Resilient

Chapter Sixteen

Stone's Point of View

I've never been more scared in my life than right now. "She's gonna be okay man, she has to," Joey rationalizes. I take a deep breath and focus on the road. "She has to," he repeats.

We pull into the parking lot of the hospital and rush inside. We're met by everyone in the waiting room. "She's in surgery," Kansas tells us.

"Is she gonna be okay?" I finally ask. If she's not okay, I don't know what I'll do.

"It's real hit or miss right now," Colt tells me.

I take a deep breath and try to steady myself. "I can't do this," I say and rush back outside. I'm hyperventilating and sobbing. She has to be alright. She has to. I'm not finished kissing her yet. I need to hear her laugh again. I need her to tell me one of her stupid jokes again. I need to smell the scent of her perfume again, and the scent of her shampoo and conditioner. I need to see her achieve all her dreams. I need her to be alright.

"Fuck," I scream and punch the side of the hospital building. I fall to the ground, crumpled into a ball on the asphalt. It feels like all the breath has been knocked out of me.

"Stone, hey man get up," Joey says as he picks me up off the ground.

"She has to be alright," I sob. He pulls me into a tight hug.

"This is Georgia Collins we're talking about here man," he says. "Of course she'll be fine."

I'm a complete mess, but I finally feel strong enough to let go of Joey. I take a deep breath and sit down against the wall. Joey sits next to me.

"You really love her don't you?" He asks.

"More than anything man," I tell him. "I've loved her for so long Joey and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I fell in love with her while y'all were together. I-I tried man, I really did. I tried not to love her for you, but it's fucking impossible not to. I can remember the moment I realized my crush was more than me thinking she was hot," I say.

"Don't be sorry you love her. I've been in your shoes. I'm kinda in them again. You forget I was in love with her for years. I know just how hard it is to try to make yourself not love her. Trust me I do," he tells me.

"I feel incomplete man," I tell him.

"I know," I tell him.

I look at him. I know he means because he isn't with her anymore. That's why he feels incomplete. "I love her," I whisper.

"It's hard not too," he says.

"She'll be alright," I say. "She's gonna be okay."

"She's been through hell and back. It's gonna take more than this to keep her down," Joey says.

I shake my head and let out a deep breath. "Yeah," I say. "She's gonna be okay."