They sent rockets.

I felt cold all over.

There was no rescue planned. No time to argue. Just an end coming closer.

I grabbed Sofia and we rushed to the emergency shuttle. It was small and old. The walls felt too close. The door sealed with a heavy sound that made my heart sink.

The rockets hit the ISS behind us. Light filled the window. The station broke apart, silent and slow.

We drifted toward Earth.

Inside the shuttle, we both knew.

This was it.

As we entered the atmosphere, everything shook. Heat poured in. The air turned sharp and hard to breathe. Plastic panels bent and began to melt. Drops fell like hot rain.

I screamed. I could not stop.

Sofia moved.

She spread herself across the walls. Over the ceiling. Around me. She wrapped me in her body.

I felt her shaking.

Her surface burned. Parts of her darkened and broke away. I could smell it. I knew it hurt her.

Still, she looked at me.

Her eyes did not leave mine.

We kept falling.

The shuttle broke apart above the sea.

Cold water crashed over us.

I sank. My body felt heavy. My lungs burned.

Sofia swam. She pulled me up with what strength she had left. Waves slammed into us. The sky spun.

Our faces touched.

Our lips met.

I don't know if she was giving me air.
Or saying goodbye.
Or both.

The waves carried us to shore.

I woke up coughing, face pressed into wet sand. My throat hurt. My body shook.

I turned my head.

Sofia lay beside me.

She was quiet.

Too quiet. That she shouldn't have been.

Her body was limp. Her shape had faded. She did not move.

I screamed her name.

"Sofia!"

I held her and begged her to wake up.

"No… it shouldn't be happening. Stay with me. Sofia. Why don't you wake up ?"

I cried until my voice broke.

Nothing.

The sea pulled back. The sky stayed empty.

I lived.

Because she chose me.

I relied on her. Again and again. Until she had nothing left.

I am the useless one.

She isn't here because of me.

It should have been me.

Not her.

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part 1: https://hianime.to/community/post/the-shape-of-love-short-story-part-1-of-3-this-is-not-a-rom-com-315881
part 2: https://hianime.to/community/post/the-shape-of-love-short-story-part-2-of-3-this-is-not-a-rom-com-315977

Well that was it, did you like this one?