My senses became stunningly clear. I hear his heartbeat, loud and shallow in my ear, though I am feet away from him. I see the perfection of his drained skin, every pore and the spirals on his fingertips. I smell his sickly skin, taste death in the air. Ever so carefully, Jerimiah's eyes flash open. That's when something powerful floods into my veins and blinks with my pulse. Even through his dull washed out green eyes, I see them glisten. Most of all, I realize, at this exact moment, that Jerimiah loves me.
I quickly make my way over to his bedside, taking his warm fragile hand into my own. His cheeks were somewhat sunken in from being so weak and skinny. I find myself holding back tears, for him.
"Delilah," Jerimaih whispers my name with a raspy breath. I manage to smile, the salty tears painting my dirty cheeks.
"Yes, yes, it's me Jerimiah," I answer, stroking his gentle hand. Somehow, he still has soft tender skin. Jerimiah smiles his crooked grin before he meakly coughs. I catch sight of Mary, solemnly standing at the doorway, tears in her eyes also. I turn to face her, desperatly confused.
"What's wrong with him?" I ask through sobs.
"He's dying, Delilah." She sorrowfully answers. Warm tears cling to my long lashes
"But how!?" I tragically question, my mind racing. Jerimiah can't die now. Not after I just realized he loves me! No, not now....just some time...
"We don't. All of us tried everything and there's nothing we can do." Mary lovingly explains, ginglery laying her hands on my back. My head is spinning, not capable to comprehend what she is implying.
"There must be something we can do!" I beseech, trembling with sobs. By the look on Mary's face, I know there is nothing. Silently, she leaves, soft cries of pain tinkling in my ears.
I look at Jerimiah's face. Although it is drained of normal color and he isn't nearly as beautiful as usual, I still love him. If I could, I would give up my life for him to live. But there is nothing I could do. Absolutley nothing; that probably pained me the more than anything else, knowing that I can't help him, just take away the pain from Jerimiah.
I caress his cheek in the palm of my hand, tears falling with every breath.
"Don't leave me now, Jer," I whimper, fervorous feelings overcoming me."Jerimiah, please."
Jerimiah's eyes open and he can still pull off an incandescent smile when he finds my face.
"You stayed," He croaks. I smile, for him.
"Of coarse," I enarmorly say, blinking away the tears. His chest rises slowly; I hear his sticky exhale.
"I love you Delilah," Jerimiah recititudly says to me, murky green eyes sparkling with his tears. I grin, the fact of him dying in my arms hitting me full force.
"I love you, too Jerimiah. I love you, too." And with that, I delicatley lean in to kiss him. At first, I feel his warm lips reply full force twirling with my own. In thoose few seconds, I feel perfect, as if nothing can break me. Slowly, his lips let go and his whole body goes limp. One last thump of his heart, and he's gone. Jerimiah is dead. I'm frozen, still able to feel were his warm lips pushed against my own-now turning into a ghostly unpresence. After everything we've been through, our love remained the same.
"Goodbye, Jerimiah," I whisper, pecking his right cheek. I stiffly walk out of the room, focusing on how am I going to survive without Jerimiah.