The College Room [THE KISSING BOOTH #2 - FAN FICTION]

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Dad was sifting in and out of consciousness, his eyes fluttering open and closed by the time the three of us made it back to his bed. He finally looked a little more like himself, blood and colour finally pouring back into his pale face.

When we sat beside him, the nurse told us to be very slow, careful not to frighten him when he became fully conscious. She didn't want him to be overloaded.

Brad and I took a hand each in our own, squeezing his raspy palms lightly each time he opened his eyes. After about half an hour, his eyelids flickered open and stayed that way. Slowly, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Brad," he mumbled. "Elle."

The first words out of his mouth were barely even a whisper.

Brad and I burst into tears at the same time, our faces crumpling and the sobs echoing through the ward.

"I thought we lost you," I said breathlessly, leaning my head into his shoulder and pulling my body onto the bed with him.

Dad lifted a hand and curled it around my shoulder. "I wouldn't leave you kids," he said weakly, his voice barely there at all.

Our reunion was interrupted almost immediately. "Sorry guys, but we're going to have to do some tests. We just wanted you to see him before we did that," a doctor said, his eyes narrow and his voice low. 

"Sure. Of course. We totally understand," I said, giving Dad's hand another squeeze even though I was slightly disappointed. "We'll see you soon."

Brad rolled into Dad's arms for a hug, and then the three of us made our way over to the curtain.

"Actually," Dad said very slowly. "I wouldn't mind a word with Noah first."

My heart quickened when I stepped out of the curtain with Brad, leaving Noah to talk with my father.

What was Dad going to say? Was he furious that Noah had turned up at the hospital, even though he'd banned me from seeing him? Was he going to be mad, thinking I hadn't already learned from my mistakes?

"Don't listen, Elle," Brad said, but I put my finger to my lips and hushed him. I had to know how much of a serving Dad was going to give him, even though he was so weak.

"Thanks for being here, Noah," I heard Dad say, his words separated by long drawn breaths. "Nurses said I was out a week. Elle must have really needed you."

"We don't have to do this now, Mr Evans," Noah said, his voice strong. "You've only just come to. Let's give you some time, hey?"

"Stop trying to take control for once in your life," Dad said, and I wished I could have seen the look on his face as he said it. "I'm trying to give you my blessing here."

My heart skipped a beat when he said it, and I wondered if maybe I was even hearing the conversation properly, my mind clearly delirious from the roller-coaster of emotions that I'd been riding the last week.

"You...you are?" Noah asked.

"I heard everything," Dad said, his voice so hushed I had to push my ears closer to the curtain. "I'm not saying I'm happy about Elle's behaviour as of late...but..."

Dad started to cough lightly, and I wondered if it was because of the accident, or because he was trying to hide the small choke of a cry. 

"My first thought when you came in here talking to me was that if I never woke up again, the last conversations I had with Elle were terrible. She wouldn't remember all the good times we've had together. All she'd remember is me forbidding her from seeing you."

"You don't have to feel bad, Mr Evans," Noah said softly. "I see where you're coming from. I really am sorry, and she is, too."

Dad coughed again, and by that point I may as well have just ripped the curtain open to hear the conversation just that tiny bit better. I had already stuck my nose too far down a hole it didn't belong.

"I know," Dad said. "I forgive you both. I want my last memories - and I sure hope they don't come any time soon but if they do - well, I want them to be of my children happy. You make Elle happy."

I couldn't stand idly by any longer while Noah suffered the emotional conversation all on his own. I pulled the curtain open and with a sniffle, I launched myself into Dad's arms.

"I was wondering when you were going to pop back in," he said. "You realise I could see your shadow through the curtain, right?"

I slapped my hand against my forehead. "I am such an idiot," I said with a grin.

"It's okay," Dad said, pulling me in for another hug. "I secretly wanted you to hear it, too."

The curtain was ripped open again just a moment later, the doctor standing with his clipboard held tightly to his chest. "Well, I'm glad to see you're very alert, Mr Evans," he said with a frown, "but we really need to do these tests. We need to be certain that you're okay."

"I feel fine," Dad said slowly. 

"Let me guess," the doctor said, "you feel fine, except for the shooting pains all over your body and the shortness of breath? Not to mention the migraine, and the probable lack of nutrients causing serious lethargy." 

Dad looked at me with raised eyebrows, and I couldn't help but smile. Somehow, despite the fact he'd only just woken up and was suffering severe pain, Dad wanted to jump straight to the conversation that meant the most to him. 

He had pushed aside his own suffering for a moment to tell me how he really felt about Noah and me.

Finally, he was okay with our relationship.

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Author's Note:

OMG YOU GUYS!!!! 100,000 reads in only 23 days! You are the most incredible readers in the WORLD! If you like my writing, I encourage you to head on over to my new novel "Saving Lainey", which is a romance that blossoms from grief and tragedy. I'd love to hear your feedback!

But never fear, The College Room is not over just yet...I still have a few things to sort out before I end the story.

Tell me below what your favourite part of the book has been so far!

Much love to every single one of you.

Hayley