**OLIVER WEST**
The dream made my head foggy. We were complete again. Kieran and his sister were playing on their lawn while I made sketches of them.
The sound of our laughter echoed in the air and Ginny walked towards .
"You always make beautiful sketches of Kieran but mine are always ugly! You like Kieran don’t you?" She accused while I felt heat crawling into my neck.
Was it that obvious?
I loved drawing but I enjoyed it more when I drew Kieran, well, he was just too perfect, I couldn’t help it. Sothing about him also pulled , which made him very compelling to draw.
"I think Kieran likes you too, because instead of playing with , he keeps staring at you!"
"No, Ginny, I really like playing with you, what do you want to do today? I’ll do it all!" I reached out to grab her hand but she smiled, and it felt like the rising sunlight.
"Actually, I don’t mind. Besides, Kieran needs you more, go to him!"
She pushed forward. I stumbled and the next thing I saw was black.
White.
Black. And white again.
My eyes pricked with a blurred stinging sensation, the odd dream fading into nothing.
I didn’t rember the bulbs in Kieran’s bedroom being this bright.
For a mont, I couldn’t make out anything in front of . The unmistakable sll of antiseptics flooded my nostrils.
Was I in a hospital?
My eyes widened completely so I could see more clearly. It indeed was a hospital. How did I get here?
I tried to sit up and hissed at the splitting pain in the back of my head. What in the heavens’ na happened to ? I raised a trembling finger to my head to find it bandaged.
The last thing I rembered was...
"You’re awake. How do you feel?" A soothing feminine voice cut into my thoughts.
I stared at the nurse mutely for a mont. I wanted to ask what happened to and where Kieran was, but it ca out raspy. My throat felt dry and scratchy.
She helped to a sitting position and produced a glass of water. I accepted it gratefully while she urged to drink slowly. I closed my eyes as a wave of dizziness and pain struck my head.
"It h-hurts. I feel tired," I managed to say.
"You only just regained consciousness after over a week. It’s okay to feel dizzy. I’ll get you sothing for the pain. You also need to undergo so more tests, just to be sure everything is fine."
More than a week? I’ve been here for that long?
She shot a brief smile and left before I could utter another word.
I rembered Kieran had left to get water and snacks, then the sound of footsteps. I had thought it was Kieran behind ... The next thing was that splitting pain in my head that made lose my balance... I rembered nothing else.
What exactly had happened? Had soone hit ? Like tried to assassinate ?!!!
I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes. Even thinking about what happened made my head hurt.
Mom. Pumpkin. All of them would have been so worried for a whole week.
Kieran... I wished he could be right here with , I wanted nothing more at this mont than to feel their familiar embrace.
I heard the sound of the door pushing open. My eyes flickered open, and I expected to see the nurse who had promised to return.
It wasn’t.
My heart gave a tight jump at the sight before , it was as if he appeared straight out of my thoughts. He was like a wish co true.
Kieran stood in the doorway, and for a mont neither of us moved. He looked like he’d seen a ghost.
Then, the tears I didn’t realize were coming started streaming down my face.
Dark circles shadowed his eyes, making them look sunken. His hair was a ss, his clothes wrinkled like he’d been sleeping in them. It made wonder how long he had probably been waiting outside for .
But my heart still jumped from just looking at him, he was that beautiful and not even grief could take that away. And he was the most welcoming sight ever.
"Kieran..." I tried to smile but my voice broke completely.
He crossed the room in three quick strides. When he sat on the edge of the bed, his movents were careful, like I were made of shell.
His arm wrapped around my shoulders so gently and his other hand ca up to my face, his fingers ghosting over my cheek.
"You woke up," he whispered, his voice smaller than I had heard it in years. "How do you feel?"
I couldn’t stop staring at him and the tears were coming again.
I should be reassuring him, yet here I was behaving like a complete fool.
"I’m sorry," I whispered, reaching up to cover his hand with mine. "I’m so sorry, I didn’t an to slip and fall."
Sothing cracked in his expression. His jaw clenched tight, and I swore I saw a flicker of anger in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
"Don’t apologize. Just... tell you’re okay. Tell you’re really here."
"See? I’m fine," I wanted to be strong, to joke and lighten the mood like I always did. "What could possibly happen to ? Nothing could ever get rid of ."
Kieran’s face crumpled, and suddenly he was pulling closer, burying his face in my neck. His whole body was shaking.
"Do you know how much you scared ?" The words ca out muffled against my skin. "I didn’t know when you would wake up. I had nightmares that you wouldn’t. That I’d lost you."
I felt wetness against my neck and realized he was crying. Kieran Morrison was crying, and it was because of .
My own tears ca harder then. I wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could, feeling how fragile he felt.
We held each other in silence for a long ti. There were no words for what we’d both been through - in the darkness, him in a waking nightmare of waiting.
He pulled back just enough to look at , his hands framing my face like I was the most precious thing in the world.
"This is real, right?" he whispered. "You’re really awake? This isn’t another dream?"
"I’m here," I said, pressing my forehead against his. "I’m awake. I’m not going anywhere."
"Promise ," he said urgently. "Promise you won’t do that again. Promise you won’t leave ."
"I won’t. It’s a promise, okay?" I tried to smile, but it felt wobbly. "I couldn’t leave you for too long anyway. You know you can’t breathe without , I can’t leave you starving for air can I?" I joked and the ghost of a smile appeared on his face, but I could tell that it was forced.
"Why are you suddenly such a big adorable baby? Can I have my big bad wolf back already? Please? " I spoke, and almost instantly a scowl spread across his face which made laugh.
"No. This is what you get for scaring the shit out of , Ollie. Do you know I felt as if the whole world was coming to an end when I found you lying there bleeding? Do you know that it’s been more than a whole week since you fell unconscious? "
I started to nod but winced aloud at the sudden burst of pain, why do I keep forgetting that I couldn’t shake my head?
Kieran was supporting my head in the next instant.
" Is it hurting a lot ?" He spoke, glancing montarily in the direction of the door as though contemplating calling a doctor.
I shook my head and hissed in pain, louder this ti, clutching my head with both my palms.
"Will you stop shaking your head? The doctor will soon be here, okay? "
I started to nod again but this ti I caught myself in ti.
"What happened to ? I only rember slipping and the pain, How did it happen?"
Should I tell him that I also suspected that soone pushed . . . And hit as well?
A flicker of hardness flashed across his gaze and at the sa ti, the door pushed open.
"Sweetie! " It was Mom and Pumpkin, along with a middle-aged man dressed in a white lab coat and the nurse I recognized from earlier.
"My baby," Mom whispered, her hands shaking as she cupped my face. I caught a whiff of her familiar comforting fragrance.
"I’m okay, Mom. I’m here." I reached up to wipe her tears.
As the doctor assessed , Pumpkin stood there just staring at . I managed a smile, this might as well be the first ti that she was being so quiet around . Honestly, it felt weird. I almost felt like a revered ghost.
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