Changing You ✦ The Sequel

Chapter 42 {Z}

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✦ ZACH ✦

I shot up, my heart shooting up to my throat and nearly flying out of my mouth and I seemed to suck it back in with a loud gasp for air.

I couldn't remember what I had been dreaming about but I had a hard time snapping out of it, the lines between reality and fiction awfully blurred.

Running a hand down my face, I took a moment to catch my breath, my heart pounding so fast that it left my body shaking.

Riley didn't even stir.

She was still fast asleep right next to me; lying on her side, her arms tugged underneath her head, her chest rising and falling with each steady breath.

Looking at her peaceful features, I instantly felt myself calm down.

Before I could even consider that it might wake her up I had already reached out to brush the strands of hair out of her face.

I frowned, repeating the movement once more.

It didn't hurt. I didn't remember feeling any pain while sitting up either.

I touched my right hand to my left shoulder, rolled my arm back a little. Expecting to be punished for it with a fresh wave of pain, imagine my surprise when there was nothing but a faint stinging and a strain in my muscles.

I carefully slipped from under the covers, my bare feet making contact with the soft carpet as I flung my legs over the rim.

I slowly pushed myself up; testing, waiting once again for the pain to hit out of nowhere as I pushed my own limits —remembering very well what it had felt like to get shot and how much it had hurt to put even a little bit of weight on that leg, barely eight hours ago.

But it was nearly fine now.

I walked to the other side of the room without even limping and I didn't realise I was holding my breath until I halted in front of the mirror attached to the closet door and saw myself.

I didn't look as much a disaster as I had expected. Meaning; I didn't look nearly as terrible as I felt.

But then again, damage is never just physical.

Staring myself in the eyes, I already felt like I was falling behind. Like the quick recovery of my body was pushing me to move on even before I had got time to process what happened.

I swallowed. Glancing back over my shoulder, I found myself checking if Riley still was asleep without even knowing why. Then I lifted the hem of my shirt up, revealing the bandages that were wrapped around my torso like a second layer of skin.

I couldn't figure out where they ended or how to untangle them, so I just pushed them aside a little, staring at my own reflection to grasp a sliver of the truth that laid underneath. That was covered up.

That was fading already.

Unsure wether I didn't trust the mirror or my own eyes, I glanced down at my abdomen, searching through the strips of white — and red — fabric for something that I knew was disappearing before my eyes.