All The Pieces (Pieces of Lies 3) (28 page)

Tess looked out of the window, unable to look at my face. Samuel only continued to try and help push into the wound to stop the flow of blood, knowing it was useless.

“Norah...” Josh started yet again, and this time when he spoke, I burst into a loud sob.

“Norah, look at me.” I lifted my head to look at the beautiful hue of Josh’s warm green eyes. He was doing his best to make them sparkle the way they did when he looked at me with our whole future in his eyes. I knew he was trying hard to help me see the hope, to help me try and be brave and listen to him. “Hey,” he whispered. “It’s going to be alright. You Norah, are going to be alright. You are going to find a new life, and a new happiness, without me. This is your chance Norah. You deserve this. Your freedom, your peace. No more darkness. No more demons.”

“No Josh. Stop saying this. Stop telling me lies. No. You’re lying. You’re lying to me again. You’re coming with me. We are going to get married. We will live on a tiny island somewhere in the Pacific. No, no. This is not good-bye.”

I started to push against Josh in frustration. I couldn’t bear another lie. Why would Josh say he wasn’t coming with me?

“Norah stop. Stop pushing him.” Samuel grabbed onto my other arm, trying to stop me from pushing Josh. I stared up at Samuel, feeling broken and defeated.

Josh’s eyes went to Samuel, “Tell Joe to look behind the photo of Norah’s mother in his office. He will know what to do with it, okay. Do you understand me Samuel?”

Samuel nodded. “Joe, office, photo. Got it. No problem mate.” Samuel’s voice croaked, trying to be strong and when he said mate, he meant it. It was real.

“We still have time Samuel. We can get him to a hospital.”Samuel looked at me grimly, knowing we only had minutes left. I hated that I could read Samuel’s face. I hated that I could see it on Josh’s too. I hated that I was the only person who refused to believe what was happening. “Nooooo,” I wept as I felt my body collapse against Josh. My face fell against his cheek. “I can’t do this Josh. I can’t do this without you. I need you. You are my soul mate. This isn’t supposed to happen to soul mates.”

“Norah, I’m just happy we had our time together. I’m happy that you wanted to marry me. I’m happy we have shared as much as we have. You have given me something so many people never get to experience in this world. Just because you won’t be able to see me, doesn’t mean that I won’t be there. A soul mate’s connection is never broken.”

“This isn’t happening to us.” I cried hard on Josh’s shirt. “I need you with me.”

Josh lifted my chin so he could look at my eyes staring into his own. I could tell he was struggling to keep my gaze. “Norah, promise me something please.”

“Anything for you Josh. Anything.”

“Promise me you won’t be alone. That you’ll take someone with you. Please.”

“No Josh! No! What are you talking about you? You are coming with me. No one else. Just you.”

“Norah,” Josh said, using what little energy he had left to see me and make sure I took in his plea. “Promise me you won’t go alone.”

“Josh,” I wept loudly.

“Promise me Norah.” He was crying now out of fear and sadness. “Please. For me.”

I shuddered and looked back at him through the wall of tears between us; nodding slowly, and pushing my cheek against his. “Yes, Josh. Yes, I promise you.”

I pulled away and looked at his face which was full of relief and love. “Thank you,” he said softly, still gazing at me.

My heart did a double flip as I realized I still had one more secret. There was something I still had to tell him. “Josh,” I began and leaned down and whispered softly into his ear so that only he could hear what I was saying. I felt a surge of energy from his body as I whispered my secret. He gripped onto me tightly, trying his best to hold onto me. I pulled away to look at him once I finished.

“Really?” he murmured, looking at me like it was the best gift I could have ever given him. “Wow Norah, just wow. I am very happy to hear that.” Everyone was staring at me now, wondering what I had revealed. Tears rolled from Josh’s eyes. His breathing had become even shallower. He looked at me once more and said, “Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you called me Joshua? I know you would say it whenever you were mad or frustrated with me, but when you said it, you always had this tiny glint in your eye that was so magnetic and sweet. I love that glint so much. It was always for me. Just for me. It was mine. It was part of our magic Norah. It’s been there in your eyes since the first day we met.”

