𝐶𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒

Chapter 10 ~ Shattered

Abby

After Cole left me with his hoodie I tried to put it on but it was no use to my hand. Maybe I can try again once they put on the wrap.

My hand is feeling better, the cold water is numbing the pain. The bad part is, when I take my hand out of the water, it burns again. The nurses say this is going to be on and on for the next couple of weeks.

I was finally discharged. After being in the hospital, and Cole and Elias visiting me, it hasn't been so bad. But now, Dylan will be able to come up to me. That's my biggest concern. I wanted to tell Cole what I plan to do, but I couldn't bring myself to.

He seemed so happy that I let him kiss my hand and when he gave me his hoodie, I knew I couldn't do it.

It will shatter his heart, like I have already done several times.

It's hard to drive with a wrap on. I know how to drive with one hand, but that's my right hand. I burned that hand. I was going to call Cole or Elias since I knew they would come get me, but I didn't want to be a burden and then to add onto that, have to go back to my car.

It was all a mess, even cooking raman was a challenge. I got to my dorm and then immediately went to get food. I wanted to have something that didn't involve heat or hot water, but I really want my freaking raman.

So I sucked it up and made some. I sat on the couch and caught up on some Gilmore Girls while I slurped my raman.

And hey, I was able to get into Coles hoodie. I'm never taking this off.

☔️

It's been a couple weeks. I have yet to see Dylan which gives me hope that I don't have to do what I planned to do. My hand is better, it doesn't hurt so much and with putting gel on it every night it's getting better.

In fact I haven't seen anyone, not Cole, not Elias, no one. It was kind of scary but at the same time, I was okay with that for now. Because I think if Dylan saw me with anyone other than him, he would freak the hell out.

That's why every break and lunch I sit in my art class and either draw, or I go on my phone. My teacher doesn't mind. He knows everything, because I spend so much time here, he knows a lot about what's going down.

He's a very sweet old man who cares about everyone. That's why I had to stop him when he was going to beat up Dylan. I didn't want him to break something, Mr. Kepler is super strong for an old man.

Anyways, school has ended and now I'm in my dorm doing homework. I wish I could only do art but I guess other classes are required to pass. Which is stupid because I don't need any of that stuff.

I look down to my hand and see my hand looks almost normal. I smile but frown at the memory.

As I'm about to sit down, I get a knock at my door. Shoot, I forgot about my pizza. I go to the door and open it.

It's not the pizza guy. It's Cole, with flowers, purple flowers to be exact. I smile and step aside to let him in.

"Hey, what's up?' I ask and he shrugs giving me a hug. "I just wanted to see how you were doing, and your hand." I snort and lift my hand up to him. He takes the wrap off and looks at my hand carefully.

He then wraps it back up and leads me to the table to sit. I sit across from him. I admire the purple flowers that are already in a lovely glass vase.

"You wanna stay for dinner?" I ask and he shrugs but then nods. I nod back and we sit in silence looking at each other until the doorbell rings. Cole gets it and hands the pizza guy a twenty. He shuts the door and walks over to the pink couch, waving me over.

I sit down next to him as he puts the box on the coffee table. I resume 'Gilmore Girls' as we fall into a silence and we eat.

Once the box is empty and the show is over, I turn to him to see him looking at me. I get the confidence to speak up.

"Dylan burned me." I say keeping eye contact. He gives me a confusing look. "He saw me talking to another guy and he dragged me to the kitchen of the diner, he then solved me back, the stove was on." I don't want to say more.

He lets out a deep sigh. He rubs his hands over his hair. I can tell he doesn't know what to do today so I let him fall silent.

"I uh- I'm going to get back together with him. So that I can stop this. Stop him from hurting anyone else, by doing what he says." I say in almost a whisper.

Cole then snaps his head to me. "Abb's no, there is another way, you simply ignore him forever, or even better, get a restraining order." He sounds angry. I understand why.

"None of those guarantee your life as well as anyone else I come across." I mutter out and Cole scoffs. "Yeah but your way doesn't guarantee your life. So what? You're just going to do what he says and act like his puppy for the rest of your life." He yells a bit and jumps off the couch.

I want to cry, but I have to be strong. "Not forever, until he does something that will set me off completely." I say and he looks at me like all the other things Dylan had done to me doesn't matter anymore to me.

"Abby, You can't do this. It's not worth it, I'm a big guy, I can handle his boney arse." I hold back my snort.

"Abby?" He cups my cheeks and I then realize that I have been crying. "Please." I shake my head and cup his face. I lean in and kiss his cheek.

"Promise me something?" I ask and I can tell he is aware he's not going to win. He then nods his head as a single tear falls. I wipe it away and cup his face again.

"Promise me you will wait for me. If you really want me and you, promise me that you will wait until the day comes to where we can be together. Promise me that I'm not crazy and that you feel something between us." I finish off and by the time I do, we are both crying.

This is the moment I realize that I finally have someone that I'm not a disappointment to, nor a burden.

We stand here with each other cupping our faces. He then lets out a deep sigh.

"I promise Peach, I will wait for you, I promise that when the time is right, I'm going to get you. And I'm going to show you how much I feel between us. I promise Peach, I promise to the end of the world." He lets out one finally cry and kisses my forehead.

"I promise you, we are so close to love Abby." He leaves me with that to drown in. Now I just have to wait for the right time.

He is the right person, we are just waiting for our right time.

A/N

I BROKE MY HEART AS WELL. I LITERALLY STARTED TO CRY AT THE END!