You Sang To Me - I'm Not Broken Hearted Trilogy, Book 3

Chapter 11 - Patrick

A/N: This is the last chapter of this book and the last book of this series! Thank you all for reading it, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Look out later today for the prologue to a new Patrick story, which will be called "Hell's Reign." I'm very excited about it, and can't wait to show it to you guys. But for now, enjoy this update! I love you guys so much! 

          I was terrified that I would never get to do this again. It was Monday morning, a week after Rose's accident, and she was sitting right beside me in the passenger seat of my car. She had insisted on wearing a hoodie over her tank top, even though it was spring and almost eighty degrees outside, so that her scars and bandages would be covered. I told her it was up to her, and her mother assured her that the scars made her no less beautiful. She had scoffed at that, but we'd both seen the smile she had hidden from us.

Other than that, we didn't talk much about the accident. When she had woken up in the hospital, Declan had been the first person she saw. Allie and I had left to get something to eat, but Declan had stayed and was there to comfort his little sister and explain to her what had happened. She didn't remember exactly how she had gotten to the hospital, but she remembered the school day that had led up to it. And that, of course, was my biggest fear today. Even as we pulled into the parking lot of the middle school, my palms were sweaty and losing their grip on the steering wheel.

Rose glanced at me as I sighed and put the car in park, frowning nervously. "Dad," she breathed, "I'll be fine, okay?"

I looked over at her despondently, my brow furrowed and my hands still clenched around the wheel. Finally, I leaned over and pulled her to me by her neck, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. Normally, she would have reeled away from that, but today she leaned into it. She pulled me into a hug, and I could feel her body shiver as she tried to hold back tears. "Hey," I whispered, "You call me if anything happens, okay?"

"I know, Dad," Rose whispered, holding tighter for a short moment.

"I mean it," I told her, pulling back to look at her properly. "If anything happens at all and you want to come home, just call."

Rose smiled, but I could still see the sadness in her eyes. She was nervous, and obviously still hurt by what that boy had said to her. "Thanks, Dad," she whispered, reaching for her backpack where it lay between her feet on the floor of the car.

She moved to open the door but I stopped her once more, my hand on her shoulder. She looked back at me in question, and I sighed. "I love you, baby girl," I told her, "I'll talk to you after school, okay?"

Her eyes softened briefly, and she leaned over to kiss my cheek. "Love you too, Dad." I watched her get out of the car and begin walking towards the school. I sat there for a moment, clenching my jaw as I recognized her ex-boyfriend standing near the entrance with his friends. I looked back at Rose, and realized she had found Luke. He smiled at her and hugged her tightly, making her laugh as they walked towards the entrance together. Luke must have noticed Jason as well, because he wrapped his arm protectively around Rose's shoulders. I smiled at that, knowing that she'd be with him for most of the day and he would watch over her for me.

Putting the car back in drive, I pulled out of the school parking lot. I drove home much calmer than I had been, knowing she was with Luke. I wondered briefly if this would lead somewhere between the two of them. I trusted a Hurley much more than I trusted that Jason kid.

When I arrive back home, it was quiet. Dead silence, which was strange , being that I knew Allie was home. I kicked off my shoes and tossed my hat on the couch as I walked to our bedroom. She wasn't there, but I noticed the door to my studio was closed. I opened it, immediately being met with the familiar notes to the chorus of Sugar. I walked down the stairs, and found Allie sitting on the couch outside of the booth, with my guitar sitting on her lap. It was the white, acoustic Gretch she had bought for me years ago on my birthday. The same one I had used to teach her how to play Sugar, We're Going Down. Now, she was playing it all on her own, oblivious to me standing behind her in the doorway.