Separately Together

Chapter Twenty-Seven: 2/2

"How did it go?" Dixon says as she spoons a bite of cereal into her mouth as Gale sits beside her eating a grilled cheese.

"Good. Real good." I say with as much conviction as I can muster. I fix myself a glass of orange juice and make my way up the stairs, I just wanted to stuff my face into his pillow and smell him again. As if he was laying down right beside me.

I get to the room and take a deep breath before entering the room and closing the door behind me. Take deep breaths as I make my way to his bed and sit down on the side he would always sleep on. I sip the orange juice before sitting it down on the end table with his alarm clock on it. It was eleven a.m., and I knew I would have to go visit him before the day was over and talk to him because even though he wasn't there I knew that he was listening.

I lay down and pull the cover over me hoping that it would keep the shakes away. I turn my head onto the pillow and soak his scent into my nose which was still so strong after six months of him not sleeping in it.

I love you, Harley Walker, with my whole heart.

~.~.~.~.~

"I'm lost," I admit to the man lying on the hospital bed. His face was overgrown with a beard, a lot longer than he would have ever let it get. I would mention to the nurses that they should shave it. "I don't know what to do or even who I am without you anymore."

He still looks like a Greek god, just a little more rugged now, he was still in decent shape, they still had a physical therapist that comes in here and moves his muscles to keep them in walking shape just in case he woke up.

Ben was making sure he was getting the best care even though he hadn't been by to see him.

It did upset me that he hadn't stopped by, but I knew he had his reasons. Killian comes by every Friday and leaves him a note on his bedside table. There was a basket there to hold all of them now and I think even Dixon has started dropping some notes off as well.

Finnic has made himself scarce lately, it does him badly to see him like this, Liz always makes sure to come with him.

"Come back to me."

~.~.~.~.~

I follow the words on the screen to make sure that I am staying up with the beat, even though I know the song by heart now, I was still nervous, shaking like a skeleton.

the song rolls to an end, and I focus my vision on the crowd for the first time since I stood up here. I notice a few familiar faces.

Dixon, Gale, Jared, Finnic, Liz, and even mom and Gander.

Who invited all of them? I had only mentioned it once to Liz. The whole bar cheers and a radiant smile takes over my face whatever I try to do it won't leave. I haven't smiled like this in a long time. A year to be exact.

My book was published, and it was flourishing, my bakery opens up in two weeks. Sara was my help and it had made headlines in Trickett's local newspaper, which isn't hard to do. They pick up on anything new, in this tiny town. They also made a post about my book, and I felt kind of good knowing that all of my old bullies were reading about my success now.

I had three things that I promised to Harley, and I have completed all of them. I was living as he asked me to do, but it didn't feel like living without him, it felt like existing, but it was existing for him.

It had been a year since he was stabbed in the stomach by Vickers.

An entire year without him.

I don't know how I have made it this long.