Logan

18. Hold On

Once I'd fumbled to pick my phone up, and once I'd managed to calm my breathing down enough, Alberto had continued speaking "I'm coming to get you alright? Meet me on your front step." I took in a jagged breath "I'm hanging up so I can get in my truck. I'll be there in about ten."

"Ok..."
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"I know a late night cup of coffee can fix almost everything." He smiled at me from across the booth of the small diner we'd stopped at, and I couldn't help the shy smile that crept across my own face as I mindlessly stirred a spoonful of sugar into my cup "Do you want to talk about what happened?" I shrugged my shoulders, my body sinking a little bit further into the booth as the waitress brought over our plates of food "You don't have to talk but just know I'm here to listen..."

"When I saw him standing in front of me tonight I just... I still love him Alberto. I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive what he did, but... I still love him." I poked at the pancakes on my plate, ultimately deciding to place my fork down on the table and letting out an exasperated sigh before looking up at him "I'm sorry I called and woke you up."

"Don't be sorry Nat. I like to think we've become pretty good friends over the last few weeks?" I nodded my agreement, taking a timid sip of my coffee and then picking at the edge of my napkin "I care about you. I know you have a real tough time trusting anyone but you never have to worry with me..."
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It felt like the first night we'd hung out, as we'd sat and talked until our food was cold and the waitress had kindly refilled our coffee cups at least five times.

I had even let Alberto put his arm around my back when I couldn't stop myself from shivering as we walked back to his truck.

"Thanks..." my voice was quiet, but I knew he'd heard me over the radio as it blasted some catchy Spanish song, because he reached over to turn the volume down.

"You're welcome Nat." He rested his hand on the middle console, his fingers brushing against mine and I took in a shaky breath at the sudden skin to skin contact. I knew we didn't feel that way about each other, but I still craved the comforting touch of another person "We got about a thirty minute drive if you wanna pick something else?" He lifted his hand up and motioned to the radio, and I managed a shrug, pulling my hand back into my lap and fidgeting with my bracelet.

Logan has given it to me as a sort of joke, not realizing how much I would treasure something so simple. It was a sterling silver chain, with one of his very well used red Fender guitar picks carefully strung in the middle "This is alright..."

We both sat in silence for the next few minutes... me, continuing to fidget with my bracelet, and Alberto quietly humming along to his music.

And then everything went black.
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When I finally came to, I was gasping for breath as Alberto gripped tightly to my hand. My entire body ached, and I looked around the crushed cabin of his truck to see blood spattered across the broken windows. My blood... Glass littered every surface, and when I shifted my weight small pieces fell from my lap onto the floor. I could hear the distant sound of sirens, and his voice seemed farther away the more he talked "Hey... please stay awake. You've got... you've got to stay still Nat." I glanced down, more tears forming in the corners of my eyes when I saw how the entire front of my body was drenched in a deep scarlet.

"Shit..." I coughed, my vision blurring around the edges, the red and blue flashing lights nothing more than bright spots in the darkness as I again lost consciousness...
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*Alberto's POV*

"Alex, hey... there was..." I hesitated, pacing back and forth across the hospital waiting room, my free hand trembling against my side "Alex, there was, there was an accident. It's your sister. Natalie... she's..."

"What happened A.B.?! Where are you at?" His voice was so tired, so gruff sounding, and I took in a shaky breath "Please. Tell me what's going on?"

"How fast can..." I couldn't stop the sob from escaping. I stumbled through the details of the hospital they'd taken us to. The images of her being loaded into the ambulance were burned into my brain, and probably would be for a long time after this "How fast can you get here? They don't... they don't know if she's going to make it."
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SOTD: "Hold On" by The Brevet