Chapter 9

Hector staggered forward, finally dropping to his knees beside my body. His hands shook as he lifted the white cloth, revealing my face. He looked, but only for a second, quickly covering it again.

"No... it's not her... it can't be her..." His pupils shrank as he tried to convince himself, voice tight with disbelief.

"Who is this? Sienna didn't look like this... this isn't her!" He went pale, shaking his head, clinging to denial. "She texted me two months ago, promised she'd be with me forever! This... this can't be her!"

A strangled cry escaped him, and he slammed his fist into the wall, splitting his knuckles. Blood mingled with the tears that dripped down his face—tears he hadn't even noticed.

Hector was crying.

From above, I watched, torn between feeling pity and the sting of irony. Months ago, he'd sworn I deserved to die, and now, here he was, shattered by my death.

"This isn't real... it can't be... Sienna, this joke isn't funny..." He gripped the edge of the stretcher, v