Saving Nicole

Chapter 45: You Sure?

Dallas's POV
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It's dark.

And then it's light.

And then it's dark.

Then,

Light.

My eyes hurt from the brightness. They hurt. They ache. And then the pain of my teeth slams into me. And my side. And my stomach. And my chest. Everything, really.

After adjusting to the lights of the room, I realize where I am by the artificial smell. Another scent accompanies it; Honey.

Nicole.

I hiss, realizing it's only us in the room. No doctors. No Dad.

Just us.

Oddly, that pleases me.

Nicole's body is slumped forward in a wooden chair, her forehead pressed against the mattress next to my chest. From the looks of it, it seems like she hasn't slept at all until now.

The dark windows assure me it's night, sending a chill down my spine. These hospital blankets are not very warm.

I sit up, grunting with effort, and pant for a few seconds until I get my breath back. And then I rest my hand on her head, gently wiping away the hairs in her eyes.

They flutter and open, revealing her light blues.

She looks at me, eyes glazed over from exhaustion and they slowly widen. She sits up, scratching her head thoughtfully before talking.

"Nice of you to wake up, Sleeping Beauty." I roll my eyes at her, despite the tension.

"Says the one who was just sleeping."

"Says the one who's been out for a year." My eyes widen.

"A year?" Am I really seventeen now?

She starts laughing. "No. Just a few days. Four." She grumbles the last word. It's her "lucky" number and starting to become mine.

I groan, leaning back against the wall. She suddenly squeezes my hand. I don't remember her taking it in the first place, and I wonder if she had it all along.

"I thought you were going to die."

"I thought I was dead." I say quietly.

"Doctor Monte said the next few days would determine if you were to live or to die." I grin at her.

"I decided I'll hang in a little longer. Sorry, you're stuck with me." She laughs, something that makes me feel joyful.

We sit there, not saying things that need to be said. Quiet content.

And then she touches my side. I tilt my head back, gritting my teeth. "Stop, Nicole." She runs her hands on the bandage. I lean away, desperately trying to get her to stop. "Stop. It hurts." I grunt, feeling the bandage become bloodier as more blood seeps into it.

She stops, grabbing my hand again before standing up and sitting next to me on the bed. I wrap an arm around her to pull her into my side without actually touching it. Her hand draws circles on my rib when I lean my head over to rest it on hers. I pant softly.

"You know what happened, Dal?"

"What?"

"Spencer told you something and you started acting crazy." I frown. "What did he say?" I know exactly what she's talking about.

I clear my throat, feeling my cheeks flush.

"He told me how I'm nothing but a filthy, dirty, useless mutt. How I don't deserve anyone. How I'm unworthy of my pack. How I'm unworthy of you." She looks at me, her eyes glazing over with pure anger. My cheeks are bright red.