Forest

Chapter Nineteen

                                       Atlas

"Excuse me, visiting hours have just ended." The old lady at the front desk of the hospital stopped Forest and me in our tracks, standing up from her seat and pointing a finger at us. We pause, both of our gazes finding each other. A silent conversation passes between the both of us, making us smile, clearly trying to hold back our laughter. I wonder if he knows just how much his smile means to me. I wonder if he knows that every time he smiles at me, it's lighting a pathway out of the darkness that looms over me. He's my escape. He's my world. He's my everything.

I am so fucking in love with him, it almost isn't healthy. Loving him is easier than breathing. In fact, it's better. I crave it, and I couldn't stop myself from falling for him if I tried. Even if I didn't want it to be, loving Forest Gray is inevitable. No one can stop it, especially not me.

"I'm here to see my father. I'm family." I tell the receptionist, reluctantly tearing my eyes from Forest's beautiful green ones.

On the way here, Forest told me about his talk with Athena. He helped me see a different perspective on my father's condition, and I no longer blame him for being absent. We all had to grieve my mother, and I think that subconsciously, I was just jealous they didn't endure what I did. That makes me feel guilty.

I also feel like a hypocrite. I was so angry at my father for being absent, that I didn't realize I was doing the exact same thing; dissociating from my problems so I don't have to face them. I should've been here, at least for Athena. She deserves that much. I feel guilty for worrying Forest as well. If the tables were turned, I probably wouldn't have been as understanding. But it's not a secret that Forest is a much better person than me, and he deserves the world.

"And who is this handsome fella?" The lady asks, smiling at Forest. My Forest.

"My boyfriend." I say without hesitation, disgusted that this old hag has the nerve to flirt with someone clearly too young for her, especially with someone that is mine. Trust me, I know my boyfriend is hot, and I appreciate that very much. However, the amount of people that hit on him is unacceptable.

The Hag's mouth drops open, and I almost tell her to close it before she catches some flies. She's looking at us as if we're animals in a zoo, disgust clear in her expression. In my peripheral, I see Forest's head whip towards me, shock written on his face.

"Just, uh, go on up. I guess." She mumbles, turning away from us and sitting back in her seat. It's almost as if she can't bare to look at us any longer. I guess that's one way of keeping old ladies from thirsting after your boyfriend.

   "Did you just call me your boyfriend?" Forest says in the elevator, and I freeze. Shit. I didn't even think about the fact that he might not want to make it official, that maybe I just forced that on him. I definitely should've had a conversation with him, made it all special. He deserves that. Fucking shit. I might have just ruined everything.

   "Yes, but if that's not what you want, that's totally fine. I'm sorry for-" Forest stops my rambling by placing his finger on my lips.

   "It's exactly what I want." I smile, then bite his finger to make him laugh. He does, and I smile harder. He's perfect for me. My boyfriend is perfect. "I guess you're just stuck with me forever now, huh?" He says, taking his hand and placing it in mine.

"You're stuck with me, Forest, I could never be stuck with you."

   Just when I thought things couldn't get better, I was proved correct, because things just got a whole lot worse. I see nurses running in and out of my fathers room, a complete shit show in front of me. My sister is sobbing, demanding to know what's wrong with our dad. The cherry on top? Forest is witnessing all of this. I can't have one good thing happen to me without it blowing up in my face.