Playing With Fire (A Chandler Riggs and Sam Elica Fan Fiction)

Chapter Twenty

Ali's POV

Why can I hear people? This isn't death because death doesn't feel like stale sheets and smell like too much cleaner. I open my eyes and am temporarily blinded from the combination of bright lights and so much white.

"Hey, Ali. How are you feeling?"

"Why are you here?" I snap. My voice is weak but there is no mistaking the venom laced with hurt.

"I'm here because I care." Chandler says.

"If you cared, you would've been there for me when I needed you. And if you cared, you would have let me die." The tears are coming and with the state I'm in, it's much harder to keep them back.

"I was stupid before, Ali. But now I see what you're capable of and..." His voice cracks and I have the overwhelming urge to comfort him despite the fact that I'm the one in a hospital bed with IVs hooked up to my body. "And I want to be there for you. I want to help you go back to the Ali I know. The Ali that likes to watch old movies and snuggle up with me. The Ali that likes to come with me to church because you know how important it is to me. The Ali that talked with me on the ledge that one night. The Ali that likes to make fancy cakes for no reason. The Ali that uses two towels after she showers because she doesn't like her hair to drip all over herself while she's drying her body. The Ali that sings me to sleep. The Ali that is confident in herself. The familiar Ali. And I know she's in there, but she's too scared to come back out. And I want to help her." We're both crying now and he walks over to sit on the bed.

"She wanted you to help her." I just barely whisper. "But I don't know if I can trust you anymore. And so I'm going to save myself from getting hurt again." This is the hardest thing I will ever do and I don't want to do it. But if I don't, I'm just going to be the girl that's only there when he wants her.

So I murmur my last words to him.

"Goodbye, Chandler."

And with that, he nods and walks out the door.