Ivy

I paced back and forth, doing everying to calm my raging heart, to stop the tears threatening to spill from my eyes as Roman checked Ethan while Fiona just sat there, looking totally lost. I wouldn't blame her, she was probably wondering why we weren't taking him to the hospital... I'd have to explain this all to her after we've sorted it out... I couldn't think straight because I was lost too... I couldn't explain what was happening or even look for a freaking solution to anything.

I did this... I caused this. If I had just listened to him... If I just stayed away, he'd be okay... We'd be okay.

I killed him.

Oh my God... I killed him, the only guy who has ever showed remotely any feelings for me.

I .killed. him.

My heart felt so heavy, as a whole new set of tears dropped down my eyes, and I couldn't control the sobbing that followed.

"What happened Ivy?" Fiona spoke for the first time since she entered Ethans' room.

Roman had helped me get him on the bed. He'd also been confused, and judging by the expression on his face right now, there was absolutely nothing he could do.

My eyes landed on Ethans' lifeless body, he was so pale and unmoving. His eyes were dead shot and it was still unbelievable.

I looked away, unable to control my emotions. "I don't know." I managed an answer, with my teary voice. "We- we were arguing downstairs, and he seemed fine- he went upstairs, and it was- it was quiet and I heard something-" I shook my head in confusion. "I don't know Fiona... I found him like this... I was so scared and confused, and I couldn't call the hospital because- I don't even know how to explain why."

Roman sighed. "There's no pulse Ivy. I don't know how this could have happened... It's almost as if he- he shut down. Either that, or I don't have a theory. He's- He's gone Ivy."

I shook my head, covering my face with both my hands, and plopped down on the edge of the bed, right beside a clueless Fiona.

I knew he was gone, but I was kind of hoping Roman would know what to do, but hearing him say it was something I wasn't ready for.

My limbs felt weak and my heart broke continuously as I sobbed into my palm.

Fiona's arm came around my shoulder. "It's okay, Ivy."

I backed away. "No, Fi. It's not okay... Eth- He's dead... And I might be at fault. If I had just listened to him, he'd have been fine. I'm responsible for this."

"You're not Ivy." She said softly.

"I am." I said, unable to look at him.

Fiona shook her head, almost like she was trying to wipe away a certain thought from her head. "We'll take care of this okay... Just relax... Crying won't solve anything." She said, taking a glance at Ethan. "It'll be fine..." She stroked my back.

Something about her voice made me want to believe her, but that same something began to wonder why she wasn't exactly freaking out... If I were to be in her shoes, without the knowledge of the bigger picture, I'd be freaking out... But I couldn't really ponder on that right now.

Ethan was Dead. He was laying here,
dead.

"Ivy... Um... A word?" Roman asked.

I wiped my tears with the back of my palm, getting to my feet.

"We'll be right back Fi." Roman said quickly, as we made our way out of the room without waiting for a response from Fiona. "What the hell happened really? He's dead, Ivy."

I tried to blink back tears. "It happened as I said. We were arguing and he went upstairs... I heard a sound and- and I just found him like that Roman... Do you- do you think they did something to him? Because- because of what we did?"

"I don't know... But what do we do now? How do we even explain this to Fiona? She's probably in shock right now... Your boyfriend is lying dead in your house." He whispered the last part.

I sniffed. "He can't be dead Roman... They wouldn't just do that... We- we have to get word to his Inc somehow... Maybe they can help."

"How do you suppose we do that? We're probably wanted there by now."

"We can't just leave him here like this Roman... I can't accept that he's gone- we have to do something... Anything- just- I want him back-" I couldn't complete that statement due to the tears rushing down my eyes at full speed, followed by silent sobs.

"Hey." Roman pulled me towards him for a hug, stroking my back. "We'll figure this out okay? We'll figure it all out." He reasurred. "We just have to find a way to get Fiona away from here, then we can head back to the Inc."

I nodded, still unable to stop my tears from falling.

He pulled gently away from me, cupping my face. "You need to get yourself together Ivy... Stay strong, we'll get him back okay? We'll try everything we can."

I nodded. "How do we get Fiona away though?"

"I'll think of something."

Back in the room, Roman waited for a few seconds before going go whisper something in Fiona's ear.

She hesitated for a bit, then nodded.

Turning to me, she plastered a small smile on her face. "We'll be right downstairs Ivy. Yell if something changes okay?"

"Okay."

With that, the both of them left the room.

After some few minutes of just standing and trying to stop my eyes from tearing up, I walked over to the other side of the bed, so I was beside him.

Pulling a chair, I sat there, just staring at him... Hoping for a miracle... Hoping that all of it was a dream, and I was going to wake up soon enough.

But time ticked by, he was still like that.

Still.

Unmoving.

Pale.

I slowly placed his phone on the bedside table, intertwining his hand with mine.

Cold.

Very cold.

I sniffed.

"I'm so sorry Ethan." I said in a cracked whisper. "I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have even argued. You were right. I'm so stupid. I'm just a stupid human who thinks she can save everyone. I'm so useless. I admit all of it... Please just wake up. Please."

I waited.

Waited.

And waited...

There still wasn't a response.

I tried to blink back my tears but they kept on falling.

