Love Is Real

Chapter 16

Grace's POV

When I open my eyes after what feels like a lifetime, I find myself in a blank, white room.

"Hey." Robert says. I don't know why but I suddenly release every single tear that was built up inside of me. "Shh."

He sits down across from me on the same bed, coming in for a hug. When we break apart I try to remember at least one thing.

"You know what you asked the moment you opened your eyes?" He asks me, smiling. I shake my head.

"Where's Nash?" He says. Nash. I gasp and try to get out if the covers to go look for him but Robert holds me down.

"Robert! Let go of me! I need to know where.. What.. Where is he?" I ask, finally giving up.

"Calm down. He's okay. He had a deep cut on his forehead. But he's okay now. He's in school."

"School?" I shriek.

"Yeah. You've blacked out for about a week." He says.

"What about Monica?" I ask him, terrified for his answer. But he doesn't say anything, he just looks down.

"She's gone." He says.

"What? Why would-" my voice gets smaller and smaller as I talk. Then I start to cry again. But this time, Robert just stares.

"She was gonna ask you out." I tell him, wiping the tears off my cheeks.

"What?" He reveals a tiny smile.

"Yeah. She was about to call you before all this happened."

"She- I- yes." He says, his eyes glossy.

"Yes what?"

"Yes. I would've said yes." He says, and also starts to cry. This time I approach him with a hug.

After a couple minutes of silence, two doctors approach the room quickly. And 3 more after them.

"What's going on?" Robert asks, getting up.

"We just have to take off the cast on her right arm, then she'll be able to go." Right arm? I look down to find my whole arm gone, only left with a little lower than my shoulder. My arm is gone..

"Robert? What happened!" I try to get up to him but the doctors hold me down. "Robert, stay, please."

"Hey, I'm right here. Okay? I promise." He holds my hand to help me get this over with.

I close my eyes for the hundredth time, as they begin..

...

When I woke up, I found every detail about the accident that I could find. Carter and Matthew got out safe. Monica had flew towards the front window when our car had jumped back and you already know what happened after that. Nash was okay, he only had a cut on his forehead. The car flipped over to my right side where my arm was squished between the glass and door frame. And apparently, my arm was so damaged that they had to amputate it and take most of it off...

"Don't forget to come back in about two weeks for a check up. If you have any pain or sort of problem, you can visit any time." The doctors lead me to the door with Robert. I thank them and we exit.

"So." Robert starts. "School? Or home?"

"I'm pretty sure you know the answer to that." I tell him and fake a smile. How can I smile? When we get in the car, we drive about an hour and a half to get to my moms.

I find my mom in tears the moment I open the door.

"Mom."

"Grace." She hugs me right away. Her glossy eyes land on my arm (well half an arm) but she ignores it.

We walk inside and she has me sit on the couch directly. She sits next to me, Robert sits across.

"Are you okay? What did the doctors say?" She asks, starting to cry.

"I'm good, Mom. I'm okay." No I'm not. How can I be okay right now? Her tears start to I fall faster and this time I hug her with my left arm as tight as I can. I want to cry, but I can't. I have to look strong in front of both of them. When she stops crying, I let go.

After a couple minutes of silence, two guys slowly walk in, and I am hoping one of them is Nash.

"Hey Grace." Matthew says, as I stand up. Carter and Matthew both hug me at the same time.

"I- There was-" I start to dump out everything I my dizzy mind but they stop me.

"We know everything. You don't have to explain." They assure me and I'm thankful that I don't have to talk.

"I just can't believe - this all happened." I can't speak anymore. You know the pain you get in your throat of how you talk when you're about to cry? That's exactly what's happening to me.

"At least.. You only lost your right hand." That makes it even worse. Carter punches him. "Oww."

"Could y'all excuse me for a second?" They nod and I head straight to my room.

When I walk in, my eyes land on the pattern that has settled throughout the walls. The striped pattern comes from the light that is peeking through the curtains.

My eyes start to blur as I blink faster. I walk over to the mirror that I always loved. When I stand tall, I notice I'm not symmetrical anymore. My left eye is swollen with purple and red dark colors. The corner of my mouth has a red cut. The left side of my body is perfect, while the right side has.. It has a gap under my right shoulder. It's like.. It's like my whole body was a complete puzzle. And now that I lost one part, the others don't even matter. They don't make sense without my right arm. All I wonder is.. Why me? Why did this happen to me?!

This time I can't help my self and I release all the anger, the guilt, the sadness, the horror, the deepest feelings that were stored in my tears out. My eyes hurt as I start to cry. Then bawl. I shut the door as hard as I can, as if that would help. But it didn't. Nothing will ever help. The past is in the past and I am stuck like this, forever.

The screams from the accident won't stop playing in my head. Everyone yelling for Monica. The sound of how the windows crashed into those tiny pieces, each piece calling out my name. How Nash called out for me, but I zoned out on him.

I can hear Monica calling out for me, telling me it'll be okay. Yet I never even said goodbye.

I grab the pillow on my bed and throw it around. I throw myself on the floor because I can't control anything any more. I cover my face with one of the pillows, making it even harder to breath. I can feel how soaked the pillow is from my sharp tears.

And later, after there is no more tears to let out, the room gets darker.. And darker by the second. And finally, my soul goes to sleep.