He's gone.

Like a snap of a finger. You live each day and you never know which will be your last. It just happens and we have no control over it.

Who knows what it would be like if we only made one different decision in life. Maybe what happened wouldn't have happened.

He might still be alive.

Maybe he would have a normal life.

But now it's too late. He is dead.

"Maya." Acker's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up from the coffee at him. "He woke up." He smiled.

"Oh God." I exhaled and wanted to cry from happiness. Theo woke up.

I stood up from the hospital chair and went to room number 073.

My gaze fell on the white room, which was painful to look at, and Theo in bed, half-sitting.

“I'll give you a second." I felt Acker's hand on my shoulder for a moment before he disappeared.

"You didn't leave." It was a reproach. “You didn't go away and got shot." I crossed my arms over my breasts. "How stupid can you be?"

"You're welcome for saving your life." He laughed and braced himself to move a little higher, hissing in pain as he made the sudden move.

I jumped to him, worried that he had torn his stitches. "Careful." If I could hit him, I would. He has to be careful.

"What about your shoulder?"

"They put it back in place. And my head is fine, just a few bruises and scratches." I pointed to my forehead, which probably suffered the most.

"I'm glad." He pointed to the seat next to him for me to sit down.

I didn't hesitate and sat down. “You scared me to death, Theo." I finally said. "Don't ever do that again."

Yes, I'm supposed to hate him, but he took a bullet for me and Acker. I think he deserves at least a small chance.

"Me? You crashed your car and got kidnapped. If anyone was going to be scared, it was me."

"How did you get here so fast?"

"I didn't leave. I stayed at the hotel. And I'm glad I did."

"You idiot." I shook my head. “You should've left."

“Again, you're welcome." He smiled, and I'm pretty sure it was some drugs they gave him.

"Please don't do this ever again."

"I can't Maya. You are my sister, I will always try to protect you." As if the small pieces of stone that I had around my heart slowly began to fall away.

“Shit, Theo." I laughed, but I felt tears on the edge of my face. He reached out to me and brushed my cheek. "I was afraid you wouldn't wake up." I took a shaky breath and grabbed his hand on my cheek. "I'm sorry for what I said."

“Maya, it's okay." He nodded with a reassuring smile.

"No, it's not. What if you didn't wake up? You'd die thinking I hate you. But that's not true, Theo." I bit my lip to stop it shaking while I spoke.

"If I had known you were going to tell me this, I would have got myself shot sooner."

"Theo! This is no time for jokes." I said seriously.

"Maya, I'm fine. I promise. I've been worse."

"No." I frowned. "Don't say that."

"So now that we're at the point where you can bear me, do you want to tell me what's going on between you and Sebastian? Or is it over the line?"

Oh shit.

"Um." I removed his hand from my face, but was still holding it. "It's complicated."

"Fine. Just let me know when to kick his ass." He laughed and so did I. "And while talking about kicking ass, do you know where my cell is? If I don't call Luna, I'm going to be in trouble."

"It should be with your things. I'll go find it." I stood up. "And thank you." I stopped at the door.

"For what?"

"For not dying." I smiled and left the room. I went to the front desk and asked one of the nurses about Theo's cell phone. One of them was happy to help me find it.

As I walked back to Theo and passed the front desk, my attention fell on a woman who was clearly upset. A tall blonde with a slim figure.

"Theo Carter. This is the third time I've told you that name. What room is he in?" She was shifting her weight from one leg to the other and it was obvious she wanted to jump over that counter and find it herself.

"Luna?" I tried my luck and the blonde turned to me in a second. "You're Luna aren't you?"

"Yeah and you are?" She frowned, but all the muscles in her face relaxed as she realized this. "Theo's sister."

"That's ne." I don't know why I said that, I'm incredibly embarrassed.

"Hi, I'm sorry, I didn't think we'd meet like this."

"Ah, because you're my brother's girlfriend."

“Oh no, after this." She pointed around. "I'm his ex. Where is he so I can kick his...sorry." She paused, slightly nervous for someone who looks so confident.

"I'm just going there. I'll show you." I started walking and Luna joined me. "Theo just sent me to get his cell phone so he could call you." I raised my hand with his cell phone.

"Oh no, he'll get this in real life and not over phone." I smiled at her words. Looks like she's not as bad as I expected.



I watched as Maya walked out of Theo's room and immediately headed after him. I knocked on the door and found him sitting on the bed.

"Where did she go?" I asked about Maya.

"For my cell. Now Sebastian, want to tell what has been happening these past months?" He looked at me with a look that said I know you're sleeping with my sister.

I swallowed hard and walked further into the room. I sat down on the chair next to his bed and was glad he wasn't able to stand up yet. Because this way I can get away quickly if he wants to start chasing me.

"So?" He raised his eyebrows and waited for an explanation that even I didn't know.

"I don't know what you want me to say." I shrugged.

