Alex's POV
The Day of The Wedding

My eyes softly fluttered open, light pouring through the edges of the bedroom curtains. Everything around me was still, peaceful. I stretched my arms out above my head as I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a loud yawn.
The white duvet covered every inch of me, swallowing my body and making me feel like I was inside a fluffy giant marshmallow, it was so warm and safe, it made me feel like I never wanted to leave. But I have to eventually, today is the day I become Alexander Barakat. Today is the day everything changes, I can feel it, today is a huge turning point.

After staring at the ceiling for a good ten minutes, I swung my legs over the bed, pulling on my fluffy robe and headed down to the kitchen. Today was going to be a long day, so I'm going to need caffeine, and a lot of it.
I padded over to the toaster and inserted two slices of bread, grabbed the margarine and peanut butter on my way to turning the coffee machine on and waiting for everything to heat up. I placed the margarine and PB on the counter as I sauntered into the living room, switching the TV on, selecting the Batman Series cartoon and watching it for a minute before I came back with my freshly prepared breakfast.

I took my seat on the couch and dug into my toast, placing my mug of coffee on the table to let it cool down before I burnt my taste buds off.
The Batman Series isn't what I remembered it being, the voice actors were awful and man, don't get me started on the cliche storyline.

I could hear my cell ringing from upstairs in the bedroom, probably Cassadee making sure I'm up and following the strict schedule she had drawn up for today. Thank God she's organised.
I reluctantly set my plate on the table in front of me and switched the TV off, knowing I should start getting ready any time now, so I walked slowly back upstairs, the caffeine obviously not taking effect on me quite yet. As I reached the foot of the bed, my phone stopped ringing, I shrugged it off and took my tux out of the wardrobe, stroking the plastic protectant as I hung it on the back of the bedroom door.

I let my robe slide off of my body and I grabbed a towel to take in to the bathroom, I hung it on the small radiator to keep it warm, grabbed my new bottle of shampoo and put it on the small shelf by the shower head. I turned on the water, putting my hand under it's stream until it got to my ideal temperature. I pulled back the curtain, about to step in and my phone rang again.

"Dammit Cass.'' I muttered, wrapping the towel loosely around my hips and walking over to my bedside table.
I fumbled around with it for a second before I read the Caller ID, telling me that it was Jaime. Shouldn't he be getting ready too right about now? Nevertheless, I hit accept, and held the cell to my ear.

''Jaime?''

''Alex! Fuck man, answer your phone when people call you, yeah?!" He sounded almost hysterical, he was speaking so fast that I could barely understand him.

''Sorry. What do-"

''You need to get to the hospital, NOW!"

Hospital? My gut sank, my stomach felt like it wanted to fall through the floor, the air taken from my lungs, leaving me breathless. What the hell was going on?

''Why? I don't-''

''JUST GET HERE ALEX! ST ANDREWS!"

Jaime hung up straight after that, and I was becoming a mess more and more as each second passed.

I pulled on yesterday's clothes from off of the ground, shoved a beanie on my head, grabbed my car keys and drove.
I was going way past the speed limit, but luckily there weren't many other people or cars around. It felt like an eternity of driving, and all the while, my mind was spinning around and around. Praying to anyone, any God if they do exist, just hoping that everything would be alright. Please, let everything be alright.

When I pulled up to St Andrews, my car took up two or three spots, I didn't have the time to park properly. I frantically clambered out, my foot getting caught on the seatbelt, causing me to fall to the concrete floor with a thud. I hopped up, ignoring the new pain in my side and the grazes on my hand that were slowly trickling blood. I climbed the marble stairs to the set of glazed double doors, the hospital's name and logo in the centre of each. Pushing past them, I entered the reception and hurriedly made my way to the main desk where a petite blond woman was typing something into the computer system.
I realised I didn't know what to say, I didn't know why I was here. It was then that I heard a muffled sob coming from beside me, as I turned around, I saw him. Jaime. He looked broken. I've seen him angry, happy, drunk, but never as upset as this, and that really worried me.
Before I could form a sentence he threw himself at me, slightly sinking to the floor in the process. Wetness was seeping through my shirt from his tears, he was trying to talk but kept on choking on his sobs.
I tried to comfort him as I helped him over to the waiting area which was luckily, fairly empty, we took our seats and I waited for Jaime to calm down before I asked him to explain what was going on, it took a few minutes, but he stopped crying, wiped his eyes and looked directly at me.

''Th-they took something, a pill a-and-'' he started before getting worked up again.

''Who?''

He took a deep breath, let it out and spoke again. ''Vic and Jack.''

''WHAT!"

He opened his eyes again and looked at me, a look that I wish he didn't give me. ''V-Vic died.''

He burst out crying again and I didn't know how to react. Vic was dead? I know that we didn't get along for most of our friendship, he threatened me, pinned me up against a wall, accused me of using Jack, but hell, we worked past that, we made up and got along.
Then it hit me. Jack.

