madison's pov
When I woke up, Calum wasn't there like he said he would but there was a note on the table next to my bed.
Madison,
Sorry I couldn't stay until you woke up. I have an interview today for some school that my dad set up. I'll be back later though. I love you and know that I'd much rather much be holding you in my arms.
Calum
I smiled at his messy handwriting and read the letter over a few times. I didn't remember him mentioning anything about an interview, but I supposed that it could've slipped my mind. I set the small piece of paper back on the table and sighed as I leaned back against the mound of pillows.
The doctor came in a little while later. "Hello, Madison. Feeling any better today?"
Everyone always asked me this and I knew it was sort of their obligation, but it really annoyed me. "Uh, a little. I still feel extremely weak."
He came over and looked at the monitor that showed my heart rate and blood pressure. "Your heart rate is a bit low, but not too bad. Let's see if you have a temperature." He took out a thermometer and stuck it under my tongue. A few minutes later, it beeped to signal it was done. "You also have a slight temp, but that's normal. For now, I'd say, you're doing pretty well considering."
"Considering I have terminal cancer?" I squinted at him.
He only put the thermometer away and gave me a sad look before leaving. I rolled my eyes at his lack of communication. I wished that I didn't have that nose bleed and was stuck here for at least one more day. I turned on the TV, looking for a cooking show. I had grown a liking to these and they always seemed to be on, which was nice. After flipping through the channels, I landed on one. A man was showing how to make grilled chicken with some special kind of marinade. I settled back into the pillows and tried to memorize his techniques even though I would not get to use them in real life.
A knock at the door drew me out of the trance I was in and I turned my face toward the door. No one came in, which they normally did and I wondered if I was hearing things. The person knocked again, a little harder this time.
"Come in," I said, turning the TV off.
"Hey, Mads."
My jaw almost dropped at the sight of Christian entering my hospital room. "What are you doing here?" I spat. I hadn't seen him or talked to him since that night at the fundraiser when he told Calum that I kissed him.
He shut his eyes, taking a seat in the chair next to my bed. He put his face in his hands, leaning his elbows on his knees. "I wanted to fix things," he explained. "What I did that night at the fundraiser was horrible, telling Calum that you kissed me. I was just jealous, I suppose."
"J-jealous of what?" I stuttered, nervous for his answer.
I noticed a flush reach his cheeks as he took his hands away from his face. "This isn't so easy to say, but I like you. A lot actually. I've liked you since we were kids, but you were never meant to like me back."
I sighed. I couldn't believe it. All this time, he liked me. "Why didn't you say something? Like back when we were younger. I had the hugest crush on you, but I always thought you just tolerated me because I was sick."
"You know that's not true," he told me. "And I guess it was because I was afraid. We were like ten, Mads and then I never saw you. By the time I did, you had Calum." He said Calum's name with disgust.
"You know you can't just hate on Calum because he has money. He works really hard for all that he has. He's been here for me through everything getting worse."
