Wonderland

❄B64❄ Happiness

Chapter Sixty-Four

Brayden's POV

Happiness

December 24

I never knew how hard it'd be to get over the death of someone—especially the death of a loved one—until now. It's been a week since she passed. I don't know where she's buried. That day when I last saw her family was also the day I last saw her. When I went to go see her again the next day, on my birthday, I was hopelessly hoping that maybe her father had had a change of heart. That maybe he had decided to keep her on life support for a while. But that wasn't the case.

My birthday was the day her hospital room emptied. The nurses who were in charge of her could not disclose anything of her whereabouts because her family requested confidentiality. I spent the next few weeks crying uncontrollably. Es took me back home a day after my birthday. Back to Montana.

I told him, dad, and all my friends what happened. On Christmas Eve, Bridget surprised me with a visit. She'd heard what happened.

"Can I come in?" she asked, softly, knocking on my door. I haven't left my room since coming home. Dad and Es sometimes will drop by to give me food or comfort me, but it doesn't help. To make my mood even worse, Susanna hasn't talked to me since that day in the hospital. She's been staying with mom.

"No one's stopping you," I answered Bridget, my voice lifeless.

I tore my eyes away from my laptop and looked up when I heard her enter. I was sitting on my bed. She wore a loose gray knit sweater, black skinny jeans, and socks with pictures of Christmas trees on them.

"Hey," Bridget said, shyly, coming in. Her cheeks were flushed, probably from the cold. "Merry Christmas. I got you a gift."

"Or rather, 'I-heard-your-best-friend-died-so-here's-a-present-that-I-hope-will-make-you-feel-better' gift," I said, bitterly. "Thanks, but I'm really not in the Christmas mood."

Bridget looked down at her gift for a few seconds before awkwardly setting it down on my desk.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say, and I'm pretty shitty at making people feel better, but really. I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now."

"Imagine someone shooting you in your heart. Now imagine that rather than immediately killing you, the bullet is just lodged there, and you're dying a slow and painful death; a death that probably won't happen until you get some disease or you die of old age," I deadpan.

Bridget chewed on her bottom lip.

"Is Es down there?" I wondered. I know my dad's currently picking his parents—my grandparents—up from the airport. They're spending Christmas here with us. The only person who could have let Bridge in would be my brother.

"Yes," Bridget answered.

"You ever gonna get back with him?"

She gave me a sidelong glance, her cheeks red. "No."

"Still dating that one loser?" I asked, referring to Jefferson.

"No." She joined me on my bed. "That loser cheated on me. I'm just kinda done with dating right now."

"Welcome to the club," I muttered.

She shot me a sympathizing look. Reached over and took my hand into hers. "Brayden, I know you loved her."

"The thing is, I still do. I don't think I'll ever be able to fall in love again without thinking of her first."

"I'm sorry," she apologized again.