The Way He Loved Me

Part 9

When I opened my eyes Tyler was sitting there next to my bed. He was sitting in a chair, and his hands were tangled with mine. He was humming to himself and his head was down on the bed near my side. I smiled to myself before I said anything, because I didn't want to ruin this moment.

"Tyler." His head shot up and his grip tightened on my hands.

"Allie! I thought I had lost you!" His eyes were blurring over with tears and he looked like he hadn't slept in a week, which was probably the truth.

"Tyler, it's fine! I'm fine." but when I tried to move my hand up with his face to comfort him, my back was in terrible pain.

"Ow." I didn't mean to say it, but it just came out of my mouth. As soon as I said it, Tyler's face was flushed with hurt, and I knew that he hated to see me in pain.

"I'm sorry.. I'm so, SO sorry.... I ran as fast as I could.. And you wouldn't wake up.. I just. I'm sor-"

What are you talking about?" I was so lost.

It was Mitchell, not Tyler, that had tried to hurt me. Wasn't it? What had really happened? "Tyler, what ARE you talking about?"

"I'll tell you later, okay? You're tired now. You should sleep."

I wanted to hear what happened, but I did notice that I was really tired.

*******Tyler's POV***********

I waited for a whole week for her to wake up, and I didn't leave her side unless I absolutely had too... And now that she was awake I didn't know how to tell her. I had practiced how I was going to tell her over and over, but now that she wanted to know, I just didn't know how to do it. Her life was completely changed, and I hated to be the one to tell her.

I called in the nurse to explain how she had woken up, and she did a routine check on Allie to make sure that she was okay. I walked out of the room to give them a little privacy, and so that I could avoid the questions that Allie was so good at manipulating so that she could get what happened out of me.

I grabbed my iPod out of my pocket, and popped in the ear buds so that I could listen to some music to calm my nerves. I didn't know how to tell Allie anything. I was so confused, and I felt a bit lost; this must be how Allie feels right now.

'I'm lost without you - Blink 182' No. next.

'Up and Up [Acoustic] - Reliant K' I think not.

'Under Control - Parachute' GOD! come ON! I'm not in the mood for this music.

'The Hell Song - Sum 41' Okay. fine.

I ate my McDonalds #2 meal in the hospital cafeteria while I jammed out to 'The Hell Song' on repeat. I couldn't think of a nice way to tell her what happened, but I didn't care. I had my food and my music, and I was almost alone in my little corner facing away from everyone.

*************************

It took me a good hour or so to compose myself, and when I walked back to Allie's room she was awake. I knew by her face that she was ready to listen to whatever I had to tell her, and I could tell that she saw I was ready to tell her.

I walked over to the side of her bed and sat down beside her. I grabbed her hand and held it really tight so that she knew I would be here for her. I looked at her and then I just let it go.

"Allie. I don't know how to say this. I have tried for a week to find a way to put this nicely, but somehow you burned your house down. There was a big fire, and it was started because you left the burner on in the kitchen. You were in your bedroom, and I rescued you. You inhaled a lot of smoke, and that's why you were unconscious for a week. I really thought you weren't going to make it, and I have just worried about you all week. Your back is burned, and my arms are too, and the firemen and Luke were able to save some stuff, but you can't live in your house right now."

Her face. She was so confused and sad and upset. I didn't like the way I said it, but it was done. I felt so much better after I had told her what happened, and I knew that she was partially relieved.

"But. Mitchell. Came to my house? And he was in my room... Right?" What was she talking about? I knew who Mitchell was, and he had been dead almost three years.

"What?"

"Yeah! He was in my room, and he was killing me! He was smothering me, and kissing me, and he was grabbing my wrists! Right..?"

"No Allie... Mitchell wasn't in your house. It was just me, and the fire."

"Then... you were kissing.. me?"

What was I supposed to say? I had given her mouth-to-mouth when I had gotten her out of the house because she had stopped breathing, but I hadn't... kissed.. her. Or, I didn't think that she had noticed... She wasn't breathing when I had. And, Luke had helped me, but Luke wasn't Mitchell.

"Allie, I think.. you might want to sleep a little more. You're a little delirious." And with that I got up and walked back out of her room and sat in the hallway.