Jamie was giving it everything he had, but she could see he was starting to lose consciousness. Cadence caught Eliza’s eyes. She looked as petrified as Cadence felt, but she kept her grip on Jamie, giving him the strength to carry on.

“What happens if Jamie passes out?” Cadence whispered to Eliza.

“He’ll be done,” she said solemnly.

That couldn’t happen. Not yet anyway.

There was a sound at the door behind her, and using Eliza’s vantage point through the IAC, Cadence saw Elliott enter the room. His expression showed he hadn’t been watching what was happening because he had a smile on his face for a moment. She vaguely remembered catching a message from him a few moments ago, something about everyone being convinced they had just been shooting a movie about vampires and everything was fine. His expression shifted from confusion to shock when he realized everyone was staring at the situation in the middle of the dance floor. It didn’t take him long to realize what had happened.

Christian caught him at the door, holding him back, even though he knew Elliott wanted to go to Aaron’s side. He needed some room and there were enough people in the immediate vicinity for now. “Wait,” he said, “Just wait.”

Elliott understood and took a step back. “What the hell happened?” he asked.

“Sebastian grabbed Sabin’s gun and used her hand to fire it. So, no matter who it hit, that bullet was lethal,” Christian explained. “Rather ingenious, though he still ended up losing his life.”

“And Aaron threw himself in front of her, not realizing it?”

“Actually, I’m pretty sure he would have done it whether he realized it or not, but yes, he dove to protect her,” Christian recounted. Elliott scoffed, and Christian continued. “If I’d been in the same position, I would’ve done the same thing. I think any of us would’ve. That’s our job. Not that I envy Aaron taking the bullet.”

Cadence could see Christian’s face, and he actually looked a bit jealous. After hearing those remarks, she wondered if Christian was actually somehow envious of Aaron. Before she could contemplate the ridiculousness of the notion, she realized Elliott was speaking again.

“Where is he hit?” Elliott asked, ignoring Christians remark and absently toeing his boot into the dance floor.

“I’m not exactly sure, but I think it’s right under his rib cage,” Christian replied.

“Lungs?” Elliott asked, a grimace of concern on his face.

“Appears so,” Christian replied, his arms folded across his chest.

Cadence returned her full attention to the situation at hand. Aaron continued to stare into her eyes. Suddenly, he took a deep breath, an audible one, the first detectable one he’d drawn since the gun went off. Cadence glanced at Eliza who was smiling. This was a good sign.

Jamie was just barely hanging on, and Eliza helped him lean forward so that Jamie’s head was now resting right over Aaron’s lungs. His hands were still applying pressure to the wound, but the bullet hole was no longer bleeding. For the first time, Cadence began to realize Aaron was actually going to recover. He opened his mouth again, and this time, he was able to speak. “Cadence?” he said softly.

She gasped at the sound of his voice, daring to hope that he was going to be all right. “Yes?” she asked, softly stroking his face.

“You have really pretty eyes.” His voice had almost completely recovered now.

She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. “Thank you. So do you.” She smiled down at him as a solitary tear rolled down her cheek. “How do you feel?”

“I’ve been better,” he admitted. “But I think I’m going to be okay.”

“Yeah?” she said, the tears beginning to stream down her face again now.

“Yeah. I don’t think my body has completely healed yet, and I still have a significant amount of pain in my chest. But I’m pretty certain now that I’m no longer going to die.”

“That pain is the cells in your chest regenerating,” Jamie explained. “I’m sorry, I can’t do more… right now.” With that, Jamie finally lost consciousness, slumping forward, Eliza’s arms the only thing keeping him from hitting the floor. Elliott and Christian hurried over, helping Eliza lay Jamie down.

As soon as Jamie was off of him, Aaron attempted to sit up. Elliott took his shoulder, and Cadence helped steady him as he slowly came up off of the floor. He coughed up a bit of blood, but for the most part he seemed much better.

“You okay, bossman?” Elliott asked, still looking concerned.

“Yeah, I think so,” Aaron replied, wiping the blood off of his hands on one of the towels. “I definitely owe Jamie my life, though. That’s for certain.”

“We’re just lucky he was here and was able to react in time,” Elliott noted before gently patting him on the shoulder and taking a step back.

“Thank you,” Cadence said, relief and thankfulness that he was spared washing over her. “You saved me.”

“That’s my job,” he replied. “I won’t ever let anything happen to you.”

Cadence nodded, and as much as she wanted to lean over and kiss him, she knew now was not the time or place. She’d have to thank him properly later.

Aaron looked around at the faces surrounding him. Everyone looked so relieved that he had recovered. Most of them had tear streaks down their faces. He felt appreciated for a change, which was refreshing. Of all of the faces, however, there was one to which he returned. Those calming brown eyes, the ones that had prevented him from slipping away, although the thought of an eternal slumber had been so tempting. He may have saved Cadence from the bullet, but she had saved him that day as well. As much as he wanted to let her know just how much he appreciated her, he realized that now was not the time. With a deep breath, one that filled his entire lungs, he said, “Come on guys, let’s go home.”

* * *

Taylor had left Cadence eight messages, each more despairing than the last. She didn’t understand why she wouldn’t just answer her phone. The first message was just to let her know that Jack wasn’t feeling any better and that she should call if she got a chance. The next two were slightly more urgent. Jack had slipped into a coma, and the doctors weren’t sure if they were going to be able to bring him back.

Next, she’d left a few messages letting her know that Jack’s health was deteriorating rapidly. They had put him on a ventilator. The doctors were only giving him hours to live. The last two had just been asking her to call as soon as she could. She couldn’t bear for Cadence to hear the news on her voicemail.

Jack was dead.

* * *

Cadence had been so concerned about Aaron and Jamie; she had let Jack slip her mind, something she felt horrible about. It wasn’t until she was on the plane flying home that she realized she needed to check her messages. When she saw that she had eight messages from Taylor, she knew it couldn’t be good. She recognized that there was nothing she could do while they were on the plane, so she may as well give her heart a few more hours without letting it break again. If Jack was gone, she really didn’t want to know right now. She glanced across the rows of seats to the back of the plane where Aaron was fast asleep. After having almost lost him today, she couldn’t put herself through the trauma of letting go of someone else she loved, not yet. It would have to wait. No matter who else she loved in her life, Jack had been her first, and she knew she would always love him.

* * *

The tingling started in his shoulder and slowly radiated through his entire body, spreading into his limbs, each finger and toe, his inner organs, even the hairs on his arms felt alive. He was cognizantly aware that the pulsating pain he had been feeling throughout his whole body had finally stopped. Before he even opened his eyes, he knew he felt different. His body felt stronger, more powerful. He felt a new life coursing through his veins, and he intended to relish every minute of it. And he knew exactly whom he was going to spend it with. She had said she loved him just before she left. Now, Cadence would be his forever. Nothing, no one, could ever stop them from being together. Inhaling deeply into his freshly restored lungs, Jack felt invigorated. His eyes fluttered open, the dim light of the morgue sinking into the steel gray irises, causing them to burn at first, but then they adjusted, and he had a new view of the world around him and all the possibilities it contained. Yes, he would find Cadence, and she would be his, right after he quenched his insatiable burning in his throat.