32. Never Be the Same Again

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My head hurts and that incessive beeping will not stop. "Make it stop." I go to reach over to turn off the alarm, but I don't feel my nightstand.

"She's waking up. I'm going to get the doctor." I hear Lilly's strained voice. What the hell happened? I try to open my eyes, but they feel like they are glued shut. Lifting my hands up to rub my eyes to get the sleepiness out of them I freeze, and then I begin to panic.

"Cass, don't mess with the bandages." Nate's voice usually brings me warmth but right now I feel cold. Why do I have bandages on my eyes? "What happened?" I feel him squeeze my hand, I wish it would comfort me, but it is not. I am freaking the hell out.

"Lil, is getting the doctor."

Footsteps interrupt unwanted thoughts in my head and then they stop. "Glad you are awake Cassie." Dr. Novac? What is he doing here? "I'm going to unwrap the bandages and check your eyes. Okay, dear?" I nod my head because I am so damn confused right now. After the bandages are removed, I blink my eyes a few times. Everything is slightly blurry. The lights get dimmed and he flashes his light in my eyes, and I blink.

"Everything looks good so far. Blink a few times dear and try again. Your vision might be blurry for a little while but that is to be expected." I look at my best friend and then my boyfriend and he is crying, actually they both are. What the hell did that crazy bitch do? "I'll be back in a little while to check on you." I thank Dr. Novac and he pats me on the shoulder, then leaves the room. "Why are you in tears?" They both come to me and hug me, and I can't help but chuckle because they are acting strange. I get nervous when they act like this, even if it doesn't happen often.

"Don't ever scare us like that again Cass." Lil kisses my forehead and steps back. Nate wipes his eyes and I feel my heart rate picking up. "What is going on? Please tell me, you are scaring me." Nate grabs my hand again and rubs circles on my skin.

"You went into cardiac arrest." Nate says and I look between both of them like they are crazy, because I feel fine except for the fact there was bandages on my eyes.

"Damn it! I have to head to the office, or my boss will have my ass in a sling." Lily kisses my head and gives my shoulder a squeeze. "I'll be back in a couple of hours, okay babes." I nod my head as she walks out the door.

"You scared the shit out of me doll." I grab Nate by his shirt and bring him closer to me where I can cup his face. Last thing I remember is Victoria pulling a gun and pointing it at him.

"Your here." I sigh in relief, and he smiles at me. "I wouldn't be anywhere else." He says and damn I love this man. I lean forward and press my lips to his. To feel his touch is everything to me, but I pull away when he doesn't kiss me back.

"Cass, what are you doing?"

"Why didn't you kiss me back Nate?" He gives me a confused look, but I swear I see something flash through his eyes, but maybe it's my mind playing tricks on me. "Because you are my best friend Cass. You don't kiss your best friend."

What?!

This is some cruel joke...right? We have been together for months. What the hell is he talking about? A headache forms and I feel like I can't catch my breath.

"Cass, calm down." I can't calm down because I do not know what the hell is happening right now. "Cass you went into cardiac arrest when they were doing surgery on your eyes." That can't be. I have lived my life, I had Nate...my Nate by my side.

"This is some sick joke Nate. I have been able to see for months. We have been together and I'm only here because Victoria shot at us!"

"I'm getting the doctor." I can hear the worry in his voice but right now I feel like I am going crazy.

"This can't be happening. It can't be happening!" I cry out and Nate pulls me into a hug.

"I'm here Cass, we'll figure this out." I cling onto Nate and whimper out because none of it was real. Tears flow down my face and I feel him cup my cheeks. "Look at me Cass." When I look into his eyes, I swear I see the love I saw just yesterday. But if he is telling the truth then none of that happened. It was all in my head. Nate kisses my head and gets up and I panic. "I'll be right back. I'm getting Dr. Novac." I nod my head as I reluctantly let go of his hand.

Oh my God! None of it was real. I have to get out of here. I can't though because I know they will hunt me down like the crazy person I apparently am.

Nate comes back in with Dr. Novac, but I just put on a fake smile. "Nate says something is troubling you, Cassie." I shake my head I am not crazy; I know it was real, I felt everything it couldn't have been fake. I mean Nate looked exactly how he did what seemed like yesterday. If I have never seen his face in all these years, how could every detail be the same?

"I'm fine Dr. Novac, Nate is being dramatic. I guess he can't take a little joke." I laugh but it is awkward. Nate glares at me and I know he is not buying it, but I do not care as long as Dr. Novac does. I am fighting the tears that want to cascade down my face. I just want to be left alone, and my heart is breaking. I wish it was real and Victoria pointed the gun at me instead. "If, you are sure." He looks at me and then at Nate, but Nate is just silent staring at me. I wonder what he is thinking right now. "I'm sure Dr. Novac, I am fine."

"Okay dear. I will check on you later then." He gives me one last smile then leaves the room.

"You were joking huh? Quit the bullshit Cass." I flinch at how angry his tone is. "What the hell was that? Why didn't you tell him what is going on? You know what screw this I am going to tell him."

"Please don't." I gasp out and that is when I can feel a panic attack rising.

"Damn it Cass breathe." He pulls me into a hug, but it just makes it worse, because it wasn't real, it was all in my head and it hurts too much.

"You need to go." My body shakes and he pull back to look at me and I can see the hurt in his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere Cass." I cry even harder, and he tries to pull me back into a hug, but I push him away. He's not my Nate.

"Please." I beg and he shakes his head again. "If it was about you kissing me..." I cut him off and I feel myself getting hysterical.

"To me it felt real Nate. You were mine and apparently it was all in my fucking head." I grab my hair and I feel like tugging it and ripping it out.

"Cass."

"No, Nate. You don't get it. Please just leave." I bury my face in my hands and cry even harder.

"I'll go but I'll be back." I feel him kiss the top of my head and hear his footsteps retreat. "I love you Cass." I suck in some air as I hear the door shut and feel my heart break even more. He loves me as a best friend, not as my boyfriend. He isn't my boyfriend, never was, it was all in my head.

"What have I done?" I cry out. I may have just lost my best friend and the love of my life. Things will never be the same again.

Fuck my life!

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