"You and Maya?" Shit. "You had a fight and she was so upset she ran out into the pouring rain. That girl hated you when I left. What the hell happened?"

"I lo..." I stopped and thought about the next words. "It's complicated." I finally said, cursing myself in my head.

"So it must be since she said the same thing. Sebastian if you're playing with my sister..."

"I wouldn't do that." I interrupted him.

"She's not another one of your one night stands. She's my little sister."

"Don't you think I know that? Every time I look at her I remember that. But she's not disposable, Theo. You weren't there when I saw her at the lowest or the top. You weren't there when she finally trusted me with something. Every little thing during these few months meant something to me. Every smile, every tear, everything. I didn't even think about any other woman when I was with her. I love her." I got the last sentence out and was ready to run.

I remember Theo warning me not to try anything. But I don't regret it.

We sat in silence for a while as we both processed what I had said.

"Oh wow." He said in surprise. "Alright then."

"Alright then?" I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't look like you're playing with Maya, so I'm fine with that."

"Sorry what?!" I said louder than I planned.

This whole time I've been guilty of having feelings for Theo's little sister and he doesn't even mind? What the hell is going on?!

"If Maya is happy, then so am I. I don't think you want to hurt her. But if she hurts you, it won't be my problem anymore."

I'll hit him with a chair.

"Theo Carter." We both snapped to attention when we heard a woman's voice from the door.

Okay, no chair, this will do just fine.

"Luna." It slipped out of Theo's mouth and I'm sure I saw a flash of fear in his eyes.

Only when she walked further into the room I notice that Maya was standing behind her. Do they know each other?

"What were you thinking?" Luna quickly walked over to Theo and punched him in the shoulder.

"Ouch!" He screamed. "They shot me, take that into account."

"Oh boo-hoo." She frowned. "What a poor thing you are."

I noticed that Maya was also trying to hold back her laughter. I walked over to her and bowed my head. "Maybe we should leave them alone. I'll take you home."

"Okay." She said quietly, placing Theo's cell on the cabinet next to the door and we left the room.

We were both quiet. I couldn't bring myself to say anything to her. She caught me looking at her a few times, but that's it.

I hate this atmosphere between us.

When we were sitting in the car, I had to open the window, I was suffocating so much in this silence.

We walked slowly to her apartment and I followed her in. I closed the door behind me and followed her into the living room, where she stopped.

"Maya?" I spoke after a while.

"It's over, isn't it?" She turned on the spot. “Mason is gone for good." She wrapped her arms around herself. "There's no reason for you to stay….right? Because that's why you're here. You stayed to make sure I was safe from the stalker. And now I am. That means there's nothing keeping you here anymore."

I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs that that's not true. That she's keeping me here. That I didn't just stay because of the stalker, but because I always cared about her.

But I couldn't even move.

"Thank you for everything. For staying and…and everything else." She shrugged and took a step back. "I guess we might see each other again sometime." She gave me a narrow smile and turned around, but I still managed to catch how her eyes filled with tears.

She started walking to her room and I just stood there.

Only when she closed the door behind me did I realize what just happened.

My first thought was, did I just lost her?

Because it looks like I just let her walk out of my life.

I paused for another moment.

"I guess we might see each other again sometime?" I repeated her words. "What the fuck?" I frowned and started walking towards her room.

I wrapped my hand around the handle and opened the door.

"What happened just now?" I asked, obviously as confused as she was as she looked at me like a ghost.

"You're leaving." She got up from the bed and I could see how hard she was trying to be strong, but her eyes betrayed her.

"I'm doing what?" I raised an eyebrow. "Where am I leaving?"

"I thought...it's over. You can go back to..."

"Maya, what the hell are you talking about?" I interrupted her. "Where would I go when everything I want and need is right here?" I pointed at her.

Can't she see that? Can't she see that she is the center of my world? The reason why my heart beats wildly when she is with me or just thinking about her?

"What?" She said almost breathlessly, obviously taken aback by my words.

"Yeah, I mean we had a fight, but that's not a good enough reason to end this relationship."

"Relationship?"

"Maybe you didn't see it that way, but I care about you Maya." I walked up to her and grabbed the back of her neck. "You can push me away, but it won't work. Throw me out the door and I'll come back through the goddamn window."

I don't know if I'm imagining it, but I could see the relief in her eyes.

"I've seen all of your sides and I love every single one of them. I love how passionate you are when you talk about something you love. I love how you care about your friends, but I also hate it when you put their needs before your own. But I get it. Because you are you. You care about others. I love when I can take care of you. And most of all, that you let me. You trusted me, and I don't know why, because I'm an idiot. What you often tell me." I laughed. "I love you, Maya. And maybe you don't feel the same way, but..." Before I could finish, Maya stood on her tiptoes and connected our lips in a kiss.

“Shit, Acker." She pulled away with a smile on her face. “Of course I love you, you stupid idiot."