Is This Seat Taken?

Chapter 20

I sat up in my bed as I heard the door close.

"Sorry," Dillon said when he came around the corner and saw me awake in my bed, "I thought you were asleep."

I gave him my weak smile of gratitude, "Thanks for staying," I said as I watched him make his way to the side of my bed.

"Hey, you did the same for me, didn't you?" He returned the smile, "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

I looked away from him and back at the wall that had become seemingly more interesting with each passing minute, "Not really."

I heard shuffling and when I turned to see what he was doing, I saw a topless Austin Grey under the covers of my bed.

I gave him a questioning look in which he replied, "Well I'm certainly not leaving until you've told me."

I bit my lower lip, not wanting to mention Alex after what happened last night, "You don't want to know." I shook my head just hopping he would leave me alone for a little.

"Well whenever you feel ready to tell me, I'll be ready to listen."

I shifted onto my side and pull the covers up to my shoulders. I wondered if Dillon would get past the past and want a chance to move on. I tried to imagine a world where Dillon and I were actually dating, and as I did I felt my eyelids get heavy and before I knew it, I was asleep, dreaming about a parallel universe where Dillon and I were able to work though our past, together.

---

July 4th 2013 (Kylie's point of view)

I've been dreading this day for 5 months now. I thought I would be more mentally prepared for when today happened, but my only feeling was to crawl back into my bed and sleep the day away. I knew that this idea was illogical because Dillon and his family were coming over today and we were all going to venture down to the cemetery in honor of both of our loses. But I really didn't want to go. I wasn't ready to think about how it's been a full year since I've lost Matt and I know Dillon was thinking the same thing about his past girlfriend. But I wasn't going to add any more negativity to the day than what was already going to come so I got out of bed and got dressed despite my selfish thoughts.

The car ride down to the cemetery was silent. Our parents tried to make light conversation while Dillon and I sat in the back, each holding on to the few momentos left to us by our loved ones. I held a small wallet sized picture of us from Homecoming and the same type of flowers he gave me when he asked me to the event, white roses.

I stole a glance at Dillon, but his expression did not look like he wanted me to bother him, so I sat and watched a blur of houses pass by. I looked again at Dillon to see what he had brought. I felt my chest empty when I saw all he had was a sole flower. I remember how he told me that after the accident, Casey's family totally cut him off and moved without any notice or word. At least I had Matthew's family to console with, but I guess right now, I was all Dillon had.

--

Both families made their separate ways through the cemetery to find their loved one. My parents paid their respects first and then left me alone with my dead Matthew.

I took each white rose out of the package separately and planted each around his tomb stone, letting more tears with each rose that I planted. After all dozen roses were planted, I sat back on my knees and read, and re-read, and re-read again his tomb stone. Trying to recollect all the memories we shared and the fun times we had.

I really began to sob when I realized that in my mind, that was all a lifetime away. I wondered if Dillon felt the same way about Casey. And with the thought of Dillon, my tears and worries stopped, knowing that at least I had someone to empathize with me.

I said my last thoughts to Matthew's tomb and stood back up, enclosing my parents in a tight hug.

As we walked over to Dillon's family, we found Dillon's parents a ways bit from Casey's tomb. "He sent us away almost as soon as we got there, Kylie maybe you could try?" His father asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and wiped my tear stains off of my cheeks and made my way to Casey's grave.

I saw Dillon's back to me, facing her tomb. He was kneeling down on he grass as he had his fingers tracing the letters on her tombstone.

I made my way to him and knelt down next to him and place my hand on his shoulder. I felt his breath hitch as he tried to gain a sufficient breath.

"You'll never be her.."

----

It wasn't until a few moments after I woke up that I realized, I didn't wake up because of my nightmare, but because of the touch of Austin's fingers wiping away the tears that had left my eyes while I was asleep.