“Emma...” Jase whispered, “hey. Can you hear me?”
Yeah... I thought to him. Sorry, how long was I out this time?
“About a day,” he responded.
Oh, damn.
He just laughed softly. “Your parents went out to get some food. I have news for you.”
Yeah?
“They’re taking you off the anestetics tomorrow morning,” he told me. “And also, your sister’s all better now, she’s going to visit you tonight.”
I want to hear her voice so bad, I told him.
“I know, Angel.”
Hey... is Pierce really dead...? I think I remember Lizzy saying something like that.
“No,” Jase said then, “he’s fine.”
Is he a good guy?
“He’s a good guy.”
Oh, okay.
We were both silent for a moment, and I just felt my mind grow weary again.
“Emma?” Jase said, voice dark. “Did I lose you again?”
No, I said.
“Oh, good...” he sighed, “I don’t think I could go another day not hearing your voice.”
How long have I been in the hospital for? I asked him.
“Almost a month.”
Damn.
A knock suddenly fell on the door to this room.
I heard Jase shift.
The door opened then, and I heard a squeak of wheels.
“Oh, Jesus...” a girl whispered. “Emma....”
LIZZY! I cried her name in my head, wondering when I’d ever be able to see her face again.
“Jesus...” Lizzy whispered, and I heard a wheelchair roll over to me, “god... what happened to you...? Tubes, everywhere... heart monitor, too? Tubes in your mouth...?”
Did it really look that bad?
Her hand slid into mine. “Emma...” her voice cracked, “I miss you.” She sniffled. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you about Twilight. I should’ve listened to you... I’m so sorry. And... and look what happened to me? I survived, but did he have to hurt you, too?”
Jase spoke up then, “She’ll be alright. The doctors are taking her off the propofol tomorrow morning.”
Lizzy shifted. “So it was you who saved her.”
“Yes,” he said.
“Thanks,” her voice was quiet, “I’m... I’m sorry to you, too. I didn’t mean to accuse you of hurting her that time ago. You clearly proved you mean her no harm now.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Jase said then, “you were just worried.”
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*****
“Emma...” someone whispered, fingers brushing along my forehead, “Emma. Emmmmma.”
I groaned a little, eyes sealing shut tightly.
I felt a thumb run along my cheek. “Emmmmmmmma.”
I parted my eyes then, wincing immediately when the light blinded me.
But I gazed up when it adjusted, and I found a pair of two, obsidion eyes staring down at me.
“Hey,” Jase smiled. “Good morning.”
I smiled weakly. “Hi.”
He just leaned down, gently brushing my lips with a kiss before nibbling my lip.
I closed my eyes and let him.
“I’ve been waiting so long for that,” he whispered, pulling away. “I’ll go get everyone else.”
Before he left, I caught his arm.
He glanced back. “What’s up?”
“I love you,” I said aloud this time.
A smile crossed his face. “I love you, too. Now let me go. I’m sure your mom, dad, and your sister want to see you lucid.”
“You’ll come back?” I begged.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “Of course.”
And his hand slipped from mine.
Twenty minutes later, my hospital room was filled with laughter and chatter, jokes and excitement.
“You must be hungry,” Lizzy said then, gazing down at me from her wheelchair. “You want anything? I can go get it.”
“Oh, stop, you’re injured, too,” mom said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll go get it.”
“She’s your daughter,” dad said, “I’ll go get it.”
“She’s your daughter, too, I’ll go get it,” Jase said then.
“You’re her boyfriend,” mom stated then, “just let me get it, you twerps.”
My dad just smiled when she left the room to get a nurse.
“So, Emma, what’d you dream about?” Lizzy said then, her tone dripping with happiness. “Jase?”
“Oh, Lizzy, stop it,” dad said then. “I don’t want to hear this conversation.”
“Actually, I didn’t dream of anything,” I stated then, “just darkness.”
“That’s depressing,” Lizzy mumbled.
“What about you?” I asked her. “What did you dream about?”
“Pierce,” she said in a dreamy tone.
“Oh, right,” dad said then, “he went to go get you coffee, didn’t he?”
I blinked and gazed over at her. “Oh. He’s been here the whole time, too?”
“Wouldn’t leave her side,” dad stated. “Today’s the first, actually.”
Jase just stepped over to me and pulled the covers over me, making me blink when I gazed up.
He just smiled. “You looked cold.”
“Oh, speaking of adult things,” Lizzy said as all of us gazed over at her in amusement. “Happy brithday to you and me!” She threw her hands up in victory. “Eighteen, finally! YESSSS.”
“Oh, that’s right,” I stated. “Our birthday was a couple weeks ago.”
“I bought you a birthday cake,” mom said, entering the room, “but they wouldn’t let me shove it into your feeding tube.”
“Laaaaame,” Lizzy said then.
“Does that mean...” I looked up at Jase, “your birthday’s a week before mine, right?”
“Yup.”
“So you’re eighteen, too?” I said.
He smiled. “Yup.”
“Sweet,” was my response.
“Pierce was already eighteen,” Lizzy said then, her tone dreamy again. “I love that man.”
“You love every man,” mom said.
“Hey!” She glared. “Mom! I’m not an S-L-U-T.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” I said.
She shot me a look.
I just giggled.
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*****
I stared up at Jase lazily as he sat on my hospital bed.
He lightly brushed my hair away from my forehead, face mere centimeters from mine as he smiled down at me.
My eyes were on him, but I felt more tired than all hot and bothered right now.
“The meds kicking in?” he said then, thumb lightly brushing on the corner of my mouth.
I nodded.
“I can tell. Your eyes are all glossy.”
He inched a little closer, pulling some more hair away from my forehead. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” I said quietly.
His smile softened. “Wanna snuggle? Your parents are going to be gone a while.”
I nodded.
He just got in the hospital bed beside me, making sure not to pull any tubes and such before he set on his side and pulled the blanket higher over us.
I smiled a little. “You’re warm.”
He just chuckled, setting his head on my shoulder as he started dancing his fingers along my arm. “Use me as your heater. I will gladly oblige.”
I snuggled my face into his hair, inhaling its rich scent.
He still stroked my arm gently.
“Jase…” I said quietly, “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too…” he said gently. “I didn’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
“I didn’t want to lose you either,” I whispered. “Do me a favor, please. All I ask, stay with me.”
“Forever,” he whispered.
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