Kiss Off

Chapter 14

I'm laying on my bed, the moon trickling through a slit in my curtains and sliding across my comforter. It's strange how calm the world is. Like it's completely unaware that something horrific just happened. The night is calm—still—even though my chest is concaving in on itself. My thoughts are a tornado, mainly one filled with jumbled misconceptions that I could have prevented this in some way.

A knock on my door jolts me from my misery and I glance over in time to see it creak open. Finding that I'm decent, Cooper pushes the door open all the way and grins at me from the threshold.

"Can I come in?" he asks, voice careful.

"Sure." I push my way into sitting, leaning my back against the headboard as I watch him stroll across my deep blue carpet and take a seat at the end of my bed.

"I tried to visit you in the hospital," he explains, staring at his hands, "but your parents didn't want any visitors."

I nod, words failing me. I don't want to be mad at him. I don't want to consider the truth that he's not really the friend I'd thought him to be. But, I can't refrain from remembering Bryson's confession. Of course, now isn't the time to bring it up. I'm far too tired to even consider how to word my confrontation of the entire ordeal. So, instead, I force the bitterness down and tilt my head up to study the edges of his profile.

He won't look at me, shoulders slumped inward as he twiddles his thumbs.

"I'm glad you're okay," he mutters, voice thick and gravelly. "I'm not sure what I would have done—" He cuts himself off, shaking his head as if he's trying to dislodge the very idea itself.

"Just don't think about it," I tell him, scooting forward to rest my hand on his shoulder. "I'm here. That's what matters. And I have a good feeling Bryson will be fine too."

"Yeah." He nods, tilting his head sideways to offer me a sad smirk. Then he's snaking his arm around my waist and tugging me to him. "My goodness, I was scared. I thought I'd lost my best friend."

His breath mingles with my hair, tickling my scalp, but I don't pull away. For now, I let him hold me. He needs this reassurance... maybe as much as I do. Our friendship might not be what I'd thought it was but we're still friends. That much is clear.

We hold each other until I fall asleep and I only wake up when I feel Cooper gently laying me down on my bed. He smiles when he catches my eye and bends to offer a quick kiss to my forehead. No words are spoken as he slips from the room, but I find a warmth has taken residence in my chest. It's not as empty as it had been, and I know I owe that fullness to Cooper. His very presence was like a soothing balm, sealing the chill out for just a few blissful moments. But now he's gone, and I can already feel the cold truth leaking its way back in.

I roll over to check the time on my clock just as my door swings open again. It's my mom and she's wearing a smile that I can't reciprocate.

"What is it—"

"He's awake," she cuts me off and I sit up abruptly, ignoring the pain shooting through my skull. "His mom just called. He woke up an hour ago. She said he's a little confused and hasn't been able to piece together all that happened, but he's talking."

Silence ticks between us as I let what she's said sink in.

"He's talking," the words slip from my lips in awed disbelief, my chest deflating as I exhale a breath that I feel I've been holding since the ambulance ride.

My mom nods, tears glistening along the rim of her lashes. She wipes at them before nodding again. "Yeah, they're going to be doing a few tests on him to see how his brain looks, but they're very hopeful."