"I can't believe you're gone... You promised to protect me... And I know every promise we made to each other, might be useless... But- it's kinda like your job... You can't just leave your job, Ethan... You can't just leave me... It's unfair." I said. "All that money, wasted. And I don't even get a refund." I added, hoping it'd change something.

But it didn't...

Damn it...

He was still unmoving.

Still pale.

Still cold.

I squeezed his hand as another fresh pair of tears escaped my eyes. "I can't believe this is happening."

Shivers upon shivers went down my spine.

It felt like everything was ending... It felt like I was ending, as realization began to settle in... As acceptance began to twist my heart into an unsolvable tangle.

I placed my head against his chest, still holding his hand as I closed my heavy eyes.

It felt so odd, hearing no heart beat.

He was really gone.

Ethan Murray was really dead.

_

Roman

"Here." I said, giving her a mug of hot coffee. She accepted it with a small smile.

Taking a sip, she dropped the mug on the table.

We had been sitting in the kitchen in what felt like hours, both of us quiet, each lost in our own thoughts.

I still couldn't believe it... It wasn't long ago when he freed us from his sector, what could have happened to him? His Inc should be responsible for It, because, how else could he have just... Died?

Did they kill him? Did they manipulate his chip into killing him because he didn't do a good job at protecting the Inc's secret.

Oh God... If that was the case, Ivy isn't the only one to get blamed for it... Cause I also have a hand in it. I was the one who made the research about the Inc and about Ethan.

What if his punishment for being careless was his life?

God, I should have talked Ivy out of this. If I had done that, and if she had actually listened to me, none of this would have happened.

Ethan would still be alive.

"I can't believe he's dead." Fiona's voice came out thick and unrecognizable.

"Me neither."

"I can't believe there's nothing to do about it... We can't even call anyone... I can't even-" she stopped herself.

I noticed she hadn't broken down in tears or even blinked.

That was explainable, since she really didn't know him that well. But still, she was a girl... She should at least, I don't know... Feel a little bit of sympathy? Even I am currently walking with red eyes, due to frustration and confusion.

She on the other hand, looked rather... Lost.

"I'm sitting here, trying to explain to myself what really happened, why and how it happened... But I can't. Deep down I know- I know there's an explanation, but I can't reach for it. This feels so weird, Roman. I feel weird... I've never been in a situation whereby I don't know what to do. I can't even begin to think of how Ivy's currently feeling."

I sighed. "Probably times 10 of what we're feeling."

She bit her lower lip, so hard that I feared she might hurt herself.

I could tell that she was trying to keep herself together, trying to stop herself from breaking down... In all, she was trying to stop herself from breaking the wall of pretense she had built over her feelings towards this situation... But it wasn't working.

Honestly, it was almost as if she was just as hurt as Ivy was... Or maybe it was just my imagination.

"I know you must be wondering why we're not taking him to the hospital." I said, trying to break the silence.

She swallowed. "I'm not... I understand that there are just something's that hospitals can't solve... This is one of them... I mean... What's the point, he's dead... They can't bring him back... No one can."

She sounded so unsure, so lost, so hopeless.

And honestly, she was right... Even if we wanted to take him there, they wouldn't be able to do anything, cause- he was dead, and it was so sudden. But still, she doesn't really know what's going on... She should literally be freaking out.

Something's off

After a moment of silence, she spoke up.

"He's dead Roman. He's dead and I can't do anything about it." She said, looking down at the coffee like it was the most important thing in the world. "I can't even take him back-" her voice wobbled as she spoke, and the next thing that followed, was a soft sob.

It sounded unfamiliar... Out of place, and something about hearing her cry, broke my freaking heart.

It was almost as if her strong facade was also holding me together, and the moment it broke, I broke with it.

"Hey." I said softly, holding her shoulder in a calm way as I gently made her face me. "Don't do that... It's nobody's fault... It's just something that happened, okay?" I didn't know what else to say, without her knowing the real truth, there wasn't any rational way to explain this.

"I should have done something... I should have noticed something at least-" her words sounded odd, but now wasn't the time to ask questions.

"Stop it Fiona... I can't have you break down too... We'll figure this out. Maybe there's something we- uh- we missed?"

Now she's gonna ask questions... Good going Roman.

But she didn't, instead, she shook her head. "You don't understand... We didn't miss anything. If he's dead... He's dead... Where I'm from, there's no coming back from that. There's no coming back from death... Anywhere."

What?

"Fiona, I don't-"

"There's something I have to tell you, Roman. I don't think I can hide it in this situation, because I've said somethings that really complicates everything. My emotions are overwhelming me, and I can't help it."

My brows drew down in confusion. "What do you mean? What is it?"

She wiped her tears. "Well... I'm not-" she stopped, sighed, then continued.
"I'm not really wh-"

"What are you both doing here?" A voice I clearly recognized as Ethans', stopped Fiona from completing whatever it was she wanted to say.

We both jumped out of fright, and when I turned... I wasn't mistaken.

Ethan stood at the entrance of the kitchen, arms crossed against his chest, a brow raised in question, and a frown blessing his face.

What in hell's name is Happening?

___

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He's alive?

Fiona almost made the big reveal to Roman?

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