Ghost Of You *SLOW UPDATES*

Chapter 20

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been busy moving and packing boxes and whatnot...

So, without further delay... Here is chapter 20 plus a Shayla Holmes aesthetic I made!

Love always,

A Connoisseur of Fine Art xx

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I wake up alone and in a dark room within what an only be assumed to be the hospital. My head pounds a steady beat through my skull so I gingerly raise a hand and rest it against my head as a nurse walks in with a plastic clipboard and a beaming grin that doesn't meet her eyes.

"You're finally awake. Good. You're free to go after I check your cast and ensure your minor concussion isn't going to affect anything." She speaks. I only nod my head in reply as she saunters to my side and picks up my arm with such gentle grace most girls can only envy.

She spends a few seconds ensuring the cast is set properly before she pulls a light out of her pocket and checks my responses by shining a beam of bright light into my eyes before checking a quick scan the doctor that was caring for me must've taken whilst I was unconscious.

She then looks up from her clipboard when a knock raps against the thin door and swings open to reveal a glum Luke, hair dishevelled and dark bags under his eyes as he stares at me with a face of concern.

"You're okay. You're awake." He mutters as he stands in the doorway, not entering just yet as he mutters the same two phrases on repeat as though he's trying to reassure himself.

I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and hold my arms out wide in an inviting manner as he lurches forward desperately and pulls me into a tight embrace. I feel his tears hit my paper hospital gown as he buries his head into the crook of my neck and clutches onto the back of my hospital dress. 

I wrap my arms around him in return and turn to see the nurse still standing there awkwardly, shuffling her weight from one foot to the other as she coughs awkwardly and says, "You're free to go but just ensure you take extra care with that arm. It should be healed in the next two weeks or so. But even then, your arm will still be more fragile until after a month."

I go stiff in Luke's embrace and I feel as his body go tense as well and I find myself saying, "What do you mean three weeks? I have a competition to do. I'm playing for my life here. Is there anyway to speed up the healing process?"

Luke pulls away from and grips my cheeks in his hands as he says, "We'll figure this out Shay, but until then, let's just figure out a set list and then we can go from there okay?"

"If you want to speed up the process, then take it easy for two weeks and do as little as possible with that arm. Give it time to heal and as for your concussion, you're just going to have to sleep it off and then you should be fine." The nurse explains as Luke rests his forehead on my own and takes a heavy breath on behalf of both of us.

"Thank you Nurse Keller." Luke says calmly as he pulls away from me and turns to the nurse waiting at the end of the bed, her clipboard clutched tightly to her chest. She nods at us before leaving the room briefly and reappearing a couple of minutes later with a tub full of my clothing and possessions.

She places them beside me on the bed and points me towards the small bathroom in the corner of the room that I can use to change and then leave. I thank her for her generosity as she musters up another fake smile and then walks out with a swish of her hips and a slam of the door.

I look to Luke for guidance who sits in a chair patiently, one leg folded over his other as he taps on his phone screen hurriedly. I tilt my head slightly as I stand from my position on the bed and hold together the back of my dress as to try and hide my ass from public viewing.

I hear my boyfriend cough awkwardly from his seat, indicating he looked up from his phone for the briefest of seconds as he asks, "Do you need a hand there princess?"

I wobble slightly as I take a first step towards and find myself being held up by a set of strong arms. He chuckles as I look into his blue eyes and find myself smiling at the shimmering colour that swims through his glimmering orbs.

"I would like that very much because as it seems, my legs are partially numb and I can't really use one arm." I chuckle as he politely picks up my belongings and allows me to lean up against him as we stumble our way to the bathroom.

He opens the door and places my tub on the lid of the toilet before shooting me a quick smile and walking out of the bathroom, leaving me the privacy to get changed. I slide the paper gown off and use the wall for support as I pull my cleaned black jeans on as well as the AC/DC singlet and leather jacket I was wearing the day my mother decided to show up on campus.

I pull the phone out of the tub and push it into my pocket along with my dorm keys before I pick up the tub and place it on to the floor of the bathroom. I hear a curt knock followed by the door swinging open and Luke walking in with a small smile gracing his face.

Without a word spoken between us, he pulls my worn Doc Martens out of the tub as well as my socks which he rolls on to my cold feet before sliding my boots on and lacing them up tight. He then helps me up from my seat on the toilet lid and leads me out of the bathroom, leaving the empty tub on the bed, before we walk out of the hospital room and down the sterile halls.

I pull my hair out of the lazy ponytail someone pulled it into as we reach the hospital doors and they part, letting a fresh breeze of air rush into the room in wafts of cool waves. I smile slightly as Luke leads me to a car parked in the multi-tiered carpark, Ashton sitting behind the steering wheel staring at his phone whilst the audible thumping of music leaks through the once quiet space.

Luke taps on the window disturbing Ash who turns the volume on his music down and presses a button on the side of his door which rolls down the window.

"You guys getting in or what? We have an appointment back home with a certain couch and pizza delivery." Ashton smiles warmly as he unlocks the doors to the car and allows Luke and I to slide into the backseat together.

We drive together without speaking and instead let the music bang loudly through the stereo as I rest my head on Luke's shoulder tiredly, his hand resting on my thigh in reassurance as he rubs soft circles with his pointer finger and thumb.

I find myself begin to fall into a haze but am quickly pulled out of the trance when we pull up at the boys house and find Calum and Michael standing in the doorway holding a 'Welcome Home Shayla' sign and a tall cake that is teetering dangerously to the left.

I smile at the thoughtful gesture as Luke opens the door and help me out of the car carefully, ever being aware of the fragile arm hidden in a sling. Ashton locks the car and walks ahead of Luke and I as he yells, "Make way for the now disabled woman! Get back!"

I laugh at the boyish action and yell in reply, "Don't you dare Irwin! I can still beat your ass with or without a cast."

All the boys laugh as I look to my left and see Luke looking at me with a breathtakingly warm smile that causes the sides of his eyes to crinkle the slightest and his tongue pokes out the slightest as he chuckles lightly. I peck his cheek slightly and with a smile I say, "Thank you for saving me Hemmings."

"Anything for you princess." He whispers in my ear as he also presses a kiss to my cheek and we approach Cal, Mikey and Ash who wait patiently for us.

My grin only grows as the boys all embrace me affectionately and try to shove mass amounts of cake down my throat whilst we find ourselves walking down the stairs towards the beach. We remain down there for hours until the sun begins to set on the horizon and we sit one the sand watching the waves roll into oblivion, my head resting on Luke's shoulder and my toes buried in the damp sand below.