Losing Love

21

Hope's POV:

His eyes widen as he looks at me, he opens his mouth then closes it again. He's completely speechless. Dominic looks down at my hand which is no longer in contact with his. He looks back up at me, still holding shock and disbelief.

I burst into laughter as his shock turns into confusion, "why are you laughing?"

I laugh even harder, instantly regretting it as the pain shocks through my body. I stop laughing and result in smiling instead, "I'm joking Dommy" I say while mocking his nickname.

He rolls his eyes as a grin takes over his face, "don't do that" he orders while pointing a finger at me.

"Why do vending machi-" Nora stops by the door and stares at me. She blinks her eyes a couple times before running up, jumping on the bed and climbing on top of me. She wraps her arms and legs around me and grips onto me like a koala.

"Nora, I love you but OWWWW" I scream in her ear. Dominic stands up and lifts Nora up with ease before dropping her on the hard ground.

"Fuck you" she screams to Dominic once she lands on her ass.

"It was either I do it or she does" he jokes, shrugging his shoulders and nodding towards me.

I giggle before looking around the room.

"Where's Ryder" I ask seriously.

Nora and Dominic's faces turn serious as they look at me. They glance at each other and then look back at me.

"Hope I told you not to joke like that" Dominic warns.

"I'm not jo-"

I'm interrupted by an older man with a white coat and a clipboard. "Sorry to interrupt you but your brain scans just came back." I stare at him as a gesture for him to continue, "You have a concussion" he says to me blankly.

"How much has she lost? How bad is it? Will she get her memories back again?" Dominic interrogates in desperation before I can ask myself.

"It could be anything from the past two or three months, she definitely wouldn't remember much from the day she got shot at the moment, but she may get them back. Her memories can appear in the form of dreams, or things may trigger them for her to remember. Things like a certain smell or a sight. Maybe even a feeling or touch."

Shot?

Dominic looks to the ground with disappointment.

"I'm going to get your family" he says quietly, not looking up at me, before turning around and walking back out. I turn to Nora who's looking at Dominic's back as he walks out. She looks back at me.

"How long was I out for?" I ask quietly.

"32 days" the doctor replies before following Dominic out the door.

"Can you get me some water please?" I ask politely, wanting to be alone. Nora nods and slowly walks out.

I lay back in the bed and shut my eyes. I'm surprised that I'm tired considering I haven't been awake for a month. I let sleep take over as my mind fills with what I may have forgotten.

I'm waiting for my end. But it doesn't come.

I open my eyes to see Ryder still standing there with his gun in his hand. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I turn to my left to see a bullet imprint on the ground, close next to my head.

He missed.

I look back up and before I have time to react, I hear another gunshot. I'm still not dead.

Ryder collapses to the floor next to me, blood bleeding through his white shirt from his chest. Right above his heart.

I try my best to get up as fast as I can able and I lean over him. No heartbeat. He's not breathing.

I lean over Ryder's dead body and release my hell awakening sobs.

I jolt awake and instantly feel the large arms wrapped around me. Dominic shushes in my ear, ensuring that I'm okay. I wipe my tears with the back of my hand and look around the room. My dad, my mom, Kyle, and Nora are all looking at me with pity.

"Hope, Ryder is d-"

I lift my hand at my dad, "I know" I choke out.

They all rush over to me and wrap themselves around me, telling me how much they missed me.

"I love you" I whisper to all of them, I mean it.

Once our emotional reunion is over, I ask them the question I have been desperately wandering.

"So what exactly happened to me?"

Everyone snaps their heads at me and I can practically see the wheels rotating in their minds. Why do they need to think about it?

"Why don't you tell us what you last remember?" My dad suggests while sitting on the end of the bed, everyone nods their heads while looking at me deeply.

I think hard.

"Im pretty sure it was... well Nora and I were getting ready for the party, and then I remember I was running, but I don't know why." I try harder.

"And then I was yelling at Dominic" I look over at him, he's staring in my eyes with... Hope? "I asked him if he knew about... something and he said yes. I was really angry but I can't remember why."

"Do you remember what happened after that?" Dominic questions, his eyes still glued to me.

"No. The last thing I remember is being lifted by Kyle."

His eyes lose the brightness and emotion he was staring at me with, and his head falls back to the ground.

The room is silent once again.

"What happened to me?" I repeat.

"Well, we told you...something and you got mad at us. You ran out of the room and went to the rooftop, you were screaming at Dominic and then someone accidentally shot you from a different building."

"Why was I mad at you?"

They stay silent. And I nod, accepting the fact that I'm the only one left in the dark once again.

"How does someone accidentally shoot someone else?"

"They were aiming for me" Dominic answers instantly. Still looking at the ground.

"Why?"

Everyone stays silent once again.

"You'll remember soon" My dad answers.