Page 83 of Final Temptation
Our journey started as a kiss—craving her lips for six months before I saw her again.
For six months, I waited for life to work itself out, for her to somehow be sent to me if I was deserving enough.
After six long months, I was lucky enough to have four months of fun and games with her—every bit of that time a goddamn blessing.
For not even twenty-four hours was I fortunate enough to be able to call her truly, one hundred percent, mine.
She’d been ripped away from me for five heart-wrenching weeks, and every second I lay here in this dream-like state, I begged myself to wake up again. I tell myself that if I just woke up, I’d finally be able to tell her I love her back. I’d be able to wrap my arms around her and never let go. I’d be able to see the makeshift flower field we lay in every day together. I’d be able to kiss her, the salty flavor evaporating from her lips.
It had become the norm—Sophie here, by my bed, clicking her fingertips against her laptop when Paige, Declan, Chase, or my parents weren’t here.
Chase stopped by for a visit shortly after all this happened, before he went off to college. I hated every moment of how my best friend had to enter his first weeks of freshman year in such a fucked-up way. He was supposed to spend his time partying with new friends, meeting women, and getting his dorm ready. Not face-timing my girlfriend every few days to check in on me. From what I could hear, he called Sophie to check in on her, just as much as he did me.
I hated that he had to step up because I wasn’t able to be there for her.
I hated that I couldn’t introduce her to my parents as my girlfriend—she had to do that herself.
I hated that I put her in this position.
But if I was certain of anything, it was that Sophie was resilient. Even if I didn’t like it, she could handle this. I got the sense Mom loved her just like she did Paige. Sophie was easy to love, and it was impossible not to feel at home with her. She’d always be a part of the family, no matter what happened to me.
The moments Sophie spent next to me, all by herself, were the highlight of my days. It gave her the opportunity to voice her thoughts and feelings out in the open. For five weeks, I’d gotten to know her on another level. She told me about her relationship with her father, her days of working at Peaks, what she was like as a kid, her nonexistent relationship with her mom—she talked about anything and everything.
I couldn’t fathom ever getting tired of her voice.
There was one memory she spoke of that stood out above the rest. It was the first time she recalled seeing me. “We are only a year apart; we grew up together,” she said. “But it wasn’t until high school that I really remember seeing you. We may have run in different circles—you with the stoners and me with the cheerleaders, but you were the epitome of a bad boy. You walked up to where I was sitting on the school bus and said, ‘This seat taken, Princess?’ You took a seat before I could even answer, and it was the first time I vividly remember having butterflies. The memory hadn’t crossed my mind until the second time you referred to me as Princess—it was always meant to be your name for me.” That made her laugh.
“It took me years to convince myself that I didn’t want you. But who was I kidding? Ever since that moment on theschool bus, I had a soft spot for you, a craving I dreamed of exploring. When Paige and I met at Peaks, and she started dating your brother, fate took control of the rest, and fuck me if I’m a hopeless romantic, but I swear it was meant to be, Myles.”
Every fiber of my being hoped I’d remember every single word she’d said when I woke up.
There wasa light tap on the door, and my head tilted up. “How’s he doing today?” Paige snuck in, the door shutting behind her. Her long, wavy, brown locks flowed over her shoulders, her cleavage more on display than normal, indicating she was most likely all dolled up for work and stopping by for a visit before her shift.
“I swore I felt his hand move against mine last night. When I called the nurse in, she made me sound crazy. I’m probably overly hopeful, though, so I’d say he’s doing the same as always.” I was in the middle of cleaning Myles up when Paige walked in. His facial hair had grown longer than he usually liked to wear it. So, once a week, I’d clean up his beard to the best of my ability. It kept me busy, and it was another reason to be close to him that I couldn’t refuse.
“You’re not crazy, Soph. Did you really feel his hand move?” Paige’s hand rubbed against my arm, the small amount of comfort warming me.
“I swear it did. I know I’ve had some wild dreams in this hospital room, but I know I wasn’t just imagining it. Even if I’d been begging him to hold my hand back for weeks now.” I dipped the razor into the water, cleaning off the hair and shaving cream.
“So, do you want me to confront the overly peppy nurseout there and tell her to go fuck herself for not believing my best friend? Because, you know I will.” That deserved a laugh, one I couldn’t force out at the moment.
Usually, I was the one to crack jokes, but seeing as how I hadn’t been feeling like my normal, sarcastic, and witty self lately, Paige knew exactly how to make up for it.
“Nah. She isn’t worth it. Luckily, in just a few minutes from now, your mom will be here to take over. It’s always better with her here at night.” Paige’s mom, Lisa, had been a night nurse for years. It was a relief to have her assigned to Myles’ room. I’m pretty sure she pulled rank on the other nurses and asked her boss to assign her here. There wasn’t another nurse I’d trust to take care of Myles more than Lisa.
“Maybe it’s worth a shot telling my mom you felt him move. I’m sure she’d have better insight than making you feel crazy.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Running a cloth under warm water, I rung it out and wiped Myles’ face clean. He’d always be so fucking handsome, no matter what condition he was in.
Paige took my place at the side of Myles’ bed, and I busied myself, cleaning up the shaving equipment, giving her a moment to spend with him alone.
The room was tiny, and even if you gave someone space, it was almost impossible not to hear anything said in “private.” With my back turned, I could still hear Paige whisper, “I know my dad is watching over you today.” Her words felt like a knife to my heart, immediately making me feel like a terrible best friend. How could I forget what day it was?
Had it seriously already been a year since the accident? I pulled my phone from my back pocket to confirm it was October 8th.
“Dammit, Paige. I’m so sorry.” I turned around after sliding my phone back where it belonged. Taking a few steps forward, I wrapped her in a hug, knowing today had to be a hard one for her.
“Soph, don’t be sorry. You have so much going on, and I don’t blame you for that. Even I couldn’t believe a year crept up on us this fast.” She hugged me back, and it wasn’t until this moment that I thought about how badly we both needed this.
