Eva’s body lay limply on the concrete road.

The panicked taxi driver was looking back and forth between Eva and the large dent in the front of the car. The crowd gathered quickly.

Dominic ran to her blindly. He was faintly aware that he was crying, but he ignored it.

It’s my fault. I should have saved her.

Finally he reached her. A tall policeman tried to hold him back, but he threw him off and ran to her. He kneeled next to her, gathering her motionless body in his arms, and the tears were coming faster. “Eva.” He whispered. “Come on, Eva, don’t do this to me.” Dominic repeated her name, shaking her lightly, but no response. Her skin was still warm, but there was almost no pulse. Almost instantly, he knew that there was no hope for her. He knew it the first night he painted it.

“I’m so sorry. I tried to save you.” His voice was inaudible to the crowd around him. “I thought I could. I thought that if I loved you, I could save you.” He closed his eyes, placing his lips in her hair. “I’m in love with you.” He whispered. “I know I’m late. I don’t know why I couldn’t say it earlier.”

A strong hand appeared on his shoulder. “It’s time to let go, son.” A group of police was staring at him in pity.

Dominic shook his head. “Please. She’s still alive.”

“Are you family?”

“I’m her fiancée.” He answered quickly. It was the only way to stay with her, he knew.

The policeman pulled him up. “You can come with the ambulance.”

Two paramedics lifted Eva onto the stretcher. One checked her pulse, murmuring to other one. They lifted her body into the back of the ambulance and waved for Dominic to come with them. He sat next to Eva, taking her hand. “Is she going to be okay?”

One of the paramedics, a short blonde man, looked at him sympathetically. “It’s not good, sir. We’ll do everything we can.

Dominic felt his throat drying up, but he tried to breathe. He leaned down, whispering to her. “I just wanted to be with you, Eva. I didn’t know how what you felt for me, but if it was anything like what I felt for you, I was going to stay with you forever. You have to know that.”

Eva’s monitor beeped furiously, and the paramedics worked quickly. Dominic didn’t know what they were doing, but he watched as they tried to start her heart again. They were trying to save her life.

The monitor flat lined. Even Dominic knew what that meant. “Eva, please, don’t do this.” He said urgently, squeezing her hand. “Eva, please, just wake up.”

He waited, half expected a miracle. Minutes went past before he knew it was over.

Shaking, Dominic dropped her hand.

And then she opened her eyes.

------

Dominic had cried twice in his life. She opened her eyes, and he started number three.

“She’s…alive?” He asked the blonde paramedic cautiously.

He smiled. “For now.”

Eva tried to sit up, but Dominic pushed her back down. “Eva.” He whispered. “You’re still alive.”

“I didn’t die?” She choked out.

The EMT chuckled. “Technically, you did, for a few seconds. But you came back.”

Eva smiled at Dominic. “I guess I have to trust your psychic visions from now on.”

Dominic frantically pushed the tears away from his face. “I love you. God, Eva, I love you so much.” He whispered, pulling up his hand to stroke her face. Her skin was warmer now.

“It…” She winced, still trying to sit up. “It took you long enough.” She said. It was such a typical answer from her that he laughed. Carefully to avoid her developing bruises, he leaned down and kissed her softly. And he wanted her, wanted to be like this, forever, or for as long as she would let him.

It seemed that not even death could keep them apart for long.

------

Eva touched the bruise on her forehead. After a week in the hospital, the pain had nearly subsided, and she grateful for it.

She only needed two surgeries to stop the bleeding. The doctors were utterly surprised that her body had not gone into shock, an occurrence that seemed impossible to them, but she didn’t tell them that she had prepared herself for the hit. She knew what Dominic was warning her against, but she also knew that it she would never have escaped it. The only way to have a future was to go on what was essentially a suicide mission.

Of course, if she had told them that, she’d be a big white room with padded walls right now.

Obviously, she was relieved to still be alive, but she would have been willing to die. Months of Dominic trying to save her had taken its toll on him, she knew. It was the only way to give him his life back.

He blamed himself for the accident, but according to the paramedics, if she hadn’t moved that half an inch to face him, she would have taken the full force and they couldn’t have saved her. Dominic had saved her life after all.

The man in question appeared at the door, pulled some Indian takeout out of his backpack. “I snuck this in. You’ve got to be sick of that pudding by now.”

She shrugged. “Not really.”

He smiled and gave her a quick kiss. “Eat.” He ordered, handing her some chicken. Eva happily obliged, stuffing her face in silence for a few minutes before Dominic spoke up. “What are we going to do about James?” He knew the story of her absence now, and neither of them wanted a repeat performance.

She knew he wouldn’t like the answer, but it was the only way. “We can’t stay here, you know.”

Dominic nodded. “Yeah, I figured that.”

Eva took another bite. “I quit my job this morning. There’s nothing to keep us here.”

“I never had a job to begin with, so that’s not a problem.” He sighed. “I wonder if Jack will come with us.”

“He doesn’t have a choice.” Eva said quietly. “Look, I’ve got enough money to hold us over for a while until we find somewhere to stay. We can go to Europe. I know people that can get us new identities, if we need them. We’ll be okay.”

“You know, when people bring baggage into a relationship, it’s not usually in the form of a psychotic ex-fiancée who’s out for blood.”

Eva laughed. “Yeah, well, it comes with the package.”

“And what a beautiful package it is.” He said softly, staring at her.

Eva patted the spot on the hospital bed next to her. Dominic abandoned his food and climbed up, wrapping his arm around her.

She knew that they would be on the run for a long time, as long as they had to, and that their lives would never be normal again, if they ever were to begin with. But after years of pretending to be something that she wasn’t, being with a man she didn’t love, planning a wedding she didn’t really want, this new life was a relief. She knew that as long as they were together, it would finally be okay.

AN: And it’s finished! Not a total happy ending, but sort of. Tell me what you thought. (I know it wasn’t great, but then again, I’m not that great of a writer.) But I liked this story because I like the idea of people, in trying to avoid their future, working right towards it. For instance, the only reason that Eva was near that street was because she was staying with Dominic. The shoes, the ring-everything came true because she made it come true. Anyway, I enjoyed writing the story, and I hope that you enjoyed reading it.

Also, I’m looking for someone to collaborate on a story with. I’ve never done that before and I’d like to try it. Message me or leave a comment if you’re interested. Thanks!