Chapter 37- The Last Page

Lanie's POV:

I'm crying as I walked to the door. 

I can't even walk properly because I'm really exhausted, let alone my chest tightened in pain.

"You are my friend..." I heard Rhosean.

When I looked back at her, she was holding the baseball bat. She slammed it with all her might on the glass box hanging on the wall. 

She took a bow there. It's a crossbow, a recurve crossbow. 

She took some iron arrows and positioned them in the middle of the bow. She pointed the weapon to me.

I'm too tired to move. I just stared at the shiny body of the arrow that was on the arrow retention spring. Even her finger on the trigger of the crossbow was shaking.

"You are my friend..." Her lips are twitching. "But I hate you. I'm so mad at you. I'm so jealous. What's wrong with everyone, huh? What do you have that I don't. Why it's always you?" She finally confessed. 

I shook my head in disbelief. How come a friendship turned like this? Why do friendships lead to destruction and eternal hatred? I don't know. And I will never know. 

Rhosean pulled the trigger of the bow. She released it directly at me and it pierced into my shoulder.

I almost fainted, it hurt so much and that part of my body seemed it was salted. 

My previous wound that somehow stopped from bleeding was bleeding again. I don't even know if Rhosean meant to shoot me right there. 

Due to blood loss and exhaustion, I could no longer walk away. 

I saw Rhosean put another arrow on the crossbow. She pointed it at me again and released it quickly without any hesitation.

A strong arm hugged my waist before the arrow could even reach me. The man who saved me used his hand to avoid the arrow but it pierced directly on his palm.

"P-Page..." I uttered my savior's name. 

He just smiled at me and leaned my body on his. 

"P-Primo..." Rhoseann let go of the crossbow she was holding while she couldn't believe looking at the person who saved me.

Her eyes were fixed on Page's hand. Then I saw Page's bloody palm, the one he used to stop the arrow that was supposed to hit me. 

"You're... bleeding." I panicked and walked away from him thinking what I should do.

He just smiled again before forcibly pull out the arrow buried in my shoulder. He even cut his shirt just to tie it on my wound to stop the bleeding.

He did the same with the arrow in his palm. He pulled it out and just threw it somewhere. He also wrapped a cloth around his bleeding palm before facing me with concern. 

"Are you okay, Lil Pup?" His husky voice was trembling. 

I could see the variety of emotions in his eyes. Fear, anger, worry. And the emotion I know I can't reciprocate.

I just cried and hugged him tightly. He doesn't look okay but he still prioritize my safety. Why am I so lucky to have him. When all I gave him was pain and trouble?

"N-No! It can't be..."

I realized our situation when I heard that cold voice. Then I just remembered that Rhosean was still here. And she hates me.

I slowly looked at her. And I feel like I don't know her anymore. She is no longer the Rhosean I once considered my friend. She's not herself anymore.

She's crying, but what made me tremble was her eyes. It was full of anger. No. I see hatred in her eyes. 

Shaking, she pointed at us the gun she had earlier.

"P-Primo..." She's stuttering. Her hand holding the gun was also shaking. "W-Why? Why can't you choose me. Why can't you see me?" 

"Rhosean..." I tried to approach her but Page quickly pulled me and hid me behind him. 

"Why?" Rhosean shouted, she's glaring at me with so much hatred. "Why it's always her?"

Page shielded me from Rhosean's wrath. "I'm sorry Rhose. I'm sorry."He chuckled. "If only I can do that. If only I can dictate my heart, my feelings. But I can't. It's impossible."

I tried to get out of Page's grasp and looked at Rhosean softly. "P-Please... Stop this." I tried to talk to her. 

"No!" She shouted angrily throughout the room and immediately fired her shotgun. 

Two shots in a row was the last thing I saw before I was completely knocked to the floor.

Everything happened so fast. 

All I felt was Page pushing me violently. I laid on the floor and before I could stand up, Primo's body also fell on me. 

At the same time as Primo fell, someone entered the room and quickly threw two consecutive throwing knives into Rhosean's hands but I ignored them. Even the people who entered the room.

"Primo!" I called him in fear. He tried to move closer to me but he vomited a lot of blood before he could even reach me. 

"N-No! No! No! P-Please Page..." I cried as I tried to prevent his wounds from bleeding.

