Our Story >> a.i

Prologue

We sat by the window of his room. He looked tired and was coughing loudly. This hospital never let visitors stay overnight with a grown patient but he was special. I needed to be with him, for the sake of both of us. I couldn't go home every night to the same empty apartment without him. That wouldn't be right, it would be like a story without characters, or a book without pages.

"Do you want water Ash?" I quickly asked, tapping his back.

"No. I'm alright," he smiled that smile where his dimples popped out and pushed his hair back.

"Alright then, is there anything you want?" He looked down at his fingers that once held drumsticks and played so skillfully. I almost fell into into tears as I thought about all the times, all the shows he's been performing at and how after every show he would come off sweaty and tired but happy that he did something he loved and made people happy while doing so.

"I'm okay for the moment," no he wasn't. We made a promise to ourselves not to use that word. "Tell me a story Anna, our story."

"I've told you so many times though Ashton. You know our story better than anyone," I laughed softly as I watched the moonlight hit his face. He was thin and pale. No longer the constantly laughing and smiling Ashton I once knew. He was in there, it was just Mother Nature decided it was his time and that he was needed up there.

I wasn't going to let him leave without a fight though, I'd swim in a pool of piranhas if I had to, if there was any way for him to get more time on this Earth, then I'd do it.

But the world doesn't work like that does it? It gives what you want when you least expect it and snatch it away from you when you start appreciating it. We take everything for granted until it's about to be taken from us, until it's about to be ripped away without a single goodbye. You see, they say we don't know what we have until it's gone. But, truth is we do know what we have, we just never thought it would be taken away from us.

"Yeah, but I like your version, your side of the story, Anna." He smiled and poked my side.

I sighed and shook my head with a little smile. "Just because I love you Fletcher Irwin."

"Or because I'm dying Rose Collins." I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath. I'm not going to cry in front of Ashton. I'm not going to do that to him, it's already hard enough.

"Please don't say that Ash, it feels like a someone jabs a hole in my heart every time. You're going to make it through this, with me," this time he cracked another smile. It was only a small one, but it was still a smile.

"That's deep Bella, that's why you majored in English," he giggled softly. "Go on. Tell the story. Our story."

His smile is what I live for. His laugh was a flame that kept me warm. But once that's gone, who'll be the fuel to my fire?