Shine Bright Shirley

Chapter 36

Grace's POV:

"I'm so glad your ok." Nora says for what feels like the one hundredth time as she pulls me in for another hug.

I let out a small groan as she squeezes me a little too hard.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I'm so stupid are you ok?" She apologises frantically.

"Don't worry I'm still just a little sore but I'm ok. You can stop worrying." I say forcing a small smile on my face.

I feel like I'm forcing a smile all the time at the moment but I just can't stop thinking about Matthew.

He needs to wake up.

I need him to wake up.

Although one thing that does bring a small smile to my face is seeing that Alison and Logan must have resolved their issues since they are talking quietly with each other and even laughing together every now and then which makes me happy.

Not even ten minutes later Logan excuses himself to go to the bathroom and that's when I find my chance to pounce.

"So Alison.. you and Logan seem friendly." I say with a mischievous smirk on my face.

"We talked things out, it's not a big deal though." She mumbles.

"So you guys are like besties now?" Nora asks making Alison let out a small groan in response.

"We're not besties, we're just civil now." She says causing Nora to snort.

"Who even says the word civil nowadays?" Nora asks which gains her a playful eye roll from Alison.

"Just admit it Ally you and Logan are besties again." I say playfully.

"Ugh you guys really know how to annoy me." Alison mutters.

"Hey that's what friends are for." Nora adds.

"Enough about me, you never told us how your date with Matthew went Grace." Alison asks which immediately makes me smile.

"Aw guys it was amazing, he took me to the waterfall and he made me this cute little picnic." I say unable to keep the smile off my face as I think back to that night.

"Awww that's too adorable." Alison gushes.

"So are you guys like girlfriend and boyfriend now?" Nora asks me with a big grin on her face.

That's all it takes for all the wonderful memories of that night to disappear to make room for all the terrifying memories.

All of a sudden I'm reliving the moment when the car went spiralling out of control.

I can hear Alison and Nora still talking but I can't seem to focus on them properly.

"Grace?" Nora calls my name bringing me out of the nightmare of reality.

"Are you ok?" Alison asks me, her voice full with concern.

"G-guys I just want h-him to wake up." I stutter as a few fresh hot tears escape my eyes and roll down my cheeks.

"Shhhh he will." Nora says as she comes to place a comforting arm around my shoulders.

"I-I just feel that it's all my fault, if I had just alerted Matt about the deer in the middle of the road sooner then maybe he wouldn't be stuck in a coma fighting for his life." I mutter as I drop my head, not wanting to see their sorrowful faces.

"Hey hey you did all you could, this was a freak accident and nobodies fault." Alison tells me strictly, leaving no room for me to argue.

"Ally is right Grace, this was an accident that you couldn't have prevented. Now Matthew is a strong guy, he will pull through if not for himself but for you." Nora says as she gives me a small reassuring smile.

No matter how many times everyone keeps telling me that Matthew will pull through I just can't seem to believe them.

~

After Nora, Alison and Logan left to go home I tried to read one of the magazines that Nora left me but that's when I felt my body starting to fight against the tiredness. The tiredness hit me like a wave out of nowhere and I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open so I decided now was the perfect time to take a nap.

Just once I start to feel myself begging to fall asleep I'm abruptly woken by loud voices coming from the hallway just outside my room.

"Sir I'm sorry but I can't let you enter." I hear one of the nurses say.

"Why the hell not?" Another voice exclaims which sounds vaguely familiar.

"It is not visiting hours and we need every visiter to have approval through the family which I believe you do not have." The nurse replies back in polite tone.

"I don't need approval of the family, hell they aren't even her real family!" The male's voice rises.

"Sir please calm do-"

"Don't tell me to calm down. I have more of a right to see her than they do. I am her real father after all!" The man shouts loudly causing an anxious feeling to appear in the pit of my stomach, and not because he is shouting but because I recognise the voice of the man who claims to be my father.

The voice of the man I hear everyday at school.

Mr Cunningham.

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SURPRISE

It was so hard for me to keep this a secret until now, I did add in a few hints throughout the book and many of you did guess that Mr C was Grace's father.

How did you guys like this chapter?

Thanks for all the support the next chapter will be a pretty long one so I hopefully will have it up in a week or so.

~Lou:)