect copyright.PENANAHlqxjZz5T4
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"I'm tired, how long?" He asks.781Please respect copyright.PENANABqOh08UFza
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The siren lights are visible now. They'll be here in any moment.781Please respect copyright.PENANAWls6kt7f7m
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"You're almost there baby, just hang on okay?"781Please respect copyright.PENANAOcQHnVYw1G
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He doesn't reply.781Please respect copyright.PENANAJm1TZaq5iY
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I hurriedly check if he's still breathing. It's shallow now, faint.781Please respect copyright.PENANAfErpIqsAtO
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Looking at him, I lay my hand on his cheek again and gently swipe my thumb across it. His eyes are nearly closed.781Please respect copyright.PENANAz1Nf3HcOEk
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"Jere, answer me. Jere!"781Please respect copyright.PENANAGbFyxiSJCU
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His eyes open slightly at the desperation in my voice, ready to obey but unable to find the energy to comply.781Please respect copyright.PENANAehwoewqr2T
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"Stay awake." I told him softly.781Please respect copyright.PENANAEbDIblkGMs
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"I will." His mouth reads, but he closes his eyes anyway. He's smiles briefly as I struggled to see through my tears.781Please respect copyright.PENANA9EBkNSriMj
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"Kiss," he whispers inaudibly.781Please respect copyright.PENANA0IJdvBEDDI
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I shake my head not knowing whether to laugh at his corniness right now or cry.781Please respect copyright.PENANAFzwGryG8He
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"Kiss me," he repeats.781Please respect copyright.PENANA9P1EUZhjVx
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I don't waste time, I need to keep him awake until the ambulance gets here.781Please respect copyright.PENANAu84pGnXwKc
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With one hand still holding his wound, I use my free hand to cradle his face.781Please respect copyright.PENANAfHQlqSFMVC
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His eyes open briefly before I dropped my lips down on his.781Please respect copyright.PENANAikqIEDF3Bq
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I kiss him gently, ignoring the metallic taste of blood.781Please respect copyright.PENANAbPEAPDw2Hg
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Using energy I didn't believe was still in him, he wraps one arm around me and deepens the kiss.781Please respect copyright.PENANAiskwczXK9e
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He passionately draws me in, almost making me forget that he was still in pain for a second.781Please respect copyright.PENANAce1plQT0vP
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Electricity races through me and lingers.781Please respect copyright.PENANAI6TaEgnZA5
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I cling to him for dear life, knowing that I can never let go.781Please respect copyright.PENANAS9T86nEf7m
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But reality hits me hard when his tug on my lips slows.781Please respect copyright.PENANAHjeC12NyYA
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I can literally feel all the energy drain out of him as we break apart.781Please respect copyright.PENANACo484pKWk5
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He suddenly goes limp in my arms.781Please respect copyright.PENANAbiexMWg3li
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"Jere?" I call to him as my eyes widened.781Please respect copyright.PENANAM00bDzsN6g
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"Jeremy?"781Please respect copyright.PENANAIx3HJrXHkV
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I shake my head, not believing.781Please respect copyright.PENANAPZMXHejsYd
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"Jere, talk to me, Jere?"781Please respect copyright.PENANAwG8U4lvxeT
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Soon the ambulance pulls up in front of me in mass heaps.781Please respect copyright.PENANAJGajxZr3tm
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The siren noises was deafening, but I was too numb all over to hear, or feel what was going on around me.781Please respect copyright.PENANAp66BC6CzBr
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I have no chance to react before Jeremy's limp body is taken away from me.