The Apocalypse: Race For The Cure

Time Stands Still

"Why are you up so early" Spencer asks, peeking her head out of the tent. "Everything okay?" She asks as she comes and stands next to me.

"Everything is fine." I turn to her and smile. But I know she can see right through my lie.

"No it's not." She shakes her head. "Tell me what's on your mind." She leans her head on my shoulder, wrapping her arms around my right one.

I sigh, not wanting to bring this up just yet. But all not I couldn't think of anything else. Dr. Johnson's words played on a loop in my head, over and over last night. "We're almost done with the cure. A couple days maybe, at the most." I tell her. She nods and smiles.

"I know, you guys are moving really fast. But that's not what's bothering you Ashley."

"When Rebecca wakes up," I start, glancing down to see Spencer's reaction. Her facial expression doesn't change. I guess she knew this conversation was coming. "Spencer I don't want you to think that I want anyone but you, because I don't. You're it for me. I love you and when this is over, when the world goes back to how it's supposed to be, I want you at my side." I explain.

"I know." She smiles. "I know that you love me, but I also know that you love her too, Ashley. I'm not blind to that." She says and takes a deep breath. "We don't..." She pauses and shakes her head. "We don't have to talk about this right now. Let's just finish the cure and then we'll discuss it okay." She suggests, I nod even though I'd rather get it all out now. There's not a doubt in my mind that Spencer is the girl I want to spend my forever with, that isn't the issue. The issue is that everyone is right, I never got the chance to grieve the loss of Rebecca, I never got the chance to get over her. And now that's she's here, back in my life and soon enough she's gonna be the old Rebecca again, I don't know how I'm going to take it. How things will be between us. Will she remember me? Everything that we had? Will she remember that I left her to die, that I ran like a coward instead of trying to save her? Will she be the same person I remember her as?

So many questions and so many answers that I'm terrified to find out.

–

"What's this and why are you giving it to me?" Rebecca smiles as I hold out the bouquet of roses in front of her. She glances around the lab and out the windows to make sure no one is watching.

"There's roses and I'm giving them to you because I want to. I like to do nice things for my girlfriend." I reply with a smile.

"I never said I would be your girlfriend Ashley." She rebuttals, matching my smile.

"You also never said you wouldn't." I retort.

"You're gonna get me in trouble, okay sure, your mom is fine with this but what about her boss? And my granddad. You know he works here, right?" She asks as she leans forward to sniff the roses.

"Yes, I know." I say rolling my eyes. "I don't care what other people think, Beccs. I just want to be with you and I know you want the same thing." I take the flowers from her and place them on the counter. Taking her hands in mine. "This..." I say moving closer to her, eliminating any space that was between us. "This is so good." I whisper. "What we have, it only comes around once in a lifetime. We're so lucky to have found each other at such a young age because when I'm with you Beccs, time stands still. No one else exists but us."

She closes her eyes and smiles. "Time can't stand still Ashley, then you'd be sixteen forever." She says and chuckles. "And I'd be in jail probably." She adds after a moment.

"Here you go with the age jokes." I chuckle before kissing her lips.

"Well you opened the door for it." She replies.