Changing My Ways For You

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Austin’s POV

My stay at the center was half over already. While I had predicted it would drag on and on, the time had passed relatively quickly. My workouts had been amped up and I was making serious progress towards walking again. I was always making significant progress with my tutor, and my summer sessions seemed just around the corner.

I toweled off, having just finished my water workout. I was up to a few laps a day now, and could take ten steps on my own with absolutely no help.

“Mr. Tyler,” I heard one of the nurses call to me, trying to catch up as I was being wheeled to my room. She smiled openly when she reached us. “You have mail.”

She held out a few envelopes and I took them, smiling gratefully. “Thanks,” I said, continuing on to my room.

Once the nurse helped my settle back into my room I tore into the envelopes. I had promised my parents--namely, my mother--that I’d wait for them to come by tonight to open the letters but I was too anxious to wait that long. As cheesy and totally not me it sounded, my future was in these envelopes. They had the answers as to whether or not I tried hard enough to save myself.

I had applied to two community colleges, knowing that at this point that was my best option. One was a little farther away from the other, but besides the distance there were really no huge differences between them.

I tore through the envelopes only to see that the work I had put in had definitely paid off--I had been accepted to both places.

“Yeah!” I exclaimed to no one, fist pumping in my empty room. It struck me then, how lonely this all was. Maybe I should have waited for my parents. Then again, this was such great news, how could I have waited any longer?

My smile returned when I realized that I had done it. I was going to go to college near by, even without the hockey scholarship. I was going to walk again. In a month and a half, I was going to march right out of this place and start over. A new beginning.

And hopefully, my new beginning would involve Grace.

I had come to terms with the fact that, while I was still copped up here in the center, there was nothing I could do to fix what had went down. But as soon as I got out of here, seeing Grace was first on my to-do list.

Even in spite of everything we had been through, from the study dates to the first dates to Grace’s butt dial that I had tried not read too much into, what we had was special. It was real. And, yes I’m going to get all mushy gushy hopelessly-in-love, it was meant to be.

And I was going to make sure that we didn’t let this slip by us. This once-in-a-lifetime, knock-you-off-your-feet kind of love that Grace and I discovered together.

Together. The only thing I ever want us to be.

***Sorry it's short! It's kinda just a filler, but I needed to put this in there and nothing else really went with this chapter. But I'm on a roll here with the uploads! It's gonna be over before you know it!

Anyway, enjoy! And, as always, please vote and comment!

Sending love out to all my wonderful readers!:)***