Everything seemed to go in slow-motion then. Like it wasn't real. Like none of it was real. He couldn't be dead - it couldn't be true! Pushing roughly past Tip, I flew down the flight of stairs and raced through the thick snow to where he lay on the ground, falling to my knees beside him.

"Jack..." I choked out, cradling his curly head in my lap.

Blood covered my fingers where I touched him and sobbing, I pressed my lips to his cool forehead. Tears trickled down my cheeks and I sniffed. When I broke away, I brushed a curl out of his face.

"Oh Jack...I should never have kissed you..." I said, more hot tears falling from my brown eyes, "This is all my fault!"

Sobs bubbled up from my throat and wracked my body. He was dead! The only person in my life to actually care for me, no strings attached, was dead! And it was all because of my own selfishness! I never could leave well enough alone. Now because of that, Jack had lost his life.

"I'm so sorry... I'm so so sorry!" I cried over his lifeless body.

I don't know how long I'd been there crying but when I finally looked back up at the balcony above me, Tip was gone. Where I didn't know and I didn't care anyway. Good riddance. I sighed and looked at Jack one last time - his fair skin, curly brown hair, and his face so serene. I memorized every feature, every detail - I never wanted to forget him. Not ever.

Resting his head gently down on the snow, I stood up and took a step back. Before turning to leave, I picked up the dagger that lay beside him. My sneakers crunched loudly in the snow as I walked away. With every crunch, to my own ears, it sounded like my heart breaking. I hated leaving him like that. But Jack was gone and with him, my own heart was too.

My chocolate-colored eyes hardened then. I wasn't all to blame though for his death. Tip was the one who pushed him. She needed to die for what she did. I bit my lip in anger so hard, I tasted blood in my mouth. Fingering the jewel-encrusted dagger at my side, a wicked but wonderful thought crept into my mind.

I would be the one to shove a knife in her shriveled up little heart if it was the last thing I did.