Warning!!! This chapter is not for everyone. Please skip this chapter if you have a sensitive heart.

Ian Cros

Isabella skated to the rink's edge with her eyes on Paul as he walked away. Her expression dropped with attitude toward him, but she brightly smiled when she fixed her gaze on me.

"You getting back on the ice?" she asked, pushing off the half wall.

She spun in a slow circle, causing ice to be flung around her. Her giggles filled the air, and she slipped, tumbling, but caught herself.

I stood from the bench, wobbling to her. "Only for a little longer," I replied, knowing I needed to talk to her about ending contact.

She quickly skated away from me, racing around the rink before I even entered. As my blades touched the ice, she hooked her arm with mine, helping me.

"Who was that?" Her voice was low, scanning the spot where Paul sat with me.

"He works for my father," I replied vaguely.

"Oh, Mr. Robert Cros is my mother's favorite." Isabella let her arm unhook from mine and skated backward to face me. "She always threatens my father with leaving him for your dad."

I scrunched my brows together, not seeing the attractiveness of Robert, given my mother gave me all my looks. She played with her hair, halting. I slid into her, but she pushed back, making me skate to the exit.

"Let's go feed the ducks," she said, jumping off the ice.

We returned our skates at the empty front desk and headed to the park. The streets filled with people strolling to their destination. We walked along the paved path while piles of snow melted from the sun. A group of kids ran by us with sleds tangled around their wrists. Isabella hid her face from them, stepping behind me.

"Do you know them?" I peeked at the kids while they turned away from the park.

"Yes," she replied. "They go to my school."

"Why not play with them, then?"

"Because I already told you. I don't like the kids in my school."

"Fair," I replied, seeing the bridge and the pond in the distance. "So, Isabella, we need to talk about our friendship."

She placed her hand on my arm. "I know."

"You know?" I questioned, not sure if she did.

"Yeah. You are Ian Cros, and I am a kid." Isabella skipped around me, kicking a pinecone on the path. "Let's feed the ducks, and I will stop stalking you."

I chuckled, watching her run away toward the ducks. The snow from the trees above fell slowly in the noisy air. A car honked loudly, prompting others to blare, New York City at its finest. I watched the busy streets as people run the crosswalks.

A vast truck slammed on its brakes, and an older woman yelled toward them with her hands in the air. She slammed her purse on the hood, flashing her middle finger.

"You asshole! Stop for people at the crosswalk!" she yelled, shaking her head.

She finished crossing the street, and I glanced to see Isabella hanging from a tree. Her smile brightened the cloudy sky. Meeting this young girl taught me about viewing the world differently. There are bad and good people, the ones that kill and the opposites that bring sunshine.

Evil to the core, my family. The majority saw them as the American dream, but behind closed doors, the devil controlled our nightmares. Robert told his story about being a man, yelling for me to walk in his steps. Rebecca, my mother, would smile and wave like a robot, agreeing with him.

I didn't want to walk those steps. I couldn't. My stomach would never hold steady as I watched a man die before my eyes. Was I less of a man when my heart couldn't stay in an ocean rhythm when human life became chum?

"Watch," Bianca's voice echoed on repeat in my head. Her robotic ways mimicked the blank stare my mother would do in uncomfortable situations. Watch while bile from my stomach builds to project on everyone. Watch so I could become Robert in time. Watch as they scrape with a dull knife for my soul.

"Ian!"

I shook my head out of my thoughts, seeing Isabella at the bridge above the pond. Her hands cupped her head, pulling at her hair in frustration.

"Come on, Ian! You are so slow!"

I jogged the path toward the bridge. The melted snow sloshed into my expensive shoes, soaking my socks. A whisper from the wind blew between the skyscrapers. My hair swayed around my forehead, and I pulled it back with my fingers.

"Barb picked a fight with one of the young ones," Isabella said.

I stepped onto the bridge, slipping on the frozen stones. Gripping the rock railing, I kept to my feet. The ducks below in the half-frozen pond quacked with splashing chaos.

"See?" Isabella questioned me with her arms over the railing, pointing at the duck.

The female duck had many feathers missing around her tail as she ducked her head under the water, flashing her rear our way. She popped back up, pecking at the little vegetation winter left for them.

