Death is our inevitable ending. None of us can avoid it. All that matters then is to live. Fully. The best way we know-how.

I walked beside Liam as we approached the cemetery. The crowd that surrounded the gravesite was larger than I'd imagined. I always wondered who'd attend my funeral if I ever did die and now, I had the chance to find out.

Everyone was dressed in black. Liam ensured we were standing opposite them so we'd get the 'perfect view'. I found his enthusiasm a bit nauseating. He was a Grim Reaper after all.

There he was, standing with his chin up, bloodshot eyes, and full-on eyebags. I thought I'd never see him like that. My knight, my armor, and life. What have I done to you?

It's not who you're thinking of so calm yourselves. I'm talking about Ben, my brother. The only family I've ever known. At twenty-six, he was burying his sister and the only family he had left. I'd never seen him look so weak, so fragile, so devastated.

"May the Lord rest her beautiful soul and guide her into the light," Reverend Michaels said, closing his Bible.

I scanned the crowd and spotted Austin. He was at the end of the line, looking like a complete wreck. He barely looked at my coffin as they lowered it into the ground, where it would probably remain intact as my body gets devoured by worms and bacteria to the bone!

"How are you holding up?" Liam asked, finally speaking up.

"It's not as bad as I thought," I whispered back.

"They cannot hear us you know," he replied. "You can speak louder."

"I know that," I said. "It's just that everyone else is so quiet."

They were too quiet for that matter. Only Rev. Michaels spoke the whole time we were there. Why didn't I get any sort of eulogy? Wasn't there anything about me that either one of them could share?

"We missed the eulogy service if that's what you're wondering. It was done at your wake," Liam said, reading into my mind.

What was shared? Why didn't he tell me about the wake?

As they walked off to their cars, Essie and Jack came into view. My two best friends, my second family. We'd known each other through high school and college. Essie had her face buried in Jack's shoulder as he dragged them away. I instantly took a step forward towards them and Liam's words stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Don't bother, there's nothing you can do for them."

No one ever tells you the intensity of pain you'll have to endure after you've lost someone. I personally haven't lost anyone since my parents were never in the picture and my brother was all I ever had. The mere thought of losing him would bring me to tears instantly and I'd struggle to shake the feeling away.

I watched him stare blankly at the wall, drink in hand. Joanne, his girlfriend and surprisingly Austin's twin sister, was talking to him. He was completely zoned out. Everyone else was gathered in the hall, chatting quietly and sipping drinks.

"He looks bad," I said out loud.

"He's actually holding up pretty well for a guy who's lost everything," Liam replied, with more emotion than I thought he had.

I could feel the sadness in the room weighing down on me. It's the kind of sensation you get when you hear very unexpected news and your stomach flips, letting you know that it's actually worse than it sounds.

I spotted Austin from the corner of my eye, pouring himself a stiff drink. I wasn't the only one as Ben walked away from Joanne, towards him.

"I need to speak to you, outside," Ben said, his voice hoarse. Austin gulped down his drink and followed him.

"What are you doing!!" I cried out, trying to grab Ben's arms but my lifelessness was useless. Austin would surely choke to death!

As he gasped for breath, Ben finally let go of him and stepped back. Austin inhaled deeply and coughed for a while. Ben fell to the ground, buried his face in his hands and burst into tears. He was heaving and all I could do was stand between them; two men dealing with pain in opposite ways.

"Lola, we need to go," Liam said in alarm, walking towards me.

"Are you shitting me!?" I shot back. "We are leaving right now? I am in the middle of something!"

I glanced at Austin who seemed to have caught his breath. There was no sign of remorse or pain or anything in his eyes. It was like his emotions were wiped clean! I stepped away from Ben and faced Austin, trying to catch his eye as he stood up straight. Something was wrong with him...

"Lola, now!" Liam said, grabbing my hand. I ignored his words and reached for Austin's face. As we disappeared, I caught a glimpse of his side smile, the smile he always had whenever he'd cheated while playing poker.

I could feel it in the pit of my stomach, Liam knew what it was and Austin definitely had skeletons in his closet. Skeletons even I had no idea about!