So here I am, back to when I started remembering this whole ordeal. In some way, the last days have also flashed through my eyes, because I too feel like I'm going to die any second now.

I feel like I have failed her. I've been going over in my mind the moments leading up to this exact moment, trying to identify what I could have done differently. The idea that I didn't do enough to protect her keeps pounding my chest.

I keep asking the police officers if they have seen her, but unfortunately, no one seems to know anything. It's a helpless feeling, overwhelming, all-consuming.

The chaos around me is suffocating. The street is closed off, barricaded by police officers who are shouting orders and trying to maintain some semblance of control in the midst of the pandemonium. My eyes are drawn again and again to the blue bus parked in the middle of the road. Its doors are flung wide open, and the interior is in complete chaos. I can see the paramedics inside, working frantically to take out the injured passengers and aiding those in need.

I try to push my way through the crowd, looking for any sign of Chiara. My heart is racing in my chest, my mind is racing with possibilities, and my breathing is becoming erratic. With every step, I wonder if I'm getting closer or if I'm just wasting my time.

I think back to when I originally planned to go inside the bus. Maybe if I had done that, I would have found her already.

But then again, what if that wasn't the way things were meant to happen?

But what if I was a second too late?

I see a couple of people being carried out on stretchers, most of them I assume passed out and not really injured. But I remember very well the words she told me, the pain in her side, the memories she had explained so vividly. It truly makes me think the worst out of the situation.

The sound of sirens is deafening, and I can feel myself starting to panic.

And then, I see her.

Her hair is a stunning shade of red that seems to glow in the middle of this turmoil. It is as if she is a beacon of hope. She is being carried out, her unconscious form limp in the stretcher.

Without a second thought, I start running towards her, my heart pounding against my chest. As I trample over people and stumble over my own feet, I can't help but feel all the desperation shoot through my body at once.

I need to reach her, to make sure she's okay.

Every breath I take comes in short gasps, as if my body is trying to keep up with my racing heart.

As I struggle to break free from the hands that are trying to hold me back, I can hear the screams of policemen and paramedics who are threatening to use force if I don't stop.

Despite the chaos around me, I remain focused on one thing: screaming her name over and over again. My heart is racing as I wait and hope that she is still inside the ambulance, that she will remember me, and that my voice calling out her name will be enough to wake her up.

But as they carefully carry her towards the ambulance, I can clearly see that she remains motionless.

"Please!" I beg, once I'm close enough to the man and the woman holding the stretcher. "Please, tell me she's going to be fine."

One of the frowns, which makes me even more nervous. But I guess my panicked face gives away exactly how I'm feeling. It is as if a part of me is dying. One of them checks Chiara's pocket, and it feels like time has slowed down around me. The sound of their footsteps and the rustling of their clothes seem muffled, as if everything else around me is fading away.

"Chiara Rossi," she says and looks at me. I nod, she does the same. Finally realizing I'm not batshit insane. Understanding my pain is real. "She grazed by a bullet, has lost a lot of blood." The woman explains while they move the stretcher inside the ambulance.

I plead with the paramedics to let me ride in the ambulance with Chiara. Tears stream down my face as I beg them to let me be with her, to hold her hand and tell her that everything is going to be alright. I can't bear the thought of being separated from her, not after everything we've been through.

"Please," I beg, my voice shaking. "I need to be with her. She needs me."

The paramedics seem hesitant at first, exchanging a doubtful look, and I start to worry that they might brush me off. But finally, one of them finally nods in agreement, slowly reaching out to grasp the handle of the ambulance door. With a gentle push, the door creaks open, revealing the sterile, antiseptic environment inside.

"Get in," he says, his voice gentle.

The most beautiful words I have heard in my entire life.

As I make my way inside, breathing heavily, my heart racing with fear, I feel an immense sense of relief wash over me. I am so grateful to have made it here, to be able to hold Chiara's hand in mine, knowing that she is still alive. Despite her weak pulse, I can feel a glimmer of hope.

I whisper words of love and encouragement, urging her to fight, to hold on to life. I can't imagine life without her now that I finally found her, and I refuse to let her go without a fight. So I hold her hand tightly, willing her back to consciousness, promising to be there for her every step of the way.

The ambulance is a blur of activity, with the wail of the sirens and the constant beep of the heart monitor. I feel a knot in my stomach as I watch the paramedics work feverishly to keep Chiara stable, administering vital fluids and oxygen to her frail body.

Despite their best efforts, I can sense their own concern. I try to remain calm and collected, but I feel helpless, powerless.

But I refuse to give up. I will do anything to save her, to keep her safe. I hold her hand tightly, willing her to wake up, to come back to me.

"Don't leave me," I whisper, with tears streaming down my face. "Please don't leave me."

And I hold on, with all the strength I have.

My heart starts beating again when her eyelids flicker, her eyelashes started shaking and I see her beautiful gray pupils. She smiles and I can't stop crying, the paramedics ask me to step back and I have to use all my willpower to not grab her and hug her.

"Jasper," she whispers. "You came."

"I promised," I respond in between cries.

As we sit in the ambulance, the reality of what has happened hits us both like a ton of bricks. The sound of the sirens and the flashing lights only add to the chaos and confusion that we're feeling.

We look at each other, tears streaming down our faces, and I know that I will never take a single moment with her for granted.

I lean in and kiss her softly, savoring the taste of her lips. In this moment, I know that we are going to make it through anything that life can throw at us. We are together, and that is all that matters.

Thank you so much for getting to this point! I really hope you liked the story.

I'm not really used to writing romance and these type of stories but I enjoyed writing this way more than what I imagined at first. Let's all celebrate the type of love that can trascend through dreams and time, the type of spark that can happen in an instant. 

Be it romantic or platonic, remember that there's someone out there that loves you more than anything. And now, you have a special place in my heart as well.

Thank you again for giving me an opportunity.

-Bea