Unconditionally

Epilogue

Epilogue

Selena's POV

Terrified. 

That's how I felt. 

After everything had happened, I had taken a few days off from school.

Days to reconnect with my brother and my family.

Days to gather my thoughts and adjust.

Days of therapy. 

But now it was Monday morning; time for me to go back to school - back to the real world.

To see all the faces of the people I once called friends; the people who turned their backs on me when I needed them most.

Technically, I had been back in school for a months now, despite the accident but it was different.

Now I knew what had happened. Now that my view on the world was tainted, I was terrified.

Terrified that people would find out what happened.

Terrified of what they would say when they realized I was me again - or at least, part of who I used to be. 

Now that I had to struggle with the memories of that night - over and over again - I was scared.

What if it happened again?

I took a shuddering breath, zoning back into the moment only to realize that Justin was staring at me again.

Staring at me with those hazel eyes filled with concern.

He carefully reached out to take my hands in his, halting the way I was wringing my fingers together. He hesitated, giving me time to pull away if I was uncomfortable but I squeezed them tightly as though they were a lifeline because in a way they were.

"I know you're scared. I know you're absolutely terrified to go in there, to face everyone. I know that your doctors said that the wound was fresh and even with all that, I know that I don't truly know how you're feeling."

I calmed my breathing, my internal panic stopping as I clung onto his every words, his beautiful eyes locked onto mine; reading me as though I were his favorite book.

"But that's the thing, whatever it is you're feeling, you're justified. You're allowed to hurt, to be angry, to be scared, to be sad, to be whatever you are. I get it. And I know that nothing I say will chase those fears away but I want you to know that I'm going to be right there with you. It's an adjustment that'll take time; the entire healing process will but I promise you Selena, if you need me, I'm with you. If at any point today it becomes too much for you just tell me okay?"

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"Here." He pulled one of his hands out of my grip and shoved it into his pocket to retrieve a pink butterfly clip.

My pink butterfly clip. I stared at it as I was hit with a memory.

"Why do you love that clip so much?" Justin asked,gesturing to the pink clip in my hair.

"My mommy gave it to me when I came out of the hospital and I was crying one night. She said it was my favorite when I was younger. I had this obsession with butterflies because they went from being those ugly caterpillars to these pretty things that got to be friends with fairies and I wanted to be like a butterfly. So she said to keep it and remember that one day I'll get my chance to be a butterfly." I explained, recalling my mother's words.

He smiled at me and gave me a kiss on the forehead like he always does then he grinned.

"You're my butterfly."