You Chose Mine

Chapter 19

I read over my favourite line of my favourite book for the 49502975th time as I pulled my legs to my chest. The repetitive sounds of the beeps created a type of lullaby, slowly rocking me to sleep.

The doctor called and told me that there was a difference in her heartbeat. I told Derek and he took everything off my hands as I rushed over here. It’s been a few hours now, nurses come in every half an hour now and the doctor every two hours to check up on her. Derek has dropped off comfy clothes and stayed with me for an hour, he constantly reassured me that she would be fine; that even in her state she could fight, because she’s a great fighter.

I felt a tear roll down my cheek before I wiped it away with my wrist. The overpowering tiredness was getting the better of me; I’ve been here since lunch and haven’t eaten since breakfast. I’m too nervous to. It’s not like it’s the first time her heartbeat has been irregular, but it’s the third time in the past few months.

I’m scared I’m losing her, I’m scared that every day I come here I’m just watching her slowly slip away without noticing a slight difference because she can’t talk, she can’t see, and she can’t communicate.

The silence scares me.

“Hey…” I heard a voice say. I gasped slightly in freight as I turned suddenly to see Luke standing in the doorway. “Oh! Sorry” he said softly, I sighed in relief knowing it was just him.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as I stood from the seat, he pulled his arm from behind him and revealed a single pink rose.

I felt a smile form on my face as he got closer, “Why?” I asked as I laughed. He shrugged.

“I thought it would make you smile” he stood before me with a ridiculous grin on his face. The flower had a strong scent; it mixed in with Luke’s cologne and reminded me of the night we got a kebab together, the night of our first kiss.

I took the flower from his grip slowly, “Thank you” I smiled before he leaned down to kiss my cheek.

“Is this Isabella?” he asked swerving around me and standing beside my seat looking at my aunty, I nodded as he turned to me. “You have her hair and her skin tone” he said turning back to her. I smiled watching him approach my aunty like she’s still can still respond.

I reached to her bedside and picked up my phone. I unlocked it as Luke watched my movements; I clicked on the last photo we ever took together before he took my phone from my grip.

“You have her eyes too…” he trailed off "Wow, you could actually be her daughter" He continued to stare at the photo making me wonder what’s going on in his head, what his thinking while looking at that photo? and what made him come here?

“How did you know I was here?” I asked as I crossed my arms over my stomach. He looked up with a smile before handing me back my phone.

“Derek told me” I felt a sigh of relief come over me. I really underestimate Derek sometimes.

Luke pushed past me to get to the chair before pulling me onto his lap and wrapping his arms around my waist. “Ashton told me about when you brought him here” he said after minutes of silence; I knew Ashton would tell him, I didn’t mind really it’s not something I expect him to keep to himself now that they all know. He placed a soft kiss on my shoulder causing a slight shiver to go down my spine. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?” Luke asked I turned my head to look at him only to see his sweet smile spread across his face once more.

“Aunty…” I began, “This is Luke from that band that I told you about” I placed my hand over hers. “I know you would love to officially meet him” I told her, I sighed mentally still waiting for her response.

I know I’ll get one, one day.

I felt Luke’s hand over mine. His thumb ran across my knuckles, almost as if he knew how much it hurt not getting a response from her.

“She talks about you every day” I heard Luke’s voice say.

I turned my head to see his pressed against the side of my arm so he could look at her. “You raised a beautiful girl” he continued. “What she’s done with the store is incredible…” he looked up to me with his eyes filled with an emotion I’ve never seen before. “One day you’ll see it and you’ll know that she has made her mark in this world” his gaze turned back to my aunty in her bed. The only response he got was the sounds that filled my mornings and some evenings, beeps, air circulating and silence.

“Thank you” I managed to whisper. He removed his grip around my waist and took hold of both my hands, “I want you to know that if you ever need someone to get up at 7 in the morning or 11 at night to come see Isabella that I’ll be more than happy to go with you” he said. The seriousness his face held scared me but mostly brought me comfort knowing that he was willing to do something like that for me, considering he doesn’t get out of bed until 10 in the morning, and that’s usually the earliest.

I felt goosebumps form on my arms as a sudden breeze flowed through the open window. Luke’s hands rubbed against my arms in an attempt to warm them up but I gave up and closed the window, I turned back to see him unzipping his hoodie and stripping it from his body. A smile formed on my face as he held it up for me to take, “You’ll appreciate it more than I will” he said before I took it from his grip. I slipped it on before zipping it up, the sleeves reached my knuckles just how I liked it but with one more favourite feature. Luke’s unmistakable cologne.

He pulled me back onto his lap before I adjusted myself to sit sideways. He wrapped his arms around me as I rested my head on his shoulder, “How long have you been here?” he asked.

I shrugged before looking at the clock ‘9:48’ I read, “I’ve been here since about eleven forty-five” I told him.

“Nine hours?” he said surprised, I shrugged once more.

“I suppose” I yawned.

“Have you eaten?”

I shook my head honestly. “I’m not hungry”.

I heard the sound of crinkling paper coming from the hoodie pocket Luke just shoved his hand into and pulled out a kit kat. I smiled once more before he opened it and broke one off for me, “Thank you”.

I re-rested my head on his shoulder as I took a bite out of the treat and watched as his jaw moved while he chewed on his piece. He knew I was watching but I didn’t care, I could watch him for hours on end and never get bored. That’s something I could never admit to him, not only is it weird but it makes me think that I feel something more than I’m ready for.

I looked to my motionless aunty with her eyes shut and her body hidden behind cords helping her survive. I wished for our eyes to connect once more, our eyes to share the same happiness that I always found deep in her brown eyes. Her eyes and her smile was my favourite thing in the world, so genuine, so innocent in such non-innocent way.

I’ve never felt so guilty and luck at the same time in my life.

*Authors Note*
I think this may the shortest chapter I've written since the first chapter :/ sorry x
I hope you guys like it! xx

Feel free to communicate with me! I'm nice I swear x
This chapter is dedicated to the ever so nice and lovely lara_is_a_penguin :)