Hard To Love (a Josh Hutcherson Fan Fiction)

Chapter 31

P.S. the picture in the media section is of Ryder in this chapter.

Song of the Chapter: Giving You Up by Miley Cyrus (actually a really good song)

Stella's POV

My mind is fuzzy, and I know I am awake.. somewhat. I often find myself in that state of dreaming and not dreaming, which is where I am now. Not dreaming because I am awake, but still dreaming because my senses are still a blur, and I am afraid of the world I will wake up to when they clear. I pray that I am not still in that hospital, surrounded by white walls and sterile floors. I hope I am where I think I am, where I want to be.

Before I can force myself back into another dream world, my senses take back over. Starting with smell. The smell is familiar. Not chemical, and not stale. But like Josh. Then my hearing, its quiet, and there is no constant beeping ringing in my ear..

My eyes, the last sense to reoccur. They flutter open to the blinding shine of the sun seeping through the curtains that hang over the window in Josh's room.

Josh's room.

Not a hospital. But a bedroom, in a house, where I live, where I love to be.

And let's not forget with the person I love.

I sigh at my tired state and roll over onto my back, removing myself from the ray of sun that chose to interupt my only peaceful state of sleep in the past 4 days. When I roll over, I am pleasantly surprised with the sight of Josh laying next to me, silently sleeping, but with a strained look on his face.

I study him for a few moments. He doesn't move, and the only noise he makes is coming from the soft inhale and exhale of his constant breathing. He seems.. peaceful. Yet his facial expression is telling me otherwise.

My eyes zip from feature to feature on his face.

Starting with his clenched jaw, my eyes travel up to his lips that are tightened into a thin, straight line. Then I notice his eyebrows. They are stressed to where they form three small wrinkles in the center of them above his nose.

I pull my arm out from under the covers and I trace my index finger over his square jaw and flinch as I see it loosen from its previous clenched state from my touch.

I missed all of this. Waking up and not being alone.. Just everything about this. Us.

It's crazy to think that I lasted 6 months without this, but now I can't even last four simple days. And even in those four simple days, I still got to see him, I just didn't get this peaceful morning scenery that lays in front of me as my thoughts run wild.

Maybe I lasted the six months because I didn't quite understand what I was missing. But I do now. Oh, I sure do now.

I inch myself into his grasp and he tightens his grip on me and I fall back into a slumber in the security of is arms.

----

I wake as I hear the door open and see Josh standing in the door frame, "Hey," I whisper groggily from sleep.

"No, go back to sleep baby. I was trying not to wake you." he says as he walks back to the bedside next to me.

"Where are you going?" I ask as I lay my head back on my pillow and look into his deep hazel eyes that possess a little more green today than usual.

"I've got a few things to do since I have taken so much time off these past few days. Don't worry," he kisses my forehead, "I'll be back soon."

I push myself off of the mattress and up to his lips to sneak a goodbye kiss before he goes, "Okay, see you soon."