Chapter 57

Aleck

No, she couldn’t be gone. I looked at Mallory. “This is a joke, right? THIS IS A FUCKING JOKE, RIGHT?”

My mother and father just looked at us. No. The last thing I remember seeing is Dean looking like the world ended. When my eyes opened, I was staring at the ceiling. I sat up and realized I was in a hospital bed, and Dean was sitting on the other bed. My mother sat looking at us.

“Where is she, Mom?” I asked her quietly.
“Aleck. I know you both loved her, but you need to let her go. She’s gone and not coming back,” she said quietly, and that just fucking broke me. I cried because she was gone. I cried because we should have been happy. I cried because I didn’t want this life without her.

Dean

She came into our lives and turned it upside down. Now she was gone, and there was no coming back. Death was final. I can admit I lost myself when he said she was gone. My heart couldn’t handle it, my brain couldn’t process it, and I just zoned out. Guess I blacked out just like Aleck did.

I sat there at a loss. We had her for such a short period of time; we had happiness for a very short time, and now it was snatched away from us. We were about to become parents, and now that was no longer possible. The door opened, and Mallory, Andrew, Michelle, and the deputy walked in.

“I’m sorry for your loss. In the few months that I have known her, she was kind, caring, and so good,” Michelle said.

Mallory

She was gone. My best friend was gone, all because of that crazy girl. Andrew held me as I cried. When Aleck passed out, I wasn’t shocked. Then Dean blacked out too. Aunt Pamela and Uncle Matthew were worried about them. I knew they loved her but didn’t realize it was to this extent.

We stayed in the hospital room with them, even after Aunt Pamela left to go speak to the doctor about releasing her body. Michelle and her cousin left. I told her I would inform her about the funeral situation. After they left, the two security guards that were with them walked into the room.

“I’m sorry, boss. We should have been more prepared. We didn’t see her,” the one named Mac said.
“We have her. The police are looking for her. We have her at the house,” Diego said.
“Which house?” I asked him.
“The Mansion,” he said.
“Make sure she can never leave,” I said, looking at him. He looked at Dean and Aleck, and they just nodded.

When we left the hospital, it was midnight. I didn’t want to leave the two of them alone. I looked at Aunt Pamela and Uncle Matthew. “I’m scared that they may hurt themselves,” I said, looking at their parents.

“If they were yelling and screaming, I would understand that, but they’re quiet, and I’ve known Dean and Aleck for years, and I know that it is never good when they are quiet,” Andrew said, looking at their parents.

“We know, and we’re worried about them. The doctor already knew how she died. We refused an autopsy. I will handle all the funeral arrangements if you’ll help me, Mallory. I know they won’t be in any position to do that,” Aunt Pamela said, looking at me.
“Of course, Aunt Pamela. I’ll help you. She was my best friend, more like a sister. I don’t know how to carry on now.”

Dean

It’s been three days since it happened, and it was all over online. The news reporters were hounding us to get an interview. We couldn’t stay in the apartment, so we went back to the house. Tomorrow was her funeral, and I didn’t have the strength to do it. All I did was drink; I sat in the office drinking, and so did Aleck.

We hadn’t spoken to anyone in days, and they left us alone. I was numb; that was the only feeling I had. I was numb, and drinking just made it stop hurting. I knew I had to accept it, but I didn’t want to, not yet. Our parents, Mallory, and Andrew were watching us like hawks. I knew they were afraid that we would do something to ourselves, and they were right because I had those thoughts at least twice a day.

Mac had Nella chained up in the basement. Mallory and Andrew knew; she told him to do it. I wasn’t ready to face her yet. We sat there drinking quietly until the sun rose. The office door opened, and Mallory came in and looked at us.

“Dean, Aleck, it’s time,” she said, looking at us.

“Don’t make us do this, Mal, please,” Aleck said, looking at us. She started crying. “Do you think I want to do this? I don’t. We don’t have a choice, Aleck. We don’t,” she said through tears.

When we got to the church, there were reporters everywhere. The security detail had to keep them back. When the hearse pulled up, I faltered. Andrew touched me, and I saw the helplessness on his face. The entire service I wasn't there. I wished to God I could be anywhere but there. When we got to the cemetery, that’s when I snapped back to reality: she was gone, never coming back. Our lives will never be the same.

Aleck and I stood looking at her in the coffin. She looked as though she was sleeping. “Aleck?”
“Yeah?”

“I’m saying it now. No one can replace her. If you ever do that, then I will disown you,” I said, caressing her face.
“Same goes for you,” he said quietly.

“I love you, Layla. In life and death, I always will. We’ll be okay, princess. I’ll wait until I can see you again. Goodbye, love.” I said, looking at her.
“I love you, baby girl. Hopefully, you’ll be ours, and we’ll be happy in our next life. Goodbye, baby girl. I’ll miss you,” Aleck said.

Aleck

When it was time to lower her, I couldn’t anymore. I left them and went back home. Fuck, my heart hurt; it felt like it was being ripped out of my chest. I sat on the bed crying. I would never hear her voice, see her smile, or touch her ever again. How the fuck was I supposed to live without her? I sat there until the door opened, and Dean came in and sat next to me.

“How do we do this, Aleck?”
“I don’t know, Dean. I’m not getting rid of her things; they’ll stay right there,” I said, looking at him.
“Okay,” he said quietly.

Today marks one month since she’s gone, and not a day goes by when I don’t miss her. I haven’t taken off the ring she gave me, and I never will. When it becomes too much for me, I go to her grave and just sit there, talking to her. Sometimes I find myself in her room just sitting there.

All we did was go to work and come back home. We didn’t go anywhere, and we didn’t speak to anyone unless it was about work. We lost interest in life, in living. She took that with her. The minute she died, our happiness died with her, our interests died with her, our will to live died with her, and our love died with her.

Mom, Dad, Andrew, and Mallory moved in. It felt a bit less lonely with them. I’ve seen Mallory crying many times, and I know she misses her because we all do. Even though we’re all here, we don’t say anything. We just sat silently. Nella was in the basement. We hadn’t gone down there yet to see her. Mac and Diego had that under control.

I was sitting on the patio drinking. When Andrew came out, he sat beside me. “How are you holding up?” He asked, looking at me.

“I don’t know, Andrew. Nella, Macy, Rea, Chris. We trusted them. We fucking trusted them, and what did they do? They hurt us, they hurt the person we loved, and they took her away from us. Why were they so evil?” I said.

“We’ll never know,” he said quietly.

“You know, after Nella hurt her, she once said to let her go, and we said no. She said, What happens if I happen again, and the next time she dies, we would have wished we had let her go?" And now she’s fucking gone. We should have let her fucking go; now it’s too late.” I said quietly. Dean just stood there looking at us.

“I’m going to see Nella,” he said, walking into the house.