Page 93 of Tell Me Everything
“I didn’t resent her, but she reminded me of him constantly. Her smile, her eyes... Mick was my best friend for over ten years, and he was my first love. I tried to be there for her, but I couldn't grieve for her brother. How could I move on if she constantly reminded me that I'd just lost one of the people I loved most?
“You realize that she, too, lost one of the people she loved the most, right?”
Kelsey lowered her eyes, but nodded nonetheless. She bit her thumbnail nervously. A bad habit he'd seen far too often in a certain ballerina.
“Do you think she'll be able to forgive me?”
“Maybe, but know that you’ll be torn to pieces. That’s for sure.”
“By Lena?”
“I don't think so.”
“... by you?”
Alex sniffed. Even though she'd told him everything that had been on her mind, Kelsey still seemed afraid of him. She should be. He wasn't going to let people hurt Elena anymore if he could stop them.
“Not if you treat her right.”
The girl frowned, unsettled, but straightened her shoulders. There was a certain determination burning in her eyes.
“I guess I'll get what I deserve.”
She stood up, and Alex walked her to the front door. Kelsey turned back to him. She offered him a sincere smile.
“Thank you for your time. Let me know when she wakes up.”
Alex nodded, trying to return the smile. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Tiago was smiling too.
“I will.”
***
Elena didn’t wake up, and the doctors were becoming less and less confident about her condition. What if she didn't wake up? What if the after-effects were too great and the doctors had been negligent? Things were not going according to plan. Of course, she wasn't dying, but her sleep could still last for a while.
Maura was at work, leaving Alex alone in the hospital. His head weighed a ton, and his eyes burned. All these months, he'd had this feeling that something bad would happen. Even so, Alex hadn't been prepared for this. He missed his friend. His whole life had revolved around sports and going out. Around surviving. Nothing else had ever mattered until this dancer found her way into his life, becoming the person he loved most.
“Where am I?” croaked a faint voice.
Alex’s head went up, and he met Elena's confused face.Without wasting time, he ran down the corridors to call the nurses.
***
Days passed without Alex being able to go to the hospital. Elena waking up had been a delicate situation, and the doctors had asked him not to disturb her. When he entered the hospital room, she was asleep. The purple marks that decorated her neck were turning yellow. Once seated, all the tension of the past few days subsided. His eyes were tingling.
“Why are you crying?”
Alex gasped. Elena's face lit up when she saw him. Despite the still visible bruises, she was glowing. Alex rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.
“I'm relieved you're finally awake.”
“Trust me, so am I.” She sighed, a wry smile on her lips.
“What you did was irrational and dangerous. There were other ways to get out of there.”
Elena let her head fall back against the pillows.
“I know. I guess the mix of alcohol and sadness didn't help me think clearly. At least now it’s over.”