“I love you Joshua,” I choked out as I felt his grip on my hand slowly starting to go limp.

“Thank you for telling me Norah. I love you, and now I know, I’ll always be with you.” His hand was slipping from mine, and I shook him. “I’ll always be with you...” Those words barely came out of his mouth one last time. Then his eyes shut, and I felt nothing from his hand. No movement. No life. Nothing.

NOTHING.

“Nooooo!” I wailed as I pulled his blood soaked body onto mine. “Nooooo.” Samuel lifted the hand he was using to stop the blood from flowing out of his body and put it on my shoulder. “Nooooo,” I wept.

I held his body close to mine and planted soft kisses on his lifeless face. There was nothing I could do but hold him, and try not to think of a life I would never know. Josh was gone, taking a part of me with him. 

I would never be the same again.

I helplessly watched as the boys pulled Norah from the car when we reached the crossroad. She wouldn’t let go of Josh’s bloody body. They had to pry her fingers from his chest as they forced her out. She held onto him as long as she could, screaming out that she loved him and needed him. I had to turn my face away to stop watching, crouching onto the ground into a ball to try and prevent myself from going to pieces. I just watched my best friend lose someone she loved. Someone she cherished and had known nearly all her life. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that pain was like for her and the images of horror inside her head.

How could this have happened? How did it all lead to this? Only a few days ago I was about to attend their wedding, and now Norah had lost one of the loves of her life. I started to use my hand to pound on the ground. The hurt I felt for this massive loss manifested into fistfuls of rage. Rage to hit anything in front of me.

I heard Norah scream Josh’s name again. My eyes flew open to where the boys were still trying to hold her back from running back to the car where Josh’s body lay. They were desperately trying to calm her down and soothe her hysterical state by holding her close to them. I realized I needed to use my strength for Norah. She needed every ounce of support we could manage so we could finish this. We needed to get her to safety from both these worlds, and all the evil that followed them. I would not allow Josh’s death to be for nothing, and from the looks on the guys’ faces, neither would they. I would mourn Josh later. We all would mourn for him.

I breathed, trying to stop the image of Josh dying in Norah’s arms from making me break down.

Pull it together Tess...for Norah.

Clint and Samuel held up Norah’s body with both of theirs, supporting her as she weakly shuffled towards the black car parked on the small road off to the side of the woods. Two men climbed out of the black car, stopping and staring at Norah in horror. “It’s not her blood,” I heard Samuel say to the men. Samuel left Norah’s body in Clint’s arms and then took both guys aside to where they were out of Norah’s earshot. His hands were flying around furiously. One guy pulled out a cell and started talking into it, and the other listened to Samuel intently as he spoke. The guy on the cell, pointed to the Mercedes where Josh’s body was now at rest. He spoke to Samuel, who nodded at him. He walked over to Clint, put his hand on Norah’s back, and then Clint handed him what looked like the car keys. The man whispered into Norah’s ear, and then climbed into the shot-up Mercedes where Josh was, and took off with the car.

I walked over to where Clint was holding a paint and blood covered Norah in his arms against his bare chest. “Where is he going with the car?” I asked Clint, who was gripping Norah so tight it looked like they were one person.

“They are going to take care of him.” It was all Clint said. I nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. They would make sure that Josh got back to New York and that his body was properly looked after.

The man Samuel was talking with went back to the car he arrived in and got in, and Samuel came running over to where me, Clint and Norah were standing. Samuel rubbed Norah’s back, trying to get her staying focused on the task at hand. He must have known she was close to going into complete mental lockdown again. “Norah, we will get the Lappell for this. They will suffer and pay.”

