Begin Again ✔

thirty six

ALEC HAWTHORNE SITS in front of the unconscious body of Lea that rests peacefully, her eyelids fluttering slowly that invents strange chills down his spine, and he wonders how something this beautiful can be haunting, both at the same time.

He engulfs his hand in hers and brings it to his lips such that he kisses it gently.

Wake up, he begs. Wake up and smile that smile of yours that killed me every single time.

He stares at her, the way she rests, her chest heaving up and down slowly. Brushing her brown locks, he tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear. He hugs her palm and brushes it, letting his warmth travel into her body.

His body flinches all of a sudden, as he hears an unfamiliar sound of footsteps walk into the room. He watches two girls, one of average height and the other a tall one, escorted by Bash.

Leighton and Carrie, he registers.

"Alec?" The blonde one asks, her face painted with colors of surprise.

Alec opens his mouth to answer her but immediately shifts his gaze to Lea who tugs at his hands softly.

"Lea," he whispers. "Baby, I'm here."

Lea blinks her eyes open and struggles to process everything that happens around her. Her eyes feel as though they have been stitched shut and she blinks them to watch the blurry face of Alec staring down at her.

"What-" she trails off, her voice soft and weak. "What happened?" She says and manages to sit upright in her bed. Squeezing her head, she realizes that her head hurts which has been tied straight with a thin material.

"How do you feel, Lea?" Bash asks, slowly walking towards her. 

"My head hurts," she replies and allows her eyes to wander across the room. "Where-" she stammers. "Where is Mom?"

She watches everyone stare at her for a while and eventually shifts her gaze to meet Alec's. "What happened, Alec? I remember an SUV-"

"Lea," Alec stresses, squeezing her shoulder. "You need some rest. We can talk things later."

She breathes, looking at his concerned face. "Where is Mom?" She repeats again, her voice growing louder this time. She rotates her head to look at the faces of Carrie and Leighton. "WHERE IS MOM?" She yells impatiently.

"Lea," Alec says, his voice soft and soothing. "Baby, look at me." He says and she does as he says. "Listen to me, okay?" He adds. Followed by her nod, he continues, "You passed out due to fear and your mom instantly pushed you away and you hit the nearby pole."

"And?" She blinks.

Alec turns his neck to look at Bash. After gathering his strength, he says, "T-The car hit your mom."

Tears well down Lea's eyes instantly. "And?"

"She's in a-"

"She's resting," Bash cuts Alec off. Alec turns his neck to meet Bash's face who looks null.

"I want to see her," Lea states abruptly. Tears fall down her lashes and she yells, "I want to see her."

"Well, unfortunately she needs some rest so the doctors have asked us not to bother her for a while," Bash says. "And, you need some rest, Lea."

"I don't care!" Lea screams. "I want to see my mom."

"He's right, Lea," Alec says. "You do need some rest."

"Alec, you don't understand. I want to-"

Squeezing her shoulder, he looks into her eyes. In the room filled with people she cared about the most, her eyes get lost into a warm trance that soothes her down in a strange way. "Just trust me, okay?" He says.

She nods slowly.

"There's my girl," he smiles. He watches her tears dry down her cheeks and cups her face. "How about you take some rest and we'll talk later?"

"Yeah," she whispers into his ear.

He helps her lie down on the bed and covers her body with the warm, soft material. "Sebastian, stay with her. I'll be right back," he says and looks at Bash. "I'll be right back, Lea," he tells her, squeezing her hand.

In a matter of minutes, he walks out of the room with Leighton and Carrie. Taking the seat near the wall, he rests his palms over his face.

"What happened, Alec?" Carrie asks. "How did you know it happened?"

He sighs. "I-" he trails off. "I was on the phone with her when it happened. And she dropped her phone to the ground when the car was about to hit her, I guess? The last thing I heard was her saying 'fuck' which is unusual because Lea never swears and immediately, I knew something was wrong. Thankfully, a lady nearby picked up the phone after it all happened and told me everything."

The two girls nod, processing the information. "What actually happened to her mom?" Leighton asks. "I mean, it's clear you guys were hiding something back there."

"She's in a coma," he sums up.

"Oh," the two girls say in unison.

"Well, it's only been 4 hours so I guess we can wait. I don't personally know her mother but I can tell she means a lot to Lea," he adds, leaving a sigh. He rests his face on his palms, breathing heavily.

Leighton sits next to him, and brushes his arm gently. "Alec, this is so weird. I mean, considering we haven't been properly introduced but I've heard a lot about you from Lea. I'm Leighton."

"I'm Carrie."

Alec shoots a dry smile to the girls.

"Alec," Leighton sighs. "D-Do you feel like it's your fault?"

Alec's eyes widen.

"I study psychology. I can tell what people are thinking."

"I don't know," he breathes. "Maybe? Fuck, who am I kidding? Yes."

Bash strolls out through the door shutting it close gently. He walks towards where the three are sitting and opens his mouth to say, "She's finally asleep."

"I-I'll check on her. Excuse me," Alec says and stands up from his seat. He walks away from them, into the room.

He watches her troubled eyes as she rests and sits beside her. Cupping her hand in his, he brushes her soft skin. Succumbed under the silence of the way she breathes, he closes his eyes drifting to a parallel situation where she took care of him. A sad smile falters from his lips as he realizes that she is too pure for the world.

You have the kindest heart, Lea.

He pushes her gently, so that she moved to the other side of the bed, giving him space to lie down next to her. Hugging her waist, he rests his head next to hers.

He whispers, "I'm not going to let you lose another parent. I promise."

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A/N: I'd love to know your thoughts on the chapter.

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