Acatalepsy; auston matthews

• twenty-four •

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There was an incessant knocking that woke up Jessica from the light sleep she had finally fallen into. She had been watching the teams locker clean out interviews on Youtube, but Auston's hadn't been posted yet.

Officially she wasn't back to work. The office wanted her to take time to recover physically and emotionally. Mostly emotionally.

She had sent a few articles in to the editor. Minor things, nothing big. Everything felt like it was happening quickly, too quickly.

One minute she met Mitch Marner, Morgan Reilly, Jake Gardiner and Auston Matthews for an interview; the next she's going on dates with Auston and to his games; then out of nowhere she's hit by a van.

Physically and emotionally.

Groggily she lifted herself off the couch and to her door. Other than Steve she wasn't sure who would be at her apartment this early.

"Mom! Dad!" Jessica was surprised to see her parents. "What are you doing here?"

"My daughter was hit by a van and you expect me to not drive down here?" Her mother pushed herself into the room. "That was like a week ago-"

"Six days to be exact-" her mother set her purse on the table. "I've been worried about you," Her mother turned and placed her hands on Jessica's shoulders and looked for any obvious injuries.

"I'm okay- Really," Jessica assured her mother who sat down with her. Her father only chuckled from behind them.

"You know you're mother- You're her baby girl," he joked.

Her mother laughed. "You act as if you weren't in the truck before Steve called us. He freaked out after we couldn't get ahold of you- the news- we were worried and then Steve called and I thought I was going to die."

Jessica hugged her mother letting her cry. "I thought I had lost my other baby- I thought you both had died and I didn't know what to do."

Jessica remembered being pulled backwards, her hair feeling like it was ripped from her skull, her body crashing to the pavement as the vehicle barrelled past. Her jeans ripping and skin rubbing along the pavement leaving a slight trickle of blood behind.

Staring into the strangers eyes, thanking him, until she turned back and he was gone. Almost as if he had never been there to begin with.

"His eyes were blue," Jessica whispered.

"Who's eyes?" Her mother pulled back wiping tears away. Her father hugged her right afterwards.

"Calum's eyes- Calum had blue eyes-" Jessica felt like she was grasping but maybe she wasn't.

She recounted the event in as much detail as she could. Both parents flinched as she explained being pulled back within inches of the van.

"I felt a connection to a complete stranger. When I stared into his eyes- He- He felt familiar. Like I knew him." Jessica stuttered out. "His eyes were blue."

"Sweetheart," her mother smiled warmly. "It was just-" her mother took a breath and looked towards Jessica's father before back at Jessica. "Jessica- Have you talked to someone yet-"