AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My bedroom is cold when I enter, a shiver running over my damp body. Needing to get to the hospital and quick, I put on some fresh clothes and quickly towel dry my hair without bothering to brush it.
I feel like I’m on autopilot. My only mission is to get to my destination. And with that, I grab a plastic bag and fly down the hall to the bathroom, shoving last night’s clothes and shoes inside it. Needing my keys to the car, I move as quickly as my body will let me to the front room, sighing with relief when I find them straight away. My body is shaking, and not only because I’m only wearing jogging bottoms and a thin T-shirt, but because I’m scared brainless.
My mind is screaming at me to call Allie. I know I should, but I can’t. If I call her then it’s real, it really happened, and there’s no going back. I’ve never wanted to turn back time so badly in my life. Maybe if I just stayed, or God, actually went out with Alec last night when he asked, then none of this would have happened.
My eyes are blurry with tears when I come to the decision not to bother Allie and go at this alone. She’s at work, finally enjoying herself without me at her side. She has new friends. She doesn’t need to be worried about me. She’d want to be here for me, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s also not a good thing. I won’t let her waste her time spending every waking moment with me, and that’s what she’ll do. She won’t want to leave me.
My eyes are fixated on the floor when I open the door to leave, so I don’t see someone standing there until I bump into a hard body.
“Nooo,” I squeal, flinching as I hold my hands up.
“Hey, it’s me,” Cole soothes, looking at me with concern. “Fuck! Wait there.”
Dazed and confused, I watch him let himself back into his apartment, and for some reason, I listen to him and wait. I don’t really know why. He walks back out a few seconds later holding a hoody. I stand there, shocked, dazed, and unmoving. He must read me because he gently pushes the hoody over my head before helping me put my limp arms through. It smells good, and normally I’d revel in it, but all I can do is take comfort in it. It’s the only thing so far that has managed to give me any comfort.
“Where are we going?” he rumbles. I stare at our joined hands, wondering why that is what I chose to focus on.
When I glance up at him, he flinches. I can only imagine what he sees when he looks at me. I feel dead inside, like everything I knew was a lie.
“Hospital,” I tell him hoarsely. I don’t even flinch when he sayswe. I just want to get there, and the state I’m in, I’ll probably wrap my car around a tree.
“Keys,” he demands. His jaw is clenched, like he’s fighting a war with himself.
Handing them over with my free hand, he takes them. I’m actually relieved when he doesn’t let go of my hand, needing the strength his presence gives me. It’s selfish of me to make him have to deal with this, to deal with me, but if I’m going to find strength from somewhere to get through this, what better person to get it from than the strongest person I’ve ever known.
*** *** ***
Cole doesn’t ask me any questions on the hour drive to the hospital. He respects my silence, not pushing for answers or much of anything really.
We ended up taking his car, which I didn’t question, nor did I ask why he bothered to take my keys if he was taking his car. I’m actually glad we did. The car smells like him, and it’s comforting. As soon as I got inside, my whole body relaxed, going limp within a second. I strapped myself in, curling my knees to my chest, and wrapped my arms around my legs. I made sure to take in every ounce of comfort he brought me.
Pulling up at the hospital, Cole drives around until he can find the closest parking space to the entrance. I’m so grateful. I’m unsure whether my body would hold up if I had to walk any further.
“Thank you,” I whisper, reaching for the door handle.
“Can I come in with you?” he asks softly, shocking me.
“Why?” The question comes out quiet, my mind wondering why he’d even want to. He must have better things to do than babysit me.
Maybe he doesn’t know why I’m here.
“Please?” he asks roughly, gripping the steering wheel.
My eyes water, but no tears fall as I meet his gaze. “Okay,” I whisper, secretly needing someone with me. I might not have admitted it at the flat, but now that I’m here, I wish I had called Allie. The only thing stopping me from calling her now is that I don’t want her to be upset or see me like this.
I don’t know what’s going to happen when I walk through those doors. I just know I’m glad I’ll no longer be doing it alone.
Getting out of the car, Cole meets me around the front, his expression sheepish, like he’s feeling guilty over something and needs to get it off his chest.
“What?” I ask, eyeing him warily.
“I… Fuck. I messaged my mum before we came. I wasn’t sure what was going on so I just said I was bringing you to see her and that it’s important.”
On wobbly legs, I take a step back as his words hit me. I would have tripped over had it not been for Cole and his quick reflexes catching me under my arms, causing me to cry out.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Fuck. I’m fucking this all up. I just didn’t know what else to do,” he panics, locking his fingers together on the top of his head.
Everything is okay,I breathe.
