[COMPLETED BUT WONT LET ME PRESS THE COMPLETED BUTTON AHAHHA]
Aurora Lockheart was once the sunshine girl-bright, kind, and full of life. But one night changed everything, leaving her a shadow of who she used to be.
A year later, just as she's be...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As soon as Edel got the phone call that Aurora was awake, we didn't waste a second—we were straight over there, barely speaking a word on the drive. The air felt heavy with anticipation, a mix of fear and hope tangling in the silence between us. My heart pounded the entire way, each thud louder than the last, making it hard to breathe. I couldn't stop thinking about the moment I'd see her, about whether the person who opened her eyes today would still be the same Aurora I knew before. I needed to see her, to hold her hand and know for myself that she was really okay.
The hospital hallways felt endless, sterile, and cold, their fluorescent lights buzzing above us. When we finally reached her room, my chest tightened. I hesitated for just a moment at the door before pushing through. The sight of her lying there, surrounded by machines that beeped in steady rhythms, hit me harder than I was ready for. Her face was swollen, bruised in places that made my stomach churn, a stark contrast to the girl I remembered. But then she smiled—a small, tired smile—and despite everything, it was like the sun breaking through storm clouds.
It was both a relief and a punch to the gut. Relief that she was alive, that she could still find the strength to smile through the pain. But seeing her so fragile, so vulnerable, made the ache in my chest deepen. I'd visited her every day since I found out about the accident, sitting by her bedside, talking to her even though she couldn't respond. Now that she was awake, the flood of emotions I'd been holding back crashed through me, but I forced myself to keep it together. I wasn't sure how long I stood there, staring, before I finally stepped forward and gently wrapped my fingers around hers.
___________________
She was nestled beside me, her head resting on my chest, her movements slow and sluggish from the medication. She shifted slightly, turning her face up toward me with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"D'you wanna know something?" she whispered, her voice quiet but playful.
"What?" I asked, my eyebrows raised, half-expecting something ridiculous.
She grinned wide, the kind of grin that meant trouble, before reaching down toward the hem of her hospital gown.
"Don't you dare, Aurora," Joey's stern voice cut through the room from where he stood, arms crossed and glaring.
"I wasn't gonna do anything," she shot back, rolling her eyes dramatically, though the smirk still played on her lips. Her head lolled to the side, half-dazed but full of sass.
"Do they call you Johnny Kavanagh?" I couldn't help but chuckle at her sudden question, the randomness of it catching me off guard.
Her grin softened into a yawn, and she nuzzled further into my side, her eyelids heavy. "I'm tired," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper as she started to dig her head into my ribs like she was trying to burrow herself deeper.
"Go to sleep then," I said gently, stroking her hair as her breath started to slow.
"No..." she whined, rubbing her eyes like a stubborn child. "You'll leave me."
"I won't," I reassured her softly, holding her closer. "Promise I'll be here when ye wake up."
She blinked up at me, her big, tired eyes filled with a touch of vulnerability. "Promise?"
"Promise," I repeated, smiling down at her as she relaxed, her body finally giving in to the exhaustion.
A soft smile spread across her face as she closed her eyes, her grip on my shirt loosening slightly. "Okay," she mumbled, already half asleep.
_______________________
We must've been asleep for hours, because by the time I woke up, the room was bathed in darkness. The only light came from the dim glow of the machines around us, casting eerie shadows across the walls. Outside, it was pitch black, the kind of darkness that made the world feel smaller, more intimate.
Beside me, I felt Aurora stir, a soft groan escaping her lips as she shifted. She let out a long yawn before blinking her eyes open, squinting at me through the gloom.
"Jesus Christ," she muttered, her voice raspy from sleep. She turned her head slightly to look at me, confusion flickering across her bruised features. "What're you doing here?" Her eyebrows furrowed as if she was genuinely baffled to find me sitting there.
I sat up straighter, trying to gather my thoughts. "Do you remember what happened—shit, let me call Joey—" I started to stand, reaching for my phone, but her hand shot out, weak but determined, stopping me in my tracks.
"Yeah... I remember," she said quietly, her voice rough around the edges. "Shit, do you know now?" Her eyes searched mine, a flicker of guilt creeping in behind the exhaustion.
I nodded, my frown deepening as I looked at her. "Yeah, I know."
She let out a long, shaky sigh, her gaze dropping to the blanket covering her bruised body. "Are you... mad at me?" Her voice wavered, and for a second, I wasn't sure if I'd heard her right. There was something so raw, so vulnerable in the way she asked it, like she was bracing herself for something worse.
I stared at her, taken aback. "Mad at you? For what?"
"For not telling you," she whispered, barely meeting my eyes. The vulnerability in her voice cut through me, and I felt my heart twist.
I shook my head, trying to process how she could even think that. "No—of course I'm not mad at you," I said firmly, taking her hand in mine. "I'm just glad you're okay. That's all that matters to me." I leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, lingering there for a moment as I tried to push back the wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.
She let out a breath, her eyes closing briefly. "My body feels so fucked up, Jesus," she groaned. "Would you mind getting Joey? Maybe he can explain what's happened."
"Yeah, of course." I started to rise again, glancing towards the door, but hesitated. "D'you want me to stay?" I asked, my voice softer now.
She nodded without hesitation, her eyes meeting mine again. "Yeah... please," she whispered, her fingers tightening slightly around mine, like she needed the reassurance that I wasn't going anywhere.
