Page 108 of Trigger Happy Ending

Cherry.

Gorgeous, wild Cherry.

My only friend.

I break into a run and slam my knees into the asphalt, ripping the skin from my legs as I land hard and kneel before my beautiful friend, who lies broken, dying in the alley.

I feel her pulse. She’s alive, but barely.

She’s covered in blood, severely beaten from what I can see so far, clothes tattered and torn. I slide Cherry carefully off the dumpster and into my lap, cradling her body, praying she won’t be taken from me.

Please don’t take her from me.

Blood spills fast through my fingers, hot and sticky. Fuck, where is this coming from?

I hitch a breath as I realize she’s not just beaten, but stabbed. I lift up her shirt and my heart damn near stops at the gory sight. I count at least two stab wounds in her abdomen. Blood begins to coat my legs, my hands, the undersides of my nails. I can’t stop the flow, her body is broken … everywhere. I’ve seen enough blood to know when it’s too much. This is too much. But I keep pressing down anyway.

“Cherry,” I whisper, tears spilling down my cheeks.

Her eyes flutter open, her eyeliner smudged. “Angel?”

“You’re fine,” I whisper, as I stroke her cheek. “You’re gonna be fine, okay? Help is coming.”

Her lashes flutter like broken wings. She tries to smile, but it twists with pain.

“You suck at lying,” she slurs. Her voice is wet, thick.

I huff a laugh that hurts like hell. “Who did this to you?”

“D-Derek,” she chokes on his name. She blinks up at me, eyes losing focus. “Angel?”

I could let it be. I could let her die knowing me just as my alias. But that doesn’t sit right. I stroke her forehead, pushing her hair back from her beautiful face. My breath is shallow as I tell her the truth. “You were right. My name’s not Angel,” I admit, swallowing my sobs. “It’s Raine.”

Cherry’s lips part like she’s trying to repeat it. “Raine,” she rasps.

She blinks slowly, and a tear slips from the corner of her eye. It cuts a clean path through the dirt and blood on her cheek.

She winces, then smiles weakly.

“You stay awake,” I command, pulling her feeble body up into mine, my forehead resting against hers. “Please, Cherry. It’s going to be okay.”

My throat closes over, because it really isn’t going to be okay.

My hand finds hers, trembling and cold. I squeeze her tiny hand in mine. She squeezes back as if to tell me it’s okay, she understands what’s happening.

She’s dying.

Cherry summons whatever energy she can to force open her eyes. “Raine? Promise me you’ll get out. Live for real. Don’t be afraid … to be alive.”

I swallow and close my eyes for a brief second before nodding my head, tears silently flowing from my eyes, soaking my face.

Cherry’s breath hitches, a death rattle, but not before she raises her wrist where our friendship bracelet has somehow remained on despite the brutal violence, the little beads spelling out “Ride or Die.”

“Ride or die,” I whisper to her, stroking her battered face.

She smiles softly, before her eyes close for the last time. Her grip loosens, and her chest stills.

She’s gone.