Diner Girl! (IN THE PROCESS OF EDITING!)

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Step Back

Wowowowowowow! We have actually reached 15.7K guys! Is this actually happening? Thank you sososososososossoso much for all of your support over this period of time. This surely has been a roller coaster, and I'm so glad were continuing with his ride. One last thing- there was a comment on my last chapter mentioning how Lola hadn't phoned the Police, and then I thought, why hasn't she phoned the police? So I decided to go back to the last two chapters and add that part in. Feel free to read back and comment, that would be awesome! Thank you for pointing out that error, and I hope I have corrected it successfully. Anyway, as always, feel free to vote, comment and follow! Also, if you have any queries do not hesitate messaging me. I'd like to see what you think of the book so far! :D
Thanks to every single one of you!
-Elisha122! :)

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Step Back-

I couldn't even explain how many things were on my mind. Aaron and my father, my own safety and also, Jas' too. After I'd ran away I barely managed to make it to the hotel lobby before a sense of dizziness overcame me.
And then the world went black.
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The smell of daisies, spring.
Colours floating around in my mind reminding me of...
Aaron.
Wait, did I sense his presence?
Then my eyes slid open and all the action began.
I was there, and so was he.
Fast asleep, next to the machine which beeped like a car horn on full throttle.
And there, just outside the window of this enclosed room was darkness a ward full of sick patients waiting to be treated for major emergencies.
And here I was, wasting this bed because I'd had a blackout.
Surely this had to be some sort of imaginary scene...
But it felt so real.
And... Wait. Aaron was here!
I turned to face him, close the distance between us and tell him how much I'd missed him and to interrogate him, but as I turned some tube slipped from my arm and an alarm went off, waking Aaron.
As his eyes slid open, he gave a look of surprise, relief but somehow, alarm and discordance. It wasn't the sound of the alarm beating in the same rhythmic pattern as my heart, but it was Aaron's presence that was the focal point of this moment.
Suddenly, nurses flew into the room and one gasped as she saw me awake and flipped a switch on the side of my bed which brant even more in with defibrillators. Meanwhile, Aaron was pushing through the crowd of them like a maniac trying to get to me, and for a moment I wondered why, but then I realised my breathing pattern had spun out of control leaving me breathless and petrified.
It got to a point where the twenty or so nurses in the room didn't even bother me, it was my racing heart and lack of even breaths that made this moment of enjoyment a misery. I tried to take a deep breath in and out.
In and out.
Out, in, out, in, out, in out...
And the next thing I knew I lay my head on the sharp and rounded pillow whilst my body was sharpened with instruments I couldn't even begin to describe. I didn't know if it was the defibrillators that stunned me the most, or my lack of awareness. I was so tired I felt as if I'd been put on sleeping pills. But surely, this couldn't be the end of me, could it?
I'd been through a rough ride and so had my father and Aaron, but he was OK. Aaron was OK. And I hoped that I could say the same thing about my father, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to. At least I'd done something. Done something as I'd felt so unable and persecuted.
And so I lay, struggling, melting with the barrels of pain that had been swept upon me and listened for my fathers footsteps, hoping that at some point they would descend. But I heard nothing of the sort, and without any surprise, I fell into a deep sleep again, letting darkness overcome me.
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My eyes opened, and this time, I felt well. I wasn't pained, or lost, or frightened any more. I felt as if the scales had been tipped and as though my life was now balanced.
I scanned my surroundings and when I saw him, the only thing I could focus on were his green eyes, as beautiful as emeralds and his perfect face, sleepless but effortless.
I cleared my throat and as I did this, he turned and when he saw me he couldn't help but jump up off of his chair and scotch next to me, hugging me so much that I felt like a baby, cradled in his arms. He smiled, like I'd never seen him smile before and he spoke.
"Oh gosh, Lola! I'm so flipping glad your OK..."
And then he closed the distance between us and kissed me.
And my heart stopped.
This one moment changed everything, and I was stunned that this moment had taken so long to finally arise and show itself.
When he finally pulled back he gave a look of seriousness, as if this wasn't just a kiss of gratitude and gratefulness, but a kiss of something more. Passion.
I had to admit, this never ever happened to me, and as I caught my breath again I spoke. "Aaron, h-how did I get here? I-this is..." And then I clarified this one moment for him, "I'm speechless."
"It's a long story Lo, but we're safe now," he said "and I'll protect you."
And then, at that moment I realised.
I'd taken a step back into reality, something that I hadn't been exposed to for a long time.