"She's missing feathers," I replied, leaning against the stone wall.

"Yep." She pulled peas from her pocket, handing me a few.

I gripped the peas, tossing them at the ducks below. They danced around, fighting over the food. One of the green ducks jumped on the other, pecking at its neck. Isabella hurled more peas at their backs, separating the fight.

"Do you always have peas in your pockets?"

"Of course." Her uplifting voice giggled at the fighting below us. "I come here a lot."

She held her hand out for me to take more peas. I grabbed the tiny balls from her palm, watching them on my skin.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, not wanting to hear my voice.

She placed her hand on my wrist, tightening her grip. "Let's not do this. You don't need to be sorry for who you are. I'm happy to have the chance to be your friend for the little time."

I chuckled. "Had anyone ever told you to be a kid?"

"What?"

"You see the world as colors and mature thinking when most adults can't manage their angry emotions."

She dropped peas into the water. "As a kid who spends a lot of time alone." Isabella glanced at me with a brow raised. "It would seem I learned early that the world doesn't spin around me, meaning saying goodbye to you is just life."

"That's what I mean," I said, shaking my head.

I turned toward her, grabbing her shoulders for her to face me. Her yellow winter coat puffed around her face as her pink cheeks reflected the clouded sun in them. Her flyways brushed her forehead as her eyes widened.

"Isabella, never think that way."

She arched her brows in confusion.

"Always know you are the sun." I patted the top of her head. "Never surround yourself with people who treat you any less." I glanced up and across the streets. "Time to get going."

She smiled with a nod. "Deal." Isabella tossed more peas into the pond and skipped off the bridge.

I followed behind her as she raced along the path, leaping from boulder to boulder. She jumped the cracks, gaining the distance between us, and slowed to a walk before entering the busy streets.

Isabella stopped along the sidewalk, waiting for me. She smiled at the tall buildings, watching the birds. Her yellow snow coat reflected the bright sun when a car jumped the curb.

The vehicle sped down the sidewalk, heading straight for Isabella. Exhaust blew into the chilly air while the driver slammed on their gas.

"Isabella!" I yelled over the honking horns.

She spun to look at me as I raced toward her. The world slowed down while her hair blew around her face, and her smile shined at me. She didn't notice the car. Her life was in complete bliss.

The vehicle slammed into her, sending her tiny body flying into the road. I couldn't run fast enough as the car took off, riding on the sidewalk. Everyone around stood shocked as they watched the red car drive away.

I stumbled to Isabella as she lay on the street with no movement. Her limp body fumbled in my arms while I scooped her up. Red smeared down her face, clotting her coat.

"Call nine-one-one!" I yelled at the older lady standing beside me in shock.

She didn't move, but placed her palm over her mouth while tears fell from her eyes. A guy rushed beside me, cupping his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm calling right now," he whispered, trembling with fear.

I touched my fingers on Isabella's neck, feeling nothing, and softly laying my ear on her chest. A tear slowly formed in my eye, listening to her silent heart.

"She's not breathing!" I yelled, glancing at the surrounding crowd. "She's not breathing," I whispered.

The kids from her school stood before us, frozen like statues. They whispered to one another, unsure how to respond.

The ambulance blared between the buildings, echoing into all my senses. Everyone teaches you how to respond when something terrible happens, but nobody realizes how all goes out the window when it's someone you care for.

"She's not breathing," I whispered, focused on the peas rolling in the street while blood slowly swept toward them. The green balls trailed to her limp hand, unmoving.

Her pale expression was soft, with fallen features. I placed my hand on her high cheekbones, brushing the wet tear that trailed on her skin. Wide eyes frozen in time, I place my fingertips on her lids, closing them.

My family had managed to kill the sun. The bright, playful light rays had warmed the Earth from the sins. A man I once called my father destroyed happiness, killed her future, murdered the blissful laughter.

I knew my family had something to do with her silent heartbeat. With my head on her chest, the buzzing filled my ears, but soon, emptiness had coated my ears with tears. My bottom lip trembled uncontrollably.

"She's not breathing," I cried, soaking my tears with her blood.

I closed my eyes, picturing her smile shining at me.

She's not breathing.

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