"Hello, may I have Blake Black's room number?" Emma asked, leaning against the front desk.
She knew she shouldn't even be out of bed; countless doctors had told her so. But she needed to see Blake. Now that her family had gone to work, she took her opportunity to check on him herself. She just wanted to see him, even though Chris and Kandy had stopped by yesterday to let her know that Blake was okay.
The nurse gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry, miss. I can't just give out that information." Emma sighed, feeling a slight pain in her side and pressing a hand against it. She understood why they wouldn't give out Blake's information, but she still wished the nurse could just tell her.
"Emma, is that you?" Turning her head, she saw Ms. Black walking toward her. For a second, she had forgotten that Blake's mother was a doctor here. "Yes, ma'am." She gave her a small smile as she finally reached her. She placed a hand on Emma's shoulder.
"How are you feeling, honey?" she asked, glancing down at Emma's hand on her side. Emma instantly removed it. She didn't want Ms. Black to feel bad for her; the other doctors had probably already told her that Emma wasn't supposed to leave her room. Looking at Ms. Black made her feel awful. It was her fault Blake was here.
"I'm fine, thank you for asking. I wanted to see Blake today, but I'm not allowed to know his room number." She looked out of the corner of her eye at the nurse watching them. It wasn't that she was trying to be a brat, but she was annoyed.
Ms. Black looked at the nurse. "She's my son's girlfriend. I'll take her to go see him, and afterward, I'll take her back to her room." The nurse looked like she wanted to object but nodded her head.
Taking Emma's hand, she led her down the long halls toward Blake's room.
Honestly, Emma was surprised Ms. Black wasn't more angry at her, chewing her head off and telling her to never see Blake again. She was waiting for the explosion, but it hadn't come yet. It was like walking on eggshells.
They stepped up to one of the many doors, and she turned to Emma, seeing she was breathing slightly hard. "Blake has been asking to see you, but his nurses are making him stay in his room and rest... just like you should be doing. You were stabbed and almost bled out. After you see him, please go back to your room and relax."
Emma nodded her head. She was aware she should be taking it easy; she just wanted to make sure Blake was okay. Ms. Black smiled softly before opening the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes to take you back to your room."
Emma walked into the room, hearing the door softly close behind her. The first thing she saw was Blake lying back on his hospital bed, still sleeping. The heart monitor beeped softly as she walked closer with shaky legs. "B...Blake," she whispered, looking down at his face. She let out a sigh of relief, watching him breathe in and out.
He looked alright. Smiling, she brushed a few stray hairs off his forehead. She wiped away a tear "I'm sorry I brought this onto you... I'm probably the worst girlfr... well, ex-girlfriend you've ever had." She slowly lowered herself into the small chair beside the bed and held his hand, rubbing her thumb over his smooth skin.
A groan left his mouth, and his eyes slowly flickered open. They drifted from right to left before landing on her. "Em... hey," a smile covered his lips.
She jumped up from the chair, still holding his hand. "Oh, Blake, I'm so sorry. Go ahead, yell at me," she cried, tears rolling down her face as he looked at her, concerned.
He let go of her hand for a moment to try to push himself up. "What are you doing? Don't get up, you'll hurt yourself!" He didn't listen and pushed himself up to lean back against the headboard.
She picked up one of his pillows, sliding it behind his back before slowly sitting back in the chair, looking down, unable to meet his eyes. Her hands shook in her lap.
"Emma, this isn't your fault. I would have been hurt a thousand times worse if I was never able to see your smiling face again. I would do it all over again if your life was in danger. Emma, I'm so happy you're okay. Whether you know it or not, you actually ended up saving my life in more ways than one." He reached out, taking her hand and linking their fingers together. She looked up at him, confused. He let out a soft laugh.
"The doctors told me and my parents if it wasn't for the thick leather from the jacket you got me, the bullet would have hit a vital artery." She covered her mouth in shock. It sounded like something out of a story. They both could have died that night, but somehow, they were given another chance at life.
"So stop blaming yourself. You're the most important thing to me. I love you." Removing his hand from hers, he wiped her tears away. She smiled as he grabbed her hand, pulling her slightly. "Now get up here."
Standing up, she climbed onto the bed and lay beside him. She wrapped her arms around him, laying her head against his chest, hearing the soft beat. His fingers stroked through her hair. It was so soothing for her to be back in his arms. But the constant near-death experiences had really put her life into perspective. Maybe Blake was right; maybe she should get out of this small town and see what was out there for herself. Life was too short.
She looked at him. When she looked at him, she saw her whole world, her whole future. It would be hard to let him go. Pressing her eyes tight, she whispered the words that she dreaded to say.
"Blake, I think you were right. I should go to UCLA." His fingers paused in her hair. She could practically feel his heart racing underneath her head. The room was silent for a few minutes before he finally spoke.
"If you come back, I'll be waiting here for you. Go experience everything there is without worrying about me. I'll be fine."
She knew he wouldn't be fine, that he would probably miss her terribly. That this was all part of his tough guy act. But for her, it would all probably feel more real the day she actually left without looking back. Leaning up, she kissed him softly on the lips before pulling away and holding him tighter.
"I'll miss you, too." He sighed softly and continued to run his fingers through her hair. This would be the last moment they would be like this, now that both of them understood where the relationship was, and neither of them was overly happy about it.
YOU ARE READING
It Started With Hello
Romance***** Emma Pear knew she wasn't the most popular girl in high school. Her nose was usually buried in a textbook, and her grades were as spotless as her reputation for always following the rules. "Nerd" was a label she'd long since embraced. Her pare...
