There's a Place For Us (Complete)

Part 24

I. An Exquisitely Tragic Love Affair

(Part 24)

He didn't know how long she had been lying there. When she hadn't answered her door the first five times he had knocked, and then when he started calling her, there had been no answer from her. There hadn't even been a sign that she was in the house, but the door had been unlocked, so he had ventured inside.

Adam found her on the floor in her diminutive kitchen. One of her hands was laid over her stomach, while the other lay outstretched. "Isabella!" Adam yelled, and he ran over to her. "Isabella," he repeated loudly. "Do something if you can hear me," he urged, but still there was nothing. She didn't flutter her eyes, she didn't twitch her fingers, she didn't moan a sound. She did nothing. She was absolutely still. Adam took her head and cradled it in his arms, rocking back and forth. "Wake up, Isabella. You gotta wake up." He leaned his ear against her chest, trying to find her heartbeat. It was there, but it was faint. "Shit," Adam muttered. Thank god his dad had forced him to take CPR classes, if only because Jake had done it too. But now maybe it would save Isabella. Taking her nose between his fingers, and a deep breathe, he blew into her mouth.

He did it once... twice... three times...

Isabella shot up, gasping heavily. Adam let out a huge sigh of relief. "Isabella," he said breathily, grateful for her resurrection. She looked at him, shocked at his appearance. She held onto his arm that was stretched across her body, keeping her upright. She just stared at him, breathing oppressively. "I thought I was losing you," Adam told her, stroking her face. "I... I didn't know if you were going to wake up, and I just starting thinking about what would happen if you died," he rambled to her, his eyebrows creased. "I just started thinking... I don't want to live without you." Isabella looked at him kindly, but shock still was the dominant feature. "I have to take you to the hospital. You could have a concussion," Adam said, standing up and reaching his hand out for her.

"I don't have a concussion," she said earnestly. Adam shook his head, unconvinced. "We don't know that." Isabella took his hand and stood up, but she didn't take a step in any direction. She didn't want to go to the hospital. Especially not today. "Come on," he urged her. "We'll just check to make sure." His expression read real concern and so, Isabella regrettably agreed.

"Thank you," Isabella said once they were comfortable in Adam's car. He looked at her questioningly. "For what?"

"Saving my life," she expanded. Adam took his eyes off the road, and for the first time, he truly looked into her eyes. He saw fear. She was afraid of death and the reality that she could have died if he hadn't found her. "There wasn't another option," he said honestly.

"Thank you!" she said roughly and forcefully, wanting him to see how much it meant to her. He reached his hand over to her two wringing hands, and took one of them, running little circles with his thumb. That was enough. In that one simple movement, he was able to calm her apprehensive nerves. They understood each other and they were safe with each other. That was all that mattered.

"Ugh! Why does stuff like this always happen to me?" Isabella asked, exasperated. Her anxiety was almost gone completely. Adam chuckled. "What do you mean?" She smiled at him knowingly. "You're always saving me!" she explained. Adam laughed again. "Ohhhh, so you want something to happen to me!" he mused. "You want to be my hero," he continued, playing around in an old English accent.

Isabella rolled her eyes and laughed somewhat. "Sure! If that's what you want to call it! Go break your arm or something so I can be your hero," she said, emphasizing the word hero in a poor attempt to mimic Adam and his accent.

Adam laughed heartily at her effort. They were silent for a while, but then Adam decided to speak. "You've saved me more than you know, Isabella..." His words came out slow and sincere, unlike the way they had when the two of them had been playing around. Isabella tried to recall a time when she had saved him. Never. It left her wondering what exactly she had saved him from.