Regrets

They say that when you are about to die, your life flashes before your eyes, but I know different. Two hours and eighteen minutes. That's how long I've been dying and let me tell you it was the most painful thing in the world. Two and a half hours ago a drunk driver hit me while I was driving with my best friend. Since I wasn't wearing a seat belt, I flew straight through the front window and landed on broken glass. The shards of glass broke my fall and trust me, by then, I wished I was dead. They say that when you go through a window that far and fast you die instantly from it, but for me it was agonizingly slow. On the ground I didn't have one of those moments where my life flashed before my eyes, but I did realize some things. I had regrets. I needed to say so many important things to the people I loved. I was dying but I wasn't ready to die yet so instead of being weak and giving in I did what I thought was best and fought for my life.

"Kory!" My very loud mother yelled while I was getting ready. " Jack is here and waiting for you so hurry up!" Jack Reynolds is one of the most amazing people in the entire world, and luckily my best friend. Tonight we were meeting some other friends at Starbucks to hang out.

"Coming!" I yelled back not nearly as loud as my mother, while finishing up drying my long, curly black hair. I threw on the fastest thing I could find, which was a cute red sundress and since it was July it would work perfectly. I finished my makeup in record time while trying to get mascara out of my turquoise blue eyes. While running down the stairs I put on my wedge sandals while miraculously not falling.

"Hey Kor," Jack drawled while picking up his lanky frame off my couch. At seventeen, same age as me, he was six foot five which was monstrous compared to my small five foot one frame. He gave me one of his standard bear hugs, which cut off my circulation.

"Hey Jack-in-the-box, what's up? I teased with the nickname I used to call him when we were six while getting my breath back.

"You know same old," He said looking a little nervous for some reason while putting a beefy arm around my shoulders and calling back to my mom. "Bye Mrs. Anderson see ya later."

"Have fun!" She called while we walked out the door and to his car. We got in his car and instead of driving he turned towards me.

"Kory, we need to talk." Jack said seriously while looking more nervous that I've ever seen him.

"What about Jacky Jack?" I said while trying to lighten up the mood.

"Us."

"What about us?" I ask getting more and more afraid that something was wrong.

"Look Kory, I like you," He said and interrupted when I tried to say I like you too. "Not as just a friend."

Whoa.

I was so not expecting that.

"Kory, I like how sarcastic you are and how you always tease me. I like that I can tell you anything without worrying that you'll judge me. I like how beautiful and amazing you are and don't even realize it. Kory, we've been best friends for fourteen years. I don't just like you. Kory, I'm in love with you." He said all in one breath.

Holy crap. I was so not expecting that either. I mean I like Jack but I never thought of us as more than friends. Ya, other people teased us about it but I never took it really seriously.

"Um, can I have a little time to process this?" I ask in a small voice while trying to hide my incredulity. Jack is in love with me. Jack-in-the-box is in love with me.

"Ya sure no problem," He answers while looking relieved for getting it out in the open. "Do you still want to go to Starbucks?"

"Mmhhm," I mumble as a reply. The drive there is tense. Jack is obviously getting more and more afraid that I don't feel the same way and me? I'm a complete wreck. I still can't process the fact that he loves me. Me. Out of all the girls who have tried to get his attention he chose me. I'm still processing this when I hear Jack yell,

"Kory look out!" The next few seconds are a blur all I remember was a car coming toward us at an amazing speed and hitting us from the back. The next thing I realize is that I'm outside lying down on shards of glass. I taste so much blood in my mouth and my entire body feels like its on fire. I block out the pain in my head and try to turn towards the car to see if Jack's okay. All I can think is that he can't be dead. I can't lose him yet without even telling him how I feel. My vision starts to get more and more blurry and the coppery taste of blood in my mouth isn't helping. I faintly hear someone calling my name and see Jack running towards me with a small gash above his left eyebrow. Thank God he's all right, I think. He stoops down in front of me with tears running down my face rambling on but I can barely hear what he says.

"Kory, oh my God, are you okay?" He chokes out through his tears. "Kory, don't die on me!" He yells when he sees my eyelids droop even more.

"I don't plan on it, Jacky," I mumble barely conscious remembering what I have to tell him in case I die. "Oh, and I love you too." I say just before the world goes black.

Beep...beep...beep...

You know that beeping is something you always hear in a hospital. I never liked it; to me the incessant beeping was annoying but today it was the only thing that assured me I was alive. Ugh, my whole body felt like it was a punching bag. I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was white. Who knew you could have so many casts on one body. The next thing I noticed was an arm on my bed and attached to it was the most wonderful thing in the world.

Jack.

Obviously uncomfortable, he had his whole body curled up on the chair, which was not an easy feat due to his large frame. Seeing him sleeping reminded me of when he was a little kid. His face was red and splotchy due to tears and he had a small frown on his face like he was having a nightmare. God, I love him. Whoa. Did I just think that? Do I really love Jack? Looking at him now reminded me of how scared I was when I thought he was dead and how I would do give anything to be with him. I'm in love with him. A goofy smile spread across my battered and bruised face. I covered his hand with mine and he slowly woke up looking as cute as ever.

"Kory!" He exclaimed when he saw that I was awake. "O my God Kory, you're okay!"

"Well I did tell you I wasn't planning on dying," I said simply my voice a little rough from all the bruises.

"You did, didn't you, " He said while running his fingers through his hair and looking nervous all of a sudden. Didn't we do this already? "You also said something else. Do you remember what it was?"

"No," I say when of course I do but I want to hear him say it; plus I can't resist teasing him after all of this. "Why don't you tell me what I said?" He immediately turns bright red and I chuckle on the inside. I never noticed how adorable he was when he blushed.

"Well...um...see....you...um...said...um..." He trails off blushing even brighter. I decide to put him out of his misery.

"I said that I love you too," I say and watch his head whip up to look me in the eyes.

"You do? Are you sure? I mean I don't want to pressure you or anything," He rambles on. " Hey! You told me you didn't remember what you said. That wasn't-"

He breaks off with incredulity written on his face when I pull him down and kiss him. Now this was worth almost dying for.