the wind blew mercilessly, tousling your hair as you tucked a strand of it behind your ear. you ran your finger along the engraved words of the cold, dark surface. riki would’ve been buried right under this exact gravestone if his body was actually found, but it wasn’t. nothing really even mattered now that he was gone, because you knew he wasn’t coming back. your fingers were numb now, and you couldn’t even feel the rough, engraved letters that spelled out the exact name that you used to love saying.

you forced a smile onto your face as if that would’ve soothed the burning pain in your heart. that’s what he would’ve wanted, right? for you to be happy—even if it was without him.

“we could’ve been something more.” you whispered, the words leaving your lips without a trace. you held your hand out in front of you, your fingers trembling with every breath. you stared at the glistening ring around your finger—the one that he had given to you just a month ago.

“it’s a promise ring,” he had said, grinning as he took your hand in his. “cause somewhere in the future we’re gonna be married. i promise.”

it was all so clear in your mind. and, maybe, you just wanted to forget—to forget any of this had ever happened in the first place. you felt a drop of water fall onto your hand, and then another. but it wasn’t even raining—you were crying.

your chest heaved with every breath you took—the tears running down your cheek uncontrollably. you choked back a sob, and then stopped. it almost felt as if a ray of sunlight had pulled you into its arms, its warmth a stark contrast to the utter cold you were feeling both inside and out. you opened your eyes, but the sun wasn’t out at all. the wind still blew, your cheeks were still stained with tears, but there was something else—there really were arms wrapped around you.

“i’m so sorry, sweetheart,” a voice said, pulling you closer. “i didn't mean to leave"