Rehab, Actors & Love

Big Actor, Bigger Ego

After Evan's Hollywood comment, I gave in to looking up who this guy was. It wasn't hard to figure it out. All I typed in was "Hollywood" and "Dylan" and it came up.

Dylan O'Brien. The actor most known for The First Time, Teen Wolf, the Maze Runner series, and Deepwater Horizon. It was recently rumored that he would be working opposite Micheal Keaton in American Assassin. At least that was before Dylan O'Brien ended up here, at the same rehab center I'm at. Speaking of which, he is the one person in this whole center who won't leave me alone.

And he is relentless. I can't walk around the center without him, by some annoying-ass coincidence, always finding me.

Every.

Single.

Time.

I couldn't leave my sessions with Dr. Hailey without being spotted by him. I couldn't walk to my daily sessions with Evan without Dylan jogging to catch up to me.

Each time he started walking with me, he'd always try to get me to talk. And each time he tried to get me to talk, I would just send him sideways glances. Luckily, Evan caught on and started waiting for me outside the PT room, ready to tell Dylan to leave me alone.

"That boy seems to be taking a liking to you," Evan teased as he felt my throat. I rolled my eyes, making him laugh.

"Okay, okay. No need to go all teenagery on me," he smirked. I kicked his leg making him laugh. "Careful. A little more left and I would be in a lot of pain."

I sent him a knowing smirk before it turned into a smile. "Well, I don't get why he's so obsessed with you."

I looked away, my cheeks burning. "Oh Dells," he sighed. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant why he keeps going after you when you clearly blow him off."

I nodded my head as I bit my lip, avoiding his gaze. "Hey," he said as he gently grabbed my chin and turned me so I was looking at him.

"He should be chasing you. I know I'm not supposed to say this, but you're my favorite. And I think the other patients know it."

He let go of my cheek, playfully poking my nose. "Either way, stay away from him. You're too good for that self-observed, better-than-everyone attitude, selfish son of a. . ."

I put my hand on his arm, stopping his angry rant. He let out a small laugh as he put his hand over mine. "Sorry, Dells. Something about him irritates me. He thinks that just because he's an actor, he can walk around like he owns the place. Well, he's got another thing coming, huh?"

I smiled as he wiggled his eyebrows. "Besides, we all know you run this place."

I playfully pushed him, making him step back. He walked over to my charts, scanning them. I bit my lip when I saw the look on his face. He hesitated before looking back up at me.

"Stop that," he laughed, pointing towards my lips. "You're gonna make yourself bleed. And for nothing. We are still waiting on those results. The tea is helping soothe your throat, it's just not doing it as fast or as much as the doctor had originally thought."

I sighed, shrugging. Evan and the rest of the medical team were doing as much as they could. I knew that. I also knew that because of them, I'm actually able to speak. It may only be 2 to 4 times a week, but it's a big improvement from my status before the center.

He grabbed my hands, looking at them instead of me. "When you came here, I promised you that we would help you. You've been here six months and you've barely improved. I'm sorry, Adeline."

I sighed as I let go of his hand and lifted his chin. He looked at me, sadness in his eyes. I reached forward, wrapped my arms around him, and pulled him in for a hug. Evan instantly wrapped his arms around me.

Evan and I have a closer relationship than the doctors and patients around here normally do. When I first got here, I shut everyone out. It didn't matter that they were trying to help me, I always pushed them away.

Evan was the only one who kept pushing back. One day, during our PT, he sat down and told me about his little sister and how she was a lot like me. He said she was independent, confident, and stubborn.

He told me that he and his family got into a car accident when he was in high school. They were driving home and slipped on black ice. He was the only lucky one. He was barely injured, but both of his parents were hospitalized and his younger sister was killed on impact.

After the accident, he had to go through months of therapy to get better. That's what made him want to become a physical therapist.

When he heard about my accident and what had been taken from me, he was determined to help me in the same way he was helped. He asked to be my PT and promised that he would work long and hard to help me get better.

Evan pulled out of the hug and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "Hang in there, kiddo," he whispered. "We're not done yet."

* * * * *

After my PT session with Evan, I walked to the diner and got some dinner to-go. As I walked back to my dorm, I sighed when I saw him across the courtyard.

Please don't notice me. Please don't notice me.

Of course, he noticed me. I sped up my pace as he stood up and started jogging over.

"Wait up there, Ariel."

I froze in my place, turned on my heel and glared at him. I raised my eyebrows as I folded my arms across my chest.

"What?" He laughed. "You won't tell me your name so I had to make one up. I decided on Ariel because you won't speak to me."

"Won't speak," I thought. "Well, just like Ariel, I had my voice taken from me. Asshole."

I rolled my eyes as I started walking away.

"What is your deal?" He scoffed. He started walking beside me, anger radiating off of him. "Why won't you talk to me? I literally haven't done anything to you, and yet, you're being a bitch."

I turned towards him and slapped him across the face. He looked back at me, his eyes wide. I opened my mouth but quickly closed it. I grunted angrily as I walked away.

"Geez," he mumbled. "Didn't mean to offend you," he said sarcastically. I turned around, very aware of the whiteboard tucked under my arm and the marker sticking out of my front pocket.

I reached up and played with the scarf wrapped around my neck. I chewed nervously on my bottom lip as he watched me.

"Why are you. . . What? Can you not talk or something?" I sent him an annoyed look to which he took as funny. He laughed as he shoved his hands into his pockets, a smirk on his face.

"So should I stop asking you questions?" He teased.

"Yes."

I held the whiteboard out for him, tears building up. He looked down at the board before looking back up at me, confusion in his eyes.

"Why are you using that?" He asked slowly. I scoffed as I reached up and pulled my scarf off my neck, revealing the scars on my throat.

"Holy shit," he gasped. A single tear slid down my cheek as he stared at my throat. He looked back up at me, his eyes softening slightly when he saw the look on my face.

"I didn't mean. . ."

I quickly turned on my heel, not wanting to hear the fake-ass apology he made up.