I always knew Dallas Winston would die young. I just didn't expect it to be this soon. I just didn't think it would happen the way it did. I thought he and I had more time. I also always expected his last words to be to Johnny Cade, not me. But I was wrong about all of those things.

I always thought it would be the police who got to him first, but I should have known he took his actions more seriously than that. Sure, he was reckless, but he was always careful not to get caught, and when he did, it wasn't for anything too stupid. Maybe he slashed one too many of Tim Shepard's tires, or harassed a girl until her Daddy butted in, or maybe the Socs were just tired of his shit. Maybe I should have been more careful, tried harder to keep him out of trouble. But I loved him, and I took all of his shit with a smile. Maybe half the town didn't believe it, but he loved me. I knew it. I always did.

He never slept around. He just flirted. He loved me, he always have. Through all of our fights, all of our ups and downs, he never cheated. He never denied his love. He was never the one who threatened to break up. He loved me. And I loved him.

I was with him when everything happened. He wasn't one for PDA, but when we went out, sometimes I could convince him to hold my hand. It was one of those days. As we walked through the empty streets and back roads of Tulsa, Oklahoma, something started to feel off. I squeezed his hand.

"It's okay," he whispered. I always did that, even if I had to reach for his hand, to let him know that something seemed off. But then something happened.

"Stay still," he whispered. He had heard something, someone, but no one was around. We walked on, our pace quickening. The air seemed to get thinner and thinner until the body finally emerged from the shadows. They didn't say anything, and I couldn't recognize the face, but Dally seemed... terrified. It was the first time I'd seen him afraid of anything.

"Run," he whispered. I didn't move.

"Run, babygirl, you gotta go," he said again. My feet felt like cement in the boiling hot sun, and I was so nervous I couldn't get myself to move. So I didn't. But then I saw the man taking something out of the pocket of his trench coat. I saw sweating, trying to keep calm.

"Go!" He yelled. I tried to pull Dally with me, but it was too late.

When the gun went off, I don't think either of us were expecting it. But still, he knew it was coming. I was paralyzed with fear. He pushed me down to the ground just as a loud noise rang around. It hung in the air for a minute, echoing. I sobbed. Dally laid on top of me, and I didn't realize anything was wrong for a minute.

"Dal?" I whispered, my voice shaking. The shooter was gone. His movements were shaky, but Dally managed to get his arms around me. I flipped over. There was blood dripping from his stomach.

"No," I muttered. "No." It couldn't be happening. I wanted to get up, but I didn't want to hurt him.

"I'll be okay," he whispered. He always said that. Nothing ever bothered him. Even getting shot.

"Dally," I cried, holding his bullet wound. He winced. I tried hard to stop the bleeding, but any more pressure and I thought he would cry.

"Baby, please don't leave me." I sobbed into his shoulder. His arms didn't leave my sides, but his eyes started to droop.

"No. No Dally. Baby, you gotta stay awake," I begged. I kissed him. He put as much of his focus as he could into it. It would be our last kiss together.

"Y/N," he whispered. This was it. No matter how hard I tried, he wouldn't be able to stay awake. This was the end for him.

"I love you." I had always known it was true, in the three years we'd been together, but it was the first time he'd ever said it. The real words. I said it all the time, once every day if not more. He's always agree, saying "you too," or something of the sort, but it was the first time he'd ever uttered the real words.

"I love you too, Dally. But you can do this. Stay with me. Stay with me, baby," I said. Begged. Pleaded. Sobbed. I sent a silent prayer up there, to whoever was up there, whoever would listen, whoever would save Dally. My Dally. He shivered, so I hugged him tighter, giving up on stopping his bleeding. He rested his head on my shoulder.

"I love you," I whispered, kissing his cheeks and holding him close until I could feel his chest stop moving. He was gone. And so was a part of me.