Chapter Thirty-nine

Two fucking weeks since Shorty has been lying in this fucking hospital bed. There's color in her cheeks, which is a good sign. The doctor says she's responding well to the medications and treatments.

I know everyone is worried about me, especially Ash. He saw me go dark the first time I lost Shorty. To be honest, I'm kind of worried about myself too. I feel the light draining from by body, straight into the abyss.

Mom repeatedly reminded me I needed a shower. She even tried to give me a shave, but I shoved her away. I hardly ate anything. I could barely sleep without having nightmares of Shorty laying in a pool of blood begging me to save her.

All I wanted to do was take care of Shorty. I didn't bathe her because that would feel like I was violating her in some way. Touching her body in ways I fantasized about was going against her will. I wanted her to be awake to touch her body and make her feel good. Instead, I washed and combed her hair, applied Chapstick to her dry lips and lotion to her arms and legs.

"Open your eyes, baby." The doctor says she can hear me, so I talk to Shorty every day, begging her to come back to me. I even read her favorite book from when she was a kid: The Giving Tree.

The door opening causes my eyes to flutter open while still holding onto Shorty's hand while laying my head on the side of her non-injured stomach. When she wakes up, I want her to feel me beside her, knowing she was never alone.

"Hey." Tia closes the door behind her and walks closer to the bed. Tears swell up in her eyes as she stares at Shorty and caresses her feet.

"Hey," I croak, sitting upright and never letting go of Shorty's hand.

Tia switches her gaze to me with a sympathetic look.

"Don't," I snap, trying not to be an asshole. I can't take any more lectures.

"Tough shit," she snaps back. "You're going to listen to me regardless."

"And what makes you say that?" I never take my eyes off Shorty.

"Because of her." She points at Shorty. "She wouldn't want to see you this way, Donnie. She would want you to live. That's the only thing that is going to help her get through this. Can you imagine how she would feel waking up and seeing how broken you are? She will blame herself, Donnie, and she does that enough as it is."

She walks over and pulls a chair next to me, crossing her legs. There's no doubt Tia is a beautiful girl. I understand what Ash sees in her, but I can also see how much Shorty loves Tia. Tia is a very loyal friend, and that is why I believe she is good for Ash. He needs someone he can trust. Tia doesn't seem like the type to betray those she cares about.

"When I first met Sadie, she was looking out her bedroom window looking all sad and staring into my bedroom, which I found out later once belonged to you. I opened my window and asked her what she was doing. She was holding onto a walkie-talkie. Do you know what she said?" She doesn't wait for my answer.

"She was waiting for her blue-eyed angel to return for her. To save her."

A tear slides down my cheek.

Pain.

Regret.

That's all I feel.

"That's when she told me about her dad and what he was doing to her. She was shocked that the same thing was happening to me, but it also made her feel like she wasn't alone. She had someone she could relate to."

I snap my head toward Tia, wide-eyed in shock. I never knew she lived in a home full of violence like Shorty. It makes sense why they are so close, like sisters. Tia waves my look of pity away.

"The same time, every day, we would talk to each other through our bedroom windows. Eventually, she knew you weren't coming back and slowly began to live again. The more she saw me in your bedroom and not you, she began to heal. Not completely, but enough to smile, allowing me to see a little bit of her true self. She constantly reminded me that I was not your replacement." She chuckles, shaking her head while keeping her eyes on Shorty.

"She wanted to make sure you wouldn't blame yourself for making her look and feel broken. She wanted you to be ok and to know that she was going to be ok."

I knew that. Shorty was always a selfless person, thinking of others before herself.

"I'm glad she has you." She gives me a sweet smile as unshed tears mask the look of sadness in her eyes.

Suddenly, my hand is being squeezed and a low groan averts my eyes to the beautiful fragile girl on the bed.

"Doni."

The most amazing sound I have been waiting to hear, like the sound of a crowd cheering after I hit a home run, the sound that makes my heartbeat at one hundred miles per hour. I'm looking right into Shorty's brown eyes.

"Hey."

"You found me."

"I will always find you."