The Lift

16

They left the hospital about an hour after David went back to be examined. He came out with a splint-like thing on his nose and drugs in his hand. Preston helped support him once again as they got out to the car. The drive back to David's house was filled with Alex and Preston asking David silly questions while he was out of it from the pain meds.

Alex left David's house soon after they returned; by then everyone else had already gone home for the night. Alex had offered to stay, but Preston waved him off.

She ushered David to bed and plugged in his phone. She replied to a few of his messages, making sure their friends knew he was fine. And she did one more thing too: She opened Instagram and clicked request to follow on her personal account. She then accepted the request on her phone. (She felt the night's events earned him access to her personal account. It only took about 3 months...)

As she went to leave the room and turn off the light, David called out in a muffled voice.

"Please stay."

"I am. Don't worry. I'll just be in the living room," Preston said, moving to leave the room again.

"Stay here," David said sleepily. He was lying on his back with his right arm above his head.

"I am, David. I'll be in the next room," Preston assured him.

"Noooo. Here," David said more emphatically, patting his left hand and arm on the open side of the bed.

Preston then understood what he was trying to say. He wanted her to stay in his room. She sighed heavily, turned off the light, and crawled into bed next to him. She figured she owed him this, even if breaking his nose was technically his own fault.

David let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Press." And then he was asleep again.

Preston stayed awake browsing Instagram, trying to distract herself. How did she end up getting persuaded so easily to get in bed with David? She found it hard to admit she found comfort in sleeping next to David; it had been a long time since she felt that way, and old feelings had been brought up in the past week. That's what was ultimately keeping her up despite the late hour and long wait at the hospital.

Yesterday Blake had texted her. After bailing on picking her up, he'd texted her a few times. She usually didn't respond. As amicable as their breakup ultimately was, Preston wasn't keen on seeing or talking to him. But he seemed sincere in his desire to apologize for real, which is why she didn't know what to do now. She stared at Blake's message, still not sure what to say or even if she would say anything at all.

Preston felt guilty about keeping the invitations from David. They weren't a couple and they certainly didn't share lots of feelings with each other. Preston was too good at keeping her emotions in check most of the time, especially when it came to her past. Divulging too much about her past to David would inevitably lead to conversations she didn't want to have about their first meeting. But he was still one of her closest friends, especially in California where she knew so few people. It felt weird in particular to keep this from him.

She clicked out of her messages and started looking through photos from the past couple months. Lots were taken by David. Lots included David. They all reminded her of how happy she was. This prompted her to start imagining David and Blake in a room together...

David stirred beside her, shifting so that his left arm was brushing her shoulder, bringing her back to the physical present. Even if things never changed with David, she wouldn't see Blake, Preston decided. She didn't need to be brought back to the past, she thought. Finally she put her phone down and drifted off to sleep, subconsciously moving closer to David so their feet were touching.