*Vic's P.O.V.*

-Ten days later-

I stood, numb to my core, as Mike, Jaime, and Tony finished their speeches. I was next. I wanted to cry, but no tears escaped from my eyes. No tears were left to escape.

I blankly made my way up to the podium, facing the small crowd that included members of my family and hers. It looked like a pond of black all in the center. Different from the girl dressed in all white in the casket.

I looked down at the paper in front of me, before picking up the nicely typed speech and shredding it.

Everyone stared at me with eyes as big as the moon, watching my every move.

"I typed a speech..." I began, "but honestly, no speech can ever prepare someone for this." I motioned to the audience with my hands.

I gripped the edges of the podium and sighed, "She was my friend. My best friend. My companion. Partner. Lover. She was all of these things and more. She was my world. I love her. She has taken a part of me that I will never want returned to a distant land. And, damnit, I wish I was there instead of her." I banged my fists on the podium, receiving sympathetic glances and jumps.

I took deep breaths and calmed myself down, "I miss her. So much. I will never be able to wake up to her smiling face, or our kids running down the hall, or our puppy jumping on top of us, covering our faces with slobber. No, I will never get to wake up to that."

I felt tears prick my eyes, "It was my future, you know? And now, I am lost. I have no direction to turn and I don't know what to do."

My voice cracked, and I continued, taking in a deep shaky breath, "I had the desicion to let her go or keep on fighting. I chose to keep fighting. But it didn't work. Why? Why do things like this happen?"

I closed my eyes as the crowd remained silent, "My brother Mike once said to me that everything happens for a reason. Well, I have yet to find this reason. But I can't and I don't think I ever will, because no reason will ever be good enough for me."

I stepped off the podium, feeling awful. I walked towards the casket and looked into it.

There lay my Riley, as peaceful as ever. Her lips were slightly parted and her hair was laid out perfectly. Her white dress gleamed in the light and I realized it was silk. Her arms were folded against her stomach and I touched one. It felt cold, like death.

"I fucking love you," I whispered. A tear fell off my face and splashed onto her cheek. It rolled down the side of her face, making it seem as if she, too, had shed a tear.

I was expecting her to magically awaken, like in a movie. But it was a foolish thought, because movies were fucking jokes. This was reality, and reality was harsh and cruel.

I turned around and said, "I can't do this."

Everyone stared at me, dumbfounded, as I walked briskly towards the door. No one stopped me, not even my own brother, and I walked out into the stormy afternoon.

Rain splashed onto my body, and I was soon drenched. I found myself wandering, just like my soul. My imperfect soul. Who was searching for that other half. But the other half was gone, I realized.

I just walked away from her, leaving her perfect self in a casket. I just walked away from something that meant the world to me. Something that will forever be perfectly imperfect.

Notes

It is time my friends. The end has arrived.

I'd like to give a special thanks to my editor and best friend, Jordan! She's a true Forbiddener and I couldn't have done it without her! She literally fixed my mistakes and I couldn't have been as successful without her.

I'd also like to thank my other best friends, who have been supporting me from day 1 (you all know who you are)

And also a big big big big BIG thank you to all the commenters, voters, and subscribers. This story couldn't have been the way it was without you guys! I love you all!

Keep your eyes peeled for Bulletproof and my Mike story which is titled 'True Rebel.' I will start that tomorrow!

Until then, my lovelies

~L