Three's a crowd

42

I didn't ever think about how much time slows down in situations like this, how every tick of the clock is more taunting than the last, each second harder and more drawn out.

Waiting.

That's what everyone was doing, just waiting. I didn't know what to do. It seemed as if the world was still spinning but I was frozen. Nurses were walking around, people walking all around us, but all I could think about was the last time I heard his voice.

"I'm not giving up."

Four words that I should have cared more about. I should have chased him down as soon as he said them, let him explain and figure everything out.

I should have listened to him when he told me in his room that there was an explanation. Riley wasn't the type of guy to go behind my back and yet I instantly believed he was without hesitation. I didn't even give him the chance.

"It was me you know?" Anna said hoarsely.

"What?"

"This is my fault." She cried as we hugged each other. "He blamed me for you running out that morning, he said that if I hadn't called about that stupid dress that you wouldn't have got the wrong idea."

"It was you?" I sniffled, barely a whisper.

"Yeah. I was just so nervous about the dance. I've never been asked before and I wanted it to be perfect. I didn't know that you would get the wrong idea, but you did. I told him to let me tell you but he said it had to come from him, that you didn't trust him and he needed to explain it."

"Anna I ..."

"He was miserable you know? The whole week he moped around, skipped practices, school too. Dad had to force him out of the house today, told him Brett wanted to talk to him."

"I'm such an idiot!" I broke down again.

"Britt? What if he doesn't wake up?"

At that I completely lost it. The air was sucked from my lungs as the reality that I could lose him forever finally set in.

The only relief was when Levi's worried face ran through the doors and encompassed me in his arms.

"Shhh, it's going to be okay Britt." He tried to soothe me as I clung to him.

"I can't lose him Levi!" I babbled into his chest.

"You're not going to lose him Britt. Riley's a fighter and he needs you to be strong and fight for him now!"

Levi sat with me in the waiting room beside Averleigh and Spencer all night, even after my parents took Anna and the twins home.

I refused to sleep, scared that if I dared to close my eyes that something would happen. It was already my fault he was here. He was coming to talk to me when he wrecked. I couldn't stand it if something happened while I was sleeping.

Spencer shook Averleighs shoulder lightly when a tall man in a white coat approached them. He was probably in his late thirties with glasses and a clipboard pulled out in front of him.

"How is he?" Spencer asked as the man introduced himself as Dr Wilde.

"Perhaps we should go somewhere more private?" He said calmly. Averleigh nodded as she stood to follow the doctor as I squeezed Levi's hand.

"Britt, Levi, come on. Your family too!" Spencer said as he turned to us.

I didn't realize I was holding a breath until it exited my body with force.