Tales Of A Broken Heart

Chapter One: The Hospital Bed

Pain.

It was the first thing I remembered.

Not the dull ache that followed a long day at work, or the sting of stubbing a toe against the edge of a table. This pain was different. It settled deep beneath my skin, wrapping itself around my ribs and shoulders, pulsing with every beat of my heart until even breathing felt like work.

For a long moment, I kept my eyes closed.

Maybe if I didn't open them, none of this would be real.

The thought was childish, almost laughable, but I clung to it anyway. If I waited just a little longer, perhaps I'd wake up in my own bed, tangled beneath soft cotton sheets while the aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifted down the hallway. Maybe Cole would already be awake. He was always an early riser. I'd find him in the kitchen humming one of those old country songs he loved despite never remembering the lyrics. I'd tease him about it, he'd laugh, pull me into his arms, kiss my forehead, and tell me I was beautiful even with my hair looking like I'd wrestled a tornado in my sleep.

The corners of my lips almost curved into a smile.

Almost.

The moment I shifted, a sharp pain tore through my side, forcing the air from my lungs. My eyes flew open.

White ceiling tiles.

White walls.

White sheets.

The rhythmic beep of a heart monitor.

I blinked once, then twice, hoping the room would somehow change. It didn't.

A hospital.

Panic tightened around my chest.

"No..." The word escaped as little more than a whisper.

I tried to sit up, but pain immediately forced me back against the mattress.

"Oh, you're awake."

A nurse stepped into view, her smile warm but cautious, as though she had learned that kindness was just as important as medicine. She rested a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Easy. Don't try to move too quickly."

My throat felt as dry as sandpaper. "What... happened?"

She hesitated, only for a second, but it was enough. "You've been through a difficult night."

A difficult night.

The words sounded strangely detached, as if she were talking about someone else.

My eyes drifted downward. Thick white bandages wrapped around my left wrist. Purple bruises climbed my forearm like spilled ink, and another dark bruise peeked out from beneath the collar of my hospital gown.

I stared at it.

It belonged to me.

Yet somehow, it didn't feel like my body anymore.

The nurse poured me a small cup of water. When she noticed my hand trembling, she quietly held the cup while I drank. "Your parents are outside," she said gently. "They've been here all morning."

"My parents?" I frowned. "What time is it?"

"A little after ten."

"And... what day is today?"

"Monday."

Monday.

The word echoed in my mind.

Yesterday had been Sunday. I remembered standing in front of my closet, deciding between two dresses before settling on the blue floral one because Cole once told me it brought out the color of my eyes.