“Sam’s right Norah. We will make sure of it.” Clint’s voice cracked, getting emotional, but I could tell he meant every word for her. They would both ensure her pain and loss would be met with violent retribution.

She broke free from Clint’s grip suddenly, and began sprinting off towards the woods. Samuel looked like he anticipated her reaction, and grabbed onto her before she could really take off. He pulled her into his arms, already knowing she was going to try and run. This was horrible to watch. Just horrendous and heartbreaking. I could only stare shocked at her sudden outburst. You could feel her pain as if it was radiating around her and you were caught in the spectrum.

“Shhh, it’s going to be okay. One day, months from now, you will be happy again. I swear to you Norah,” Samuel whispered into her ear.  His head turned to look behind his back, where I was now standing next to Clint. “Help me get her into that car.” We both walked towards Norah. Clint’s arms went around her and very slowly they helped her over to the awaiting car. They opened up the door and sat her down so her legs were propped outside the door. Norah shook again, and then looked up at both Clint and Samuel liked she had regained some sort of momentary clarity. I ran up to her now, not wanting to miss a second of her being in a conscious mental state. I knelt down next to where she was sitting in the car. She was just looking at us, eyes bloodshot, face soaked in tears. She looked cold and broken, but eerily composed.

“I guess this is good-bye,” she whimpered, staring up to all our faces. Samuel and Clint took a step back suddenly. The moment to say good-bye had arrived, and no one was ready, especially me. Then she cracked. “I’m sorry, I can’t...” she said, crying again. The boys stepped forward, wanting to be her support. “I can’t say good-bye again — to all of you. I just said good-bye to Josh. How can I possibly...”

“Yes you can,” Samuel said kneeling down and locking onto her eyes. “You are a strong woman Norah. Stronger than any of us. You’ve always been more light than darkness. You can do this. You will do this for yourself and for Josh. We all believe in you.”

Her eyes snapped to Samuel and she leapt at him. She had some strength left and he had helped her bring it out and up to the surface. “I’m going to miss you Samuel, so much.” She cried harder. “Make sure he is buried next to his parents okay. Please promise me that he will be next to them. He will be able to rest there. Promise me. Please.”

Samuel kissed her forehead, closing his eyes tight. “I promise you Lenorah Simona Rossi.”

She released him, and then looked at Clint. He looked even worse than her. His face was a mess of emotion. She jumped at him now, and Clint’s whole body swallowed her into his arms, his hands cradling her neck. It wasn’t just a part of him. It was his mind, body and soul in her grasp. It looked like he was trying to say good-bye, but they couldn’t say the words. They just held each other, foreheads resting on one another, not saying anything. Nothing at all. Perhaps the emotion was clear enough to say what was needed. Maybe not saying good-bye was the only way they could do this. She pulled away, and Clint fell to his knees. I was shocked by his reaction. The sight of him broken, like she had died too. I had no idea his love was that strong.

Norah stepped back from Clint. Her red eyes which had black circles all around them, looked at me now.  
Oh my God, how the fuck was I going to say good-bye to my best friend?
  I loved her so much. I tried to talk but no words could come out except some squeaky noise which sounded like ‘goo’. Then Norah did something I never expected her to do. She stepped forward and kissed me, very softly on the lips. I could even taste the salt from the tears that ran down into her mouth. It wasn’t sensual. It was just enough to convey a good-bye and be something special and unique for the two of us. It felt so fitting. It felt so right. I laughed, shocked and sad, and absolutely shattered all at once. Norah could always surprise me in the best kind of way. Impulsive, passionate, unexpected. An all-out intense individual who could floor you with one look, one word or one kiss. There was no one like this girl, who was an important piece of us all.

She turned then to get in the car, but then I remembered. The promise. The promise she made to Josh. She would hate herself and regret it forever if she didn’t do as she promised him. I couldn’t let her leave without doing what she told him she would do. I screamed out, my voice shaking. “But you promised Josh!”