The Veil

Chapter Fifty-Seven

"It was the least fun thing I've ever done." Tom rolled his eyes at me as he rested his chin on his folded arms at the edge of my bed. 

He'd been sat like that for a few hours, letting me calm down so I wouldn't worry the nurses. 

I'd cried until I couldn't anymore and Tom had let me. 

He begged me to tell him what he could do, but just having him there helped me. 

"I'm glad I wasn't there and she can't be mad at me." I tried to smile but I just couldn't. 

To say they were pissed that we hadn't told them sooner was an understatement.

I needed to see them. 

Unfortunately due to Jade being pregnant, they wouldn't let her in to see me. Some virus was making its way around the hospital and because of this she wasn't allowed in. Andrew didn't want to leave Jade alone so upset and angry. Tom had to have his temperature taken before he could come in. 

That fact hadn't made Jade any less angry and it certainly didn't help me. 

I needed to see her. 

I knew she was going to be pissed at us for not telling her, but she'd also be so worried and I didn't want her to be stressed over me. 

She couldn't even message me, I'd lost my phone during the attack at some point, Tom said he was getting me a new one the following day, I still had some time before I had to face Jade.

A nurse I'd seen a few times before, she came down to work in the clinic and doctors office a few days a week in Eastrose, just finished checking my vitals, "I'll be back in a few hours sweetie, if you need any pain meds you give me a buzz, okay?" She smiled widely at me and her chocolate brown eyes disappeared when she did. 

I nodded at her and sighed back into my pillows, it felt exhausting to try and pay attention to everyone around me, to make them think I was ok. 

"Are we ever going to talk about it?" Tom asked, his question sent an electric shock through my system, it pulled everything into focus for a second, sounds I'd been blocking out came back for a second before fading back into the background. 

My heart felt tight and I wanted to cry before he'd even said anymore. 

I knew he probably wanted to tell me so he could finally leave, so he could go home and sleep and rest and not be with me all the time.

It was too much for him. It was too much for anyone. It was too much for me and I was me.

I'd just wanted a few more days, I'd lost my parents again, and I'd lost Lindsay, I couldn't lose Tom too. But I knew I had to let him go. 

"You can just say it, you don't need to pretend to talk it out with me you know. I get it." I said, avoiding looking into his beautiful green eyes. The florescent hospital lights made them seem so bright. 

"What? Say what?" I couldn't help but glance at him, he sounded so confused. He looked it too. 

I sighed. "I know I'm too much to deal with, too much drama and shit, so you can just skip over it all and go. You don't have to stick around out of obligation or whatever." I mumbled. 

I hated that he'd made me say it out loud. I hated that years of friendship and months of a relationship, a relationship with someone I loved so much, my soulmate, was reduced down to this. Just one more thing my parents had ruined. My life, now Tom.

"What the fuck Lily." Before I could say anything else or look at him he'd stood up, I thought he was going to leave but he shoved my shoulder gently, making me budge to the edge of the small bed. 

He climbed in next to me, gingerly. 

He managed to avoid even nudging a single tube or wire. 

My breathing sped up as I felt his heat on my left side, his hand grabbed mine and he interlocked our fingers.

I gasped when I felt his hands under my chin, pulling me gently to look at him. 

"Explain what you're talking about. You've obviously been thinking about something and I'm left behind in the dark over here. What is happening in there?" He still hadn't slept, he looked scruffy, homeless like he'd said at the lake-house. 

I breathed in his scent though, it relaxed my body so easily, it was better than the drugs, so much better. 

I looked into his eyes, they were worried, he squeezed my hand. 

I looked away, turning my head to look at the ugly, off white ceiling tiles. "Things just keep piling up with me Tom, the headache and nosebleeds and shit, that was enough for someone to deal with but then I was seeing stuff too, the nightmares keeping you up all the time, you said you hated lying to Drew and Jade and stuff. Then you have to find out I'm a freak, I have all this shit about me that I didn't know about, seeing the dead or whatever, talking to them, how can you believe that? And how can you be ok with it? I can't expect you to deal with all my shit." I shrugged like it was nothing and swiped at me cheeks, tears betraying my casual attitude. 

"I always knew there was something special about you, from the moment I saw you walk into the coffee shop. Even without your spark, you were special." Tom mumbled, like he was mentally back in the coffee shop. 

I frowned and turned back to look at him. "What?" 

"You've never been able to see yourself clearly. You're one of the strongest people I've ever met, you radiate it Lil, you're going to be ok. So you talk to dead people, is it hard to believe, of course it is, but it also makes sense, it adds up. You'll figure it out and it won't be as scary anymore. Did Lindsay or your parents tell you how it works? Why you can talk to them but nobody else can? What makes you so powerful?" He looked so curious and sure of himself, like having a conversation about this girlfriend talking to ghosts was the most normal thing in the world. 

I snorted, shocking him and myself. "How- how can you just be ok with this?" I asked, shocked. 

He shrugged. "Weird things happen all the time, things people can't explain, this is just one of those things. And I love you, more than anything, you know that." He gently kissed my forehead.

I did know he loved me, he made me feel it everyday, he radiated light and love all the time and it was hard to believe right now. 

"It's nice that you'd end our relationship so casually though, I can really feel the love right now." He mumbled and rolled his eyes at me. 

My cheeks heated, I had made it seem like I didn't care. I could tell he knew it was an act though, he knew how much it hurt inside. 

I needed to distract him.  

"None of them explained anything, I still can't believe it, I can't believe ghosts are real and I can see them Tom. Mom said she wrote everything down in a journal I got out of the house." 

"The car isn't getting towed back until Thursday, all your stuff is still in there." Tom said. 

I shook my head, "Lindsay said it was on my bed at home." I whispered. 

"Wow, see that is just awesome." He shook his head in awe. "I can grab it and bring it back tonight?" 

"No!" I shouted, twisting to see his face. 

"Why not?" He frowned. 

"I can't deal with it yet, and especially not here, not now." I shook my head quickly, begging him with my eyes. 

"Ok, calm down, it's ok." He pulled me against his chest and kissed my head. 

I wanted to wrap my arms around him and not let go, but the stupid wires stopped me. 

I settled for listening to his heartbeat, strong and steady, until I fell asleep again.

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