27.

Nikki

"We need a doctor now!"

"Get him to ICU, now!"

Everybody was just yelling everywhere, and I was just standing there, watching. Everything around me seemed to move at high speed. My brain was trying to process everything, but it couldn’t. It just didn’t make any sense. I brought a man into my life, only for him to die. Why does everyone around end up dead or hurt?

They shot him, she shot him. He risked his life for me and now he's going to die. Why would he do something so fucking stupid, how was I going to explain this to the public? Jo-Anne is now dead and it's all my fault. Everything I touch dies, that's just who I am, a killer.

"Nikki?" I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I turn, and Charles is behind me, he's been crying.

"I'm so sorry, Charles," I sob, "It's all my fault."

"Oh baby," he sobs, and he pulls me in for a hug, "It's not your fault, I don't blame you at all."

"Everything I love dies," I continue to sob.