Santi: The Devil's Pioneer

Chapter 34 - The Goodbye Continues

I slam the door behind me, not caring about Lola and Emily being downstairs waiting for my response.

I felt overwhelmed. Never in my life had I faced such great heartache. It felt as though I was breaking apart.

All of a sudden, I remember my life in Hell without a beating heart. It was cold but it was safe. It was painless.

Tears rush down my face. This wasn't what I had intended to happen.

I plop myself face-first to the bed, muffling my cries with the pillow.

The door cracks open, and I don't squeak.

"It's okay to cry, you know. It's alright to be upset, dear."

I hear Lola's soothing voice. I feel her seat herself beside me on the bed, feeling the sudden shift of weight.

I don't mumble, nor speak. I let her cool hands run through the locks of my hair.

"It's never easy. Your first heartbreak. It's painful, I should know." She pauses and I listen more intently to her. "You're gonna be okay, you know. This is nothing Santi Grahams cannot face."

I roll around to face her. My eyes were soaking wet. But my pride was somewhere lower than Hell.

I glimpse at Lola's caring eyes, feeling her envelop me in her arms even when we were inches apart.

"It sucks, Santi. I know. It feels as if the world has ended. As if you've lost all purpose in living."

She smiles and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ears.

"But your story's not over. You have so much more to go on. You're gonna meet so many more people. That heartbreak gonna happen again and again. And it'll break you every single time. But you're gonna get up anyway because you're Santi Grahams. You're strong. You are—"

"Did you have to tell him the truth?!" Emily comes through the door, bursting with redness on her cheeks.

Her blonde bangs sway right and left, as she sneers at me.

"Emily? What's gotten you riled up? I don't think this is a good time. Santi's not having a good day." Lola tries to take her out of the room by grabbing her hands.