"I-It's still bleeding!" I panicked. I took off the jacket Yshmael had put on me earlier and wrapped it on his wound.

He was shot on his stomach and chest. His upper body was almost covered by blood. 

Even Rona who was next to me was crying while talking on her cellphone.

But, God! He's still bleeding! And even his breathing is no longer normal. He has difficulty catching his breath.

"L-Lil... P..up..." He called me softly.

I shook my head. "No! D-Don't talk..." I said firmly. I don't have any plan to listen to whatever he has to say.

He can't say goodbye to me! I won't allow that! He won't die because of me. Not now, not here. 

"M-Mae.. lanie..." He said with so much difficulty and held my hand that's on his wound. 

"Bullshit, Primo Angelo! You're not going to die!" I couldn't stop shouting. 

He chuckled, weaker and he almost bleed again. "It's really good to... hear you call me in my f-full name..."

"No! You c-can't die!" I'm a mess right now and I can't help but prayed silently. So God won't take Page from me. 

He took my hand again and placed it across his heart. "Don't ever blame... yourself. Because I don't regret l-loving you." 

I cried louder. I do not want to hear all of this. He's in pain but I can't do anything for him. I should be the one lying, I should be the one hurting not Primo.

"Lil Pup..."

Why does he seem to be saying his farewell? 

"Listen," his one hand wiped my tears. "This," he pointed to his chest. "Only beats because of y-you." He took a deep breath. It was very difficult for him to speak but I could do nothing to alleviate the pain he was feeling.

"P-Page..." I called to him, shaking my head. I held his bloody hand tightly. "Please... Don't die. You can't die. I'm begging you."

Just like before, he just smiled. He is always like this, he goes through everything with a smile. 

"M-Maybe next... lifetime, I'll try my l-luck and maybe I can be your Wendy." 

When I finally hear the sounds of ambulance, Page loosened his grip on my hand. 

Before everything turned black to him... Primo Angelo Seo managed to gave me his smile.

His final smile. 

The smile that I won't see anymore. The smile that I wish to see once more.

The smile of a friend who lost his battle because of me. 

The medics quickly took Page away from me. They rode him on a stretcher and did some first aid while taking him outside.

"Lanie!" Someone grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him.

I was too stunned, I forgot that Yshmael was beside me.

"Let's go," his hand is covered with blood stain too. "Primo won't die. He'll live, that's for sure". He assured me.

I looked at where the medics went. I want to believed what Yshmael said. But I know, Page won't survive this. 

My tears flowed again as I stared at the piece of cloth that covered my wounds. It's Page's.

"Let's go!" Yshmael pulled me.

My body just moved. I let Yshmael pulled me to I don't know where.

Outside the abandoned building, I saw a lot of police and medics, even NBI's are here. There are more stretchers coming from inside of the building with wounded or maybe dead people on it.

I sat on the passenger's seat when I was told to. I'm not myself even when someone started the engine and drove away.

I never thought that time would be this evil. 

I don't know where we are exactly but after a few minutes, or maybe that's what I thought, the car stopped.

Yshmael held my hand as we get out of the car. The overwhelming presence of Hespheria Doctor's Hospital greeted me.

Again, I let Yshmael pulled me. We run towards the emergency entrance.

"Stay here. Let them treat you first. I'll go to Primo," he told me.

I stared at the wounds on his body. 

He just smiled. "I'll be back."

The nurse took care of my wounds immediately. I may have a few but all of that are not that deep. The doctor with the nurse did a few stitches on each of my wounds.

"Stay here," the nursed ordered me. "Let me get you a patient gown so you can change."

I just stared at her even when she left me.

I stood and got out from the emergency room.

I want to find where Page is. For sure, he was brought in one of the operating room.

I walked towards the hallway when I heard someone.

I hid myself and took a peek. I saw some doctors and Yshmael as well as his parents.

"Doctor Buenaventura..." I heard Mayor Aronzaga's voice. "What you said..."

Yshmael lost his balance, her mother attended him when he sat on the floor and cried silently.

"I'm sorry Mayor, but the victim Primo Angelo Seo was dead on arrival."

I covered my mouth as I tried to suppress my cry.

It should be me. But instead of me, Primo Angelo lost his battle.

❤