I push the door open to just grab the shirt I need myself. We are always borrowing each other’s clothes and never care when the other borrows something without asking first.
I scream when I see her and then immediately gather my composure to run over to her. A needle is sticking out of her arm as she lies in her bed.
“Danielle,” I say, gently tapping her face.
She doesn’t move, but I do see her chest rise and fall. She’s still breathing—for now.
“Come on, Danielle! Wake up!”
She moans softly as I tap her face harder, but she doesn’t wake up. I grab my phone and dial 911. I don’t know what else to do. The operator gives me some instructions to try and wake her up. But, most importantly, I just need to make sure she is still breathing when the paramedics arrive.
I hold her head in my lap as I wait.
“I’m so sorry, Danielle. I’m so, so sorry.” I pat her hair.
She looks so peaceful, lying in my arms like this, but I know she is anything but at peace.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t realize what was going on. I should have known after this happened before. I’m an idiot. Just please don’t die, and I’ll be here for you. I’ll make this better. I promise.”
* * *
I place my hand on Danielle’s tombstone and then fold my legs as I take a seat in front of it.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t keep my promise. I couldn’t save you. I thought I could. I thought that, once you healed and went to rehab, they would be able to help you. They couldn’t. I thought our friendship would be enough to save you. It wasn’t.”
I let the tears fall down my face.
“I thought that a lot of love could save you, but it couldn’t.”
I cry for a long time, just sitting there with her. I don’t know if I will ever get over her death. It was so senseless. It was all because a stranger came into her life and played games with her heart. The coroner’s report said that she died because of an overdose. That’s not true. She died from a broken heart that was never able to heal.
“Sloane?” I hear Wes behind me.
I stand up and wipe my tears.
“I was in town and thought I would come see how you were doing. Not well, huh?”
I shake my head.
“I’m so sorry about your friend.”
“Thank you.”
“I wish there were something I could do to help you. I could go kick that guy’s ass if you want.”
I smile and then cock my head to the side, looking at Wes. “Maybe there is something you can do to help me.”
“What do you mean?”
“You can propose.”
He frowns. “I care about you, Sloane, and I would do anything for you, but I don’t think you and I getting married is going to fix anything. You and I don’t work as a couple.”
I shake my head. “I mean, to help me get revenge. Propose. Pretend we are getting married. Let the asshole steal me from you. And then I’ll rip out his heart, like he did to Danielle.”
“But, to do that, he would have to want to steal you.”
“He will. I know how his game works. I’ll just dangle myself in front of him, and then he’ll try to steal me.”