Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)
Hello 616

Neither Jace nor Steve said a word. They just stared of me.

I lifted my head slowly and asked in a daze, “You don't know?"

I tried to sit up. "Then I'll go find him."

"Rea." Steve pressed me back down. His eyes were red.

I blinked. "What's wrong?"

Jace's voice soft. "Hayden's already gone."

I nodded, "I know..." I forced a weak smile. "I know he's gone... that's why I need to go be with him."

Steve's grip on my hand tightened-hard, almost painful. I looked at him. "You're hurting me."

"Rea..." His voice was rough. "You won't see him again,

I stared at him, something inside me twisting, clawing, breaking. But I shoved it back down. "I can. Just let me go.

"Rea," Steve said again, his voice desperate.

But I couldn't stop. I pushed harder against his grip. "Let me go."

That raw, desperate need bubbled over, burning in my chest. I had to see him. If I didn't, I'd lose what little was left of me.

"You can't see him," Jace snapped suddenly. He hesitated, then added, "He's already... been cremated."

I froze.

I stared at Jace, my mouth opening and closing, struggling to make sense of his words.

"Jace!" Steve's hand tightened on my shoulder. "Rea, you... you need to calm down."

I turned to Steve, frantic, my eyes pleading with him. "What he said isn't... isn't true, right?"

Steve's red-rimmed eyes filled with sorrow. "Rea, if you need to cry... just let it out."

But I couldn't cry. If I cried, it meant I accepted it. And I wouldn't.

My eyes widened. Without thinking, I shoved him away.

"No! You're lying! You're all lying! I don't believe you!"

I tried to get up and run, but Steve grabbed me again, his grip unrelenting. I thrashed, fought, clawed at him, but he wouldn't let go.

The suffocating panic took over. I lashed out, punching him, but it didn't matter. He didn't budge.

In a final, desperate move, I bit him-hard.

Steve didn't even flinch. He just held me.

Eventually, I ran out of strength. My teeth loosened, my hands trembled, and I slumped against him, my

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fingers still clutching his arm. “Please don't be so cruel... Please don't do this..."

"You have to accept it. Jace said again,

How could I accept this?

Hayden, the man who was so alive just hours ago-holding me, dodging freaking balls from Bruno's men, his breath warm on my skin, his heartbeat pounding in my ears-how could he just be gone?

I turned to Steve, desperate. "Take me to him"

I couldn't hear another word from Jace. His words were too final, too devastating, shattering the last bit of hope I had left.

Steve glanced at Jace, and I jerked him. "Steve..."

He nodded. "Alright, I'll take you."

He helped me to my feet, and we started moving. I didn't even know where we were going I just followed.

I wanted to believe Jace was wrong, but deep down, I knew. He wasn't lying.

With every step, my chest grew heavier.

Then I saw it. A sign. One word.

It stopped me cold.

"Do you still want to go?" Steve asked quietly, like he could feel the shift inside me.

Yes, I did.

I had to see him. One last time.

Even if all that was left... was a handful of ashes.