TROUBLE (HaydenChristensenxNataliePortman)

Chapter Eight

"Natalie," someone said in a soft voice. "Natalie...." She felt someone shaking her lightly, but slowly it got rougher.

Natalie awoke with a jolt, gasping for air, panicking and scared for her life. She heard a series of loud beeping, and doctors and nurses running around the dim room around her, playing with the cords connected to her. She screamed, wanting to get out of whatever this place was....

Doctors. Nurses. Cords. Oxygen being forced up her nose through a tube. And IV stuck in her arm.

She was in a hospital room.

"Hayden!" she cried out, but as soon as she did she remembered.

He wasn't there for her.

*

Hours later, Natalie woke up, groggy from the hours of on-and-off sleep she had gotten. The room was dark. All she could see was someone sleeping on the couch beside her.

"Hello?" she mumbled. "Mom? Dad? Who's there?"

She sighed. She waited. She caught a four-minute nap here and there. Before she knew it there was someone waking her up again. She felt a hand around her waist. It traveled to her hip. Whoever it was, she didn't want anyone to touching her there.

"Get off of me!" she said, hitting the hand.

"Ow!" a guy said. "Natalie. I'm sorry. I was just checking on you."

"Hayden?"

"Yeah, babe, it's me."

"Don't 'babe' me! You little jerk! You left me at the party! I wouldn't be in this condition if you were there! I hate you. Thanks for being there for me while it lasted. Oh, wait. You were never there for me!" she hissed, pushing him away from her.

"I know. I am so sorry. I got freaked out and then once I came back for you, I -- the gates were locked. No one would let me in."

Hayden kissed her jaw, his arms around her torso. She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Just when I thought you were different, no, you have to be just like every other guy. Well, not this time, you little --"

Before she could even finish her sentence, as she felt his lips on hers, it was not even two seconds before she regretted saying everything about him. She knew he was sorry.

His kisses felt different. They didn't come from a feeling of.... lust. It was love. Real love.

He loved her.

When he pulled back, slowly, she leaned in again and pressed her lips into his, her hands cradling his jaw.

They both pulled back, looking into each other's eyes, Hayden searching her face. "You little.... what? What were you saying?" he asked. He grinned.

"Cutie. You little cutie is what I was going to say." She laughed, sinking back into the uncomfortable hospital mattress.

He smiled. "I love that laugh."

"I love that smile."

"I love you," Hayden said, kissing her again.

"I love you so much."

"I love you more."

"Not true."

"I loved you first."

"Actually, I did."

"Whatever. I still love you more than anything in this world, and nothing can beat that."