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Withwith salty tears,into the distance

There was a light ahead Soan None of it was real He would never say those things Never tossray suddenly racing towardure It was so bright, too intense, and glaring into the wetness of my eyes I couldn’t see, couldn’t understand, until the car horn blared through the air Suddenly it was onuntil all I felt was pain as the unknown consu to catch my breath

The familiar dry air of the hospital room eased me back onto the thin pillows on the sht days trapped in tiny roo for ht, slowly erasing it until I was lost in his ar were all I felt, all I lived for there But it wasn’t real

Nothing was real anyled with his, lost in each other I wanted that while I was there, wanted hi ering pain--woke me and hurled me back to reality every time He didn’t want me like I did him It was all in my head, exactly as it had been with Mark, yet I was too blinded by their charm to realize it

"Hi honey You awake?"

Of course I ake How could I sleep knohat awaited ave a slight nod From my bed, I was unable to see out the tall s, but I’d counted every single shape on the dull drapes over the last three days I spent every waking moment too asha the consequences: anger, pain, hurt, betrayal, and loss So many emotions consumed me, but only once did I shed tears for him

It was the day I first awoke in ICU, a few days earlier--the day I opened my eyes and found hiht to be the one in agony, to beg et How could I?

I shookbreath for fear of the reckoning my bruised ribs would set upon me if I did I never wanted to relive the heartbreak and devastation of that night again

"I talked to your doctor, and he said you’re doing great The cut on your leg is healing, and it doesn’t look like you’ll need to stay past Friday"

The cut? I winced at her eupheh that ripped into ed my nerves Luck, the doctors had told me

Funny I didn’t feel very lucky

"Honey, did you hearhome in three days"

"Great" My voice wasn’t my own It was hoarse, and laced with nu around the room as she hummed a lullaby fro into the ocean ofin the last few days She was tidying up the rooh it was no different from how it looked the previous day

At least, not other than the newest flowers that arrived

"I see you got ?"