In This Life (Sequel to 'In Another Life')

4

Colby laughed a little sadly, and shook his head. "It's just facts T. That's all." I nodded my head slowly, and bit my lip. "So, I have this memory, and I would like to know if it's real. Can you tell me?" He nodded. "I'll help if I can." I nodded back, then looked at Denise, then back to Colby. Then started telling him about what I remembered. "Okay. I was in this black void, but I could hear you and Justin. You were arguing. He was trying to make you leave, and you wouldn't. You told him it was his fault for him to leave. I remember not wanting you to go. I had to tell you to stay. So I pushed against the darkness with everything I had, until the single word stay came out of my mouth. Did that actually happen?" His eyes had widened with every word I spoke. He looked so surprised, but happy. He nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's real. We did argue, the first day you were here. Um, you said 'stay' while we were arguing. Justin wasn't very happy about that," he replied, a little dumbstruck. I grinned, feeling his joy spread to me. "I'm glad it worked. I'm so happy you stayed Colby. I'm so happy that you were here when I woke up." He smiled again, that big beautiful grin of his, and I felt my heart skip a beat. If I had a heart attack just from his smile, at least I was already in the hospital. "He almost wouldn't leave," Denise said, patting my leg as she watched Colby staring at me. Her lips curved up into a small grin. "I think he might love you," she added, winking at me, before looking back at Colby. He blushed, but his grin didn't fade. "I've already told her that," he answered gruffly. I blushed myself and looked down to my blanket, letting my fingers play with the stray thread that was there. That's really all I could do. My body wasn't working right for me, and I could barely move at all. I was so weak.  My hands looked weird to me and I couldn't figure out why until I noticed that my rings were gone. I hardly ever went without them so to see my naked hands was just plain weird. Denise noticed me looking. "Justin took them home for you. They're safe," she said. I looked up at her and nodded. There was something else that I needed to know. "What happened with the whole accident thing? Was anyone else hurt? The others involved in the crash? What did Justin get?" I knew that he must've had some kind of charge, considered he was the one who caused the crash. Or he was the one who had been driving. My lies had caused it. "No one else was hurt. There was only one other person in that car, a guy, and he was fine. The front end of his car was totaled, but Justin's insurance paid for that. Justin was charged with reckless driving. He had to spend 48 hours in jail, has 100 hours of community service, and has a $1000 fine that he is still making payments on. It could've been a lot worse." I sighed, thankful that no one else was hurt. "Is he blaming himself?" I asked, knowing that he was probably feeling like shit these past couple of months, thinking this was his fault. "Yes," Colby answered quickly. "He should be. It was his fault." I shook my head and looked at him with guilt in my own face. "No, he's not Colby. I am. That was my fault." I could see him getting angry, his forehead creasing, as he stared at me. "Don't you ever say that T. This was not your fault. He knew you were arguing, he knew he was getting too angry. He knew that he shouldn't have been driving. This is on him," he replied, malice coating every word he spoke. "If I hadn't lied to him, and kept things from him, it wouldn't have happened," I said sadly, looking away from him, because I felt the tears prick my eyes. "This is on me too." Just then, there was a quick knock, and Justin walked in carrying a powder blue teddy bear. Colby glared at him, but didn't speak. He stood up, walked to the foot of my bed, and leaned against the wall. "Terra, baby, oh my God, I'm so happy you're awake," Justin replied, sitting next to me, and burying his head in my neck. I tried to hug him back, but my arms wouldn't work correctly. This was really starting to be very annoying. I could move my limbs, but it took so much effort to move them just a little. I was more than just weak. My bones were like jelly. Justin looked up, tears swimming in his green eyes. "I'm so sorry T. You know I would never intentionally hurt you. It's been wrecking me, that you've been in here, and this it was my fault. I don't know what I would've done if you-" His voice broke off and his body was wracked with a big sob. I glanced at Colby, with a look that I was trying to say "see! He feels so bad," but I'm not sure if he got the message, because he just continued to glare at me, then back to Justin. I sighed. "I'm okay J. Everything is fine. I'll need physical therapy, and the doctor said it's going to hurt like a bitch since I can't have the pain meds, but I'll make it through. I'll get through this. I'mma pretty strong bitch, ya know?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood of everyone in the room. Denise was quiet now, looking down at her phone, chewing her lip, but she looked up at my response and smiled. "Damn right you are. That's MY best friend right there. A stupid coma isn't gonna stop her!" Justin met my gaze and smiled sadly. "You're very strong love. I just hate that it was my fault that you have go through this." "Oh, will you shut the fuck up?" Colby blurted out, still glaring at Justin's back. Justin's eyes widened and he turned to meet his gaze. "What the fuck Colby?" he asked in astonishment.