Our Eternal Ruin (Auslly)

37. A brand new start

"Nice metaphor. Hanging out with Austin too much I see."

Cassidy snorted. "Swear his philosophies just rub off on everyone in his path."

I take in a deep breath, looking straight at the building ahead of us.

"Look at it this way." She breaks me out of my thought bubble, "At least you have someone willing to fight alongside you. And he's waiting inside."

She didn't offer any more information, but as I forced myself out the car, an image of Austin pops into my mind. And it's enough to get me walking towards the elevator.

The smell of medicine burned my nostrils.

We rode the elevator up to the main floor, but when the door should have opened it just kept going.

"Um?" I pointed at the buttons. "Did we miss our floor?"

"Nope." Cassidy looked straight ahead, a smile curving at her lips.

When the doors opened—it was to floor where they had performed Austin's surgery.

I'd remember it anywhere. The nurses' station was decorated with so many flowers it was almost impossible to see their heads as they waved at me from the table.

A banner hung across the hallway. "Austin & Ally." There were hearts on either side of our names.

Music started playing from somewhere. My legs had officially stopped working—so much that Cassidy had to push me. I walked numbly towards the nurses station, as each of them stood directly in my path, holding a rose.

A song started to play over the loudspeaker or it sounded like it, the music was slow, eerie, gentle as it softly played in cadence with my footsteps as I neared the nurses.

Every nurse held out a single rose, and I accepted them from each in turn as I passed, still holding onto my sense of numbness. Cassidy took the roses from me and placed them in a type of bouquet. I couldn't make out the shape.

"We're so proud of you guys." One of the nurses who had been in the operating room pulled me in for a hug and kissed me on the cheek.

Okay, so Austin was seriously trying to make it so that I had no makeup by the time I saw him.

As I collected the last rose—I think around ten nurses total had each handed me one of the red flowers—I found myself at the end of the line.

The doctor that had performed the surgery stood waiting.

He was the one who had spent countless hours making sure the love of my life survived.

I hadn't been back to the hospital.

I'd thanked him.

But I hadn't really thanked him.

Without thinking, I threw myself against his chest and wound my arms around his neck. He went completely still for a minute and then returned my hug.

"Thank you..." I whispered, warm tears streaming down my cheeks. "Thank you for saving his life."

The doctor gently pried me away and handed me five red roses and whispered, "I wish I could take credit." His eyes blurred with tears. "But some hearts—don't need help to keep beating."

He stepped out of the way, and Cassidy handed me my bouquet. It was all the roses, arranged together in the shape of a heart.

Austin's heart.

In the palm of my hands. Where it had been all along.

We walked up to the room where Austin's surgery had taken place.

When the door opened, Austin was staring straight at me. His smile wide—he looked gorgeous in his black suit.

He held out his hands and whispered, "Where we thought we may see the end—"

"—we write 'The Beginning'." I finished.

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Okay..I accept that the last part was cheesy xD But I like it cliche :D