The story of an unexpected love between a boy who only knew hate and a girl that tried to avoid her own at all costs. Can she find his silver lining without disclosing the secrets in hers?
When Rafe Cameron and Mira Keller, sworn enemies, are force...
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Even so, their time wasn't up just yet. A small spike appeared breaking the continuous flat line. A small spike. A tiny beep. A little rhythm. A heart beat.
Rafe's ears had perked at the sound of the beat on the monitor, perked at the sweet sound of hope.
"We have a sinus rhythm."
Suddenly the whole room dived into a state of diabolic urgency, following the first beep from the machine.
The Cameron boy was pushed out of the room by nurses, leaving him and her friends to watch the scene layout from behind the ER doors.
The friends waited outside the ER for 10 minutes of prolonged agony when the doctor finally pushed through the doors, all of them standing up immediately.
Rafe was first to speak. "Is she alive?"
"She's breathing on her own," the doctor said.
The teens sighed in relief. Rafe attempting to push past the doctor into the room.
"No, wait," the doctor said. "We're unsure of her brain function at this stage. She's been down for so long that it's a waiting game now. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but I'm afraid to ask you to not get your hopes up."
"What-what does that mean?" JJ butted in.
"Since her heart had been stopped for a prolonged amount of time, oxygen couldn't access the brain which can often cause tissue damage. Often patients that have required extensive CPR suffer from brain damage. We're unsure, but your friend may have limited brain function."
"But you can do something, right?" Rafe asked.
"At this stage there is little we can do other than wait. There's no way to determine her brain function at this point in time. She could wake up soon or she may remain in this state for longer. We just can't know."
"We need to see her," Kie demanded.
The doctor looked back to the room. "I'm sorry, only immediate family can do so right now and we are unable to contact her Mother."
JJ spoke through gritted teeth. "Listen, lady, we are her family."
"I'm sorry, legally-"
"Fuck what's legal. I'm going in." Rafe scolded, charging towards the door.
The doctor paused as though she was going to go after him but pulled back her hand and watched.
"Mira, hey," he stroked the girl's hair softly, falling beside her. "I can't believe we could've lost you." A small tear fell from his eye onto the girls face.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered, placing a delicate kiss on her forehead.
"Thank you, for staying. I need you, okay? Please wake up. I love you, alright? And it consumes me. You're it for me, Keller." Rafe clutched the girls hand and lay his head down on the bed.
Slowly, Rafe felt her fingers curl around his. "Mira, Mira? Can you hear me?"
Her eyes stayed closed.
"Mira? That was good. Just, just squeeze my hand again, okay?"
Again, Rafe felt her little fingers contract around his thumb.
Rafe's face lit up. "You can hear me," he said under his breath.
"Come on, Keller. Open your eyes. Let me see those beautiful eyes," he whispered.
Mira's mouth twitched. "That-"
Rafe watched her, listening to her form her words.
"That, w-was really cheesy," she managed.
Rafe chuckled through heavy gasps, his eyes glowing.
"I'm so sorry, Mira. I-"
"Shut u-up," she whispered. "I love you."
Rafe stared at the girl.
"N-never stopped." A small hushed squeak was all she could manage.
"I love you." Rafe kissed her gently, his tears wetting her face.
The doctor came into the room, assessing Mira's stats and returned back to Mira's friends who were waiting anxiously in the waiting room, now joined by her Mother who had finally received the message.
The doctor explained to them that it was nothing short of a miracle that Mira's heart had started again, let alone the fact that she's awake now and showing no symptoms of brain damage.
"You have this man here to thank." She patted Rafe on his back. "Given how unresponsive she was, we ceased resuscitation seeing as there were virtually no chances that she'd come back due to the extensive time spent giving CPR. Rafe jumped in and continued compressions. If it weren't for you, young man, she wouldn't be with us right now, " she said.
"You saved her..." Lauren breathed.
"No. She saved me," Rafe said.
When the friends left Mira to rest, Rafe hung around to kiss her goodnight.
"I'd stay with you but I'd be a distraction. The doctor says you need rest," he smiled, kissing her again gently, as though she were glass that would shatter under any touch.
"Rafe," Mira called quietly. "You saved my life."
Rafe shook his head and smiled weakly. "No, you saved mine."
"So, we're even now?"
Rafe clutched her hands and said, "you've saved me more times than you'll ever know."
"I am so in love with you," Mira said.
Rafe smiled. He couldn't wipe it from his face. "But never in a million years would you fall for me?"
