More Reddit Shenanigans

So this was another Reddit writing prompt that I wrote up. Had a flow with it and wrote whatever came to mind. That sub is good for that. The prompt was: Everyone has the last words of their soulmate written on their body. Yours says " I never loved you.

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It was a fight, nothing more. We'd had them from time to time that would escalate and we both would say things simply meant to hurt the other. 20 years of marriage will do that.

It was almost like a dance we'd do. It would start off with the bow, where she would say something passive aggressive. It continued to the start of the dance quickly from there as I'd always overreact. She'd say something nasty, then I'd reply with something hurtful. Usually it all ended with me walking out to go for a drive to clear my head after she replied with her more hurtful comment. In the end it always ended with us making up and reminding ourselves that this happens and we don't mean the things we said. That we meant them to hurt and nothing more.

I drove around listening to talk radio to calm down. Hoping one of these voices would piss me off more, then I'd recall something she and I had talked about and a warm feeling of home would wash over me and I'd drive back.

In my search I found that all of a sudden there was a burning sensation over my chest. I gripped with one hand and tried to get home, maybe this was the heart attack she always warned me about while I ate something I knew I shouldn't be eating.

I turned down our street, and could instantly feel nothing as the scene unfolded in front of me. Ambulances, a fire truck, police, and a stretcher. Oh God, please no.

I can't remember parking, for all I know I just left the damn car in the middle of the street.

The next moment I was in the ambulance, holding her hand as we were rushed to the hospital. They wouldn't tell me what was wrong, but they let me hold her hand. She wasn't gripping my hand back.

Doctors in the ER know when someone's getting close to those pearly gates, the last words to their soulmate is branded on them. Weird quirk of having souls maybe. When they wheeled her into surgery they held me back to let the doctors do their work to save her, but I heard them cut her shirt open and a doctor mutter "dammit, we might be too late".

20 years. My best friend. My lover. My teammate.

I walked into the bathroom, since the burning suddenly made sense. I lifted up my shirt to find it branded over my heart, right where she'd meant to hurt me.

I never loved you.

A stupid fight. I said goodbye to my best friend over a stupid fight.

I knew what it said on her. Tears were rolling down my face.

The doctor came to get me. Somehow she figured i'd be in the bathroom.

"I'm so sorry, sir. There was nothing we could do. The brain aneurism killed her instantly, and she probably didn't feel any pain." "

I said nothing. I couldn't say anything. My mind and heart didn't have anything for anyone.

"Sir, would you like to see her?''

I started to get up and the doctor held my arm to steady me. We walked into the room and there she was, her shirt cut open but covered with one of those plastic-type clothes that they use. I could still make out the words I'd said to her over her heart, right where I'd meant to hurt her.

I wish we'd never met

The mother of our children. The woman I loved more than anyone else on this earth. And the last thing she heard me say was the furthest possible thing from the truth.