Shattered: Broken Series // Michael Clifford (book 2)

Chapter 5

(Kate's POV)
I finally gather up enough courage to go to the hospital. I haven't seen Michael in what feels like forever, and it's starting to take a toll on me. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't stop crying. My hands fumble with my keys, trying to find the right one to lock the front door. After a slight click, my front door finally closes. The sun shines bright in my face as I step into my moms car, slowly rolling out of the driveway. I search through my CD's, and discover one that makes my heart stop. It reads in bold lettering, To the moon, and back for you. ♡

(Flashback)

"Here." Michael holds out something round and colorful.
"What is it?"
"A mixtape." I look down at the CD, noticing cute little doodles and writing all around the plastic cover.
"But... It's a CD."
"Just let me try and be a romantic boyfriend okay? If I said "here, I got you a CD that I illegally burned" would that sound more romantic?" He smirks, and I can't help but burst out in giggles.
"What's on it?"
"Everything. All the songs I have listened to with you, all the feelings I have felt." I start to put the CD in my pocket, but his strong grip stopped me.
"You can keep it on one condition."
"What is that?" I lift my right eyebrow, still unsure of him.
"You can listen to tracks 1-35. Tracks 36-40 is for if we ever split up, or if anything happens to me. Promise me you won't listen until then?"
"Yeah. But why would you think that anything would happen to us or just you?" My voice seems slightly worried.
"Just in case."

(Flashback end)

Little did I realize, something would happen. I still haven't listened to those tracks, for I promised him I wouldn't. Slowly, a tear falls from my face, splashing onto the doodled drawings. My hands begin to shake as I put the CD in, carefully inserting it into the slot. The familiar tune of Therapy plays through the speakers, which i remember as track 1. I skip all the way to track 35, and take a breath.
"Here we go." I whisper, tapping the next button. I'm surprised by what I hear next. It's him. It's Michael! I don't know whether to smile or cry, so I do both.
"Is this thing on? Shit, well anyway I hope it is. I made this in March, 2014, for you, Kate. The one who I will always love. The one who I always dream about. The one girl who helped me go through life with a smile. I hope you never hear this, and if you do, I hope you are in our living room, in our house filled with memories. You would be sitting next to our children, because I want them to hear this too. Hear what I ask?" He pauses slightly.
"Our love story."
His voice is soft, and my cheeks have slowly become wet with tears.
"I remember when I first saw you that day, your hair was pulled back into a side braid, your curls peeking out through your pink headband. You looked so beautiful, so perfect. When I ran into you and fell flat on my ass, my heart actually stopped. Well Kate, I guess I could say I was falling for you." Michael gives a light chuckle, and continues.
"You were so beautiful Kate. Your smile would warm my heart, your eyes would sparkle under those nighttime stars. You consumed my thoughts. I was so in love with you, and I will forever love you. God, I remember thinking, I had to have you or I'd die, because I just loved you so much. I couldn't let you go."
My hand pauses the disc, just as the tears fall even harder. If only he knew how much I needed him right now. To hold me, to tell me everything is okay. Now, I have to let the one thing I love go, and move on. God, I will miss his smile, his kisses, even the light cologne scent he wore. I wipe under my red eyes, attempting to dry the tiny droplets. Instantly, I snap from my thoughts and abruptly turn left. As I pull into the lot, I now understand why my mind decided to go here. A bold neon sign reads Shawn's Guitar Center. Man, I remember this place. It was where me and Michael used to go to look at guitars for him. I don't tell many people this, not even Michael, but I used to play guitar. When I was about 13 or so I started, but then I quit because of Danny. Now, I find myself here. How ironic.
My hand pushes on the handle, making a small ringing noise as I step into the shop. It's nice and cozy, with guitars hung up everywhere. Acoustic, electric, anything you could want. After an hour of searching, I find that one. The one Michael always had his eye on ever since we first walked in here. The cherry red finish contrasting with the dark fretboard, giving it a sharper look than the regular acoustic guitar. As I take it down, My hand brushes against the neck and I carefully strum a few notes, slowly familiarizing myself with the instrument I once loved. The notes sound sweet, but I'm still not as good as Michael is. After playing for awhile, I slowly make my way up toward the counter, and pay with my credit card. I grip into the handle as hard as I can, not letting it out of my sight. As I travel to the hospital, I decide I have to hear the rest of the tape. The whole time Michael talks about us, about his feelings, about his past. It's all here on this tape. I never knew how much I meant to him over a short period of time. The last track begins to play, so I listen extra close.
"Kids, if you are hearing this, you should know that this is what real love is. It's as if you need them to live. You would do anything and everything for them, just to show you care. Someone who isn't just your partner, they are your best friend. I hope you find real love like this someday. Someone you can love and laugh with till the day you die. And for Kate, I hope by now you realize how much I love you." Over the speaker, I can tell Michael is trying to hold back tears. Unexpectedly, I hear chords coming from the stereo. Michael wrote me a song. This one is extra beautiful, the melody flowing perfectly with the notes. When the chorus arrives, it's as if he's putting his whole heart on the line for this one simple part.

"And all of the voices surrounding us here

They just fade out when you take a breath

Just say the word and I will disappear

Into the wilderness

Should this be the last thing I see

I want you to know it's enough for me

'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need."

As he finishes, he says goodbye one last time.
"I love you Kate. Forever and always." And with that, the microphone clicks off, filling the car with empty silence.

(A/N: Yes, that song is Tenerife Sea by Ed :) BUT GUYS IM SO SORRY I HAVENT BEEN UPDATING AS MUCH PLEASE DONT HATE ME!!!! I PROMISE WHEN SCHOOL IS DONE, I WILL UPDATE MORE! Please don't forget to vote, comment and recommend to a friend! Thank you all for reading and hope you have enjoyed this book so far! I mean as in terms of quality, I know this book is sad af, but it won't be all sad ;) thanks and ily all!!! Callie x)