''Wh-where's Jack?'' I asked cautiously, really wishing Jaime would tell me that he was fine, that he was safe.

But the look in his eyes told me otherwise. I followed his line of eyesight to a man in his 60's who was wearing a white coat and held a clipboard in his hand, he was slowly approaching us and I gulped.

''Mr Gaskarth, I presume?'' He spoke calmly.

''Y-yes, that's me.'' Crap. He knew I was coming. Jaime must have got asked to phone me and bring me here. This can't be good.

''Follow me, please.''

I slowly stood up and started following him down a corridor before looking back at Jaime, who was still sat in his chair, head in his hands and shoulders shaking vigorously, showing that he was crying again.

As we kept walking in silence, a million different thoughts went rushing through my head all at once. Was Jack dead too? Did he take the pill on purpose? Did someone spike his drink? What the fuck kind of pill can kill someone?!
The both of us should be getting ready to get married, to exchange our vows and live happily ever after. We shouldn't be spending our wedding day in a hospital, our best man being dead and-

I hadn't realised the Doctor had stopped, so I walked right into the back of him, I muttered an apology and looked at the white door in front of us, the blind was drawn and there was a small silver plaque with the number 302 on it.

''Mr Barakat-'' he started before I cut him off, asking him the only question I cared about.

''Is he....dead?''

He didn't answer straight away, only looked down at his clipboard and heavily sighed.

''Mr Barakat is currently awake, but I'm afraid, he doesn't have long left. He took a lethal combination of alcohol, Lexapro, Zoloft and Prozac, which severely effected his internal organs. I deemed it best that Mr Preciado to bring you here to say your final goodbyes. I'm very sorry.''

And with that, he stepped backwards, gesturing at door 302 to let me know for certain that Jack was behind it, my beautiful Jack. The man I was going to grow old with. The man I was going to raise a family with. The man who got me out of my shell, who taught me that it's okay to be different, who taught me that pretending to be someone you're not takes a toll on the real you. He showed me not to change myself despite what other people will think of it; as they saying goes, those who don't mind, matter, and those who mind, don't matter.

I mentally prepared myself for a moment before slowly opening the door and stepping inside, Jack's eyes immediately landing on me.

''Hey baby.'' I cooed, smiling weakly at him as I closed the door behind me.

The look on his face told me that he knew what was going to happen, he gave me a smile that told me he was sorry. It was now, when I sat on the chair beside his bed, that I took in his full appearance; he had his crazy bed hair that stuck up on one side, he was wearing his black rimmed glasses, he looked pale and his chest was rising and falling faster than it should, but under the circumstances, you can tell why, it's his body trying to survive and pull through this, trying to pull through it when he is slowly shutting down.

He was repeating himself, saying 'sorry' over and over, the apologies just kept on coming. I explained how Vic didn't make it, but tried to convince Jack that he was in a better place, but what did I know?

Jack slowly propped himself up onto his elbows to plant a chaste kiss on my lips, his fragile, calloused fingers cupping my cheek. As he pulled away, he stared at me with his gorgeous chocolate eye, and started to speak.

''Alex I-''

I put my index finger in front of his lips, hushing him, I didn't want to hear him apologise anymore, because it just reminded me of what was going to happen, and that broke my heart; split it straight down the middle.

He cautiously pushed my hand away and laced our fingers together, laying back down but still looking up at me. I had to blink back my tears and be strong for him. I had to.

''I just,'' Jack coughed. ''I just wanted to tell you something...''

I squeezed his hand ever so gently, not wanting to cause him any more pain and I nodded for him to continue, so he did, his voice cracked and shaky.

''It's just...you saved me from being unhappy, I was nothing before you and I honesty mean that, you taught me so much baby, you made me believe that I could actually be in a long term relationship, that I could love someone and not run a mile in the opposite direction. You saved me from that, but-'' he coughed again. ''But you couldn't save me from myself. I always knew that I would end up in a situation like this...well, minus you of course, you are the one thing in my life that I couldn't have dreamt of in my wildest fantasy, you're so perfect, but here you are.'' He smiled at me again, tears streaming down his face, but he had that determined look in his eyes, so he battled through whatever he was feeling. ''When, when I first saw you at the salon, I knew, I just knew that I would make you mine, the boy in the blink vest and cut-off jeans, the boy that chased me out of the building, the boy who was never sure of himself, the boy that came along and fixed me when I didn't even think I was broken. I knew I'd make you mine Lex,'' he repeated with a soft chuckle. ''I'm sorry that it couldn't have been for the rest of our lives. Alexander William Gaskarth, I will be up there,'' he pointed towards the ceiling, ''watching over you, I promise. I-I love you.''

Then a high pitched beeping came from the small white machine beside him, and there it was, the flatline.

Jack was gone.

Notes

This is the penultimate chapter, guys. I am so sorry ;-;