Love Me Like You (Joel Pimentel Fan Fiction)

28 (Finale)

First of all, allow me to apologize for leaving this story hanging. You guys deserve and ending. So let's do this.

Joel's POV

I raised my left foot and wiggled my toe. Just a little progress but I'm smiling proudly to myself. "Good job, Mr. Pimentel." My trainer, Jack cheer on me. "Yea, thanks to you. Couldn't ask for better motivation." We both laughed. 

Today's session ended, I can use my left hand now. It's my leg that still needs some work. The fans have been really nice and supportive. They sent me messages everyday and gave me gifts and cards. But of course, nothing can replace the support I'm longing for the most, Amanda.

Renato came in to pick me up. He lowered his body to say something into my ears. "You might want to know who's coming with me." He motioned to the door behind me. I can't believe my eyes. There stood my Amanda. I immediately took my crutches and stand up, cannot sheild the excitement on my face. 

She came to me smiling, looking better than the last time we met. "How are you?" I can finally hear her voice again. "I, am, fine." I stuttered. She let out a small laugh to me. "It's okay, I'm nervous too." She comforts me. 

Renato allows us to walked outside for a while before he takes me back to the house. It's a silent walk around the hospital's front and as time passed, it becomes awkward. I swear there's a lot to say in my mind, but my mouth froze everytime I tried to let it out. 

"You're healing really quick. You're a fighter." Amanda broke the silence. "The boys and my family is being really supportive, I have to be strong for them." I replied. 

And there goes, another episode of awkward silence. We sat on a bench, Amanda played her legs up and down, to entertain herself. I can't help but to stare at the pretty face that was once mine, once hold my little baby in her belly. A moment later she turned around, caught me off guard staring at her.

"Are you happy, Amanda?" I finally get the guts to ask her. She looks at me blankly, probably didn't know how to answer. "Forget it, just a random question that slipped out. Of course you're happy. You always are." I shook my head and look away. 

Amanda took my hand by surprise. "Are you?" She asked softly. Not without you, I said to myself. "I am when I can finally do this" I showed her my progress with my left foot and my toe, making Amanda smiles from ear to ear and hug me. "I'm so happy for you. In a short time you might get to perform on stage again." She almost screamed.

I was surprised by the hug. Haven't get it for a long time. One, two, three, I count the seconds in my head. She finally let go at the count of ten. Then I noticed the small tears in her eyes that she wiped away with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." She looks at me apologetically.

"You're still here. Not physically. But you're in my mind, and in my heart. Every second of my life." I speak my heart out. We hold each other's gaze, and it feels like the time froze. "I can't do this." Amanda shook her head and stood up. "I don't want to hurt you again." She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. She never hurt me. Even if she did I'll forget about it the next second.

"I left you when you're at your worst, Joel. I'm the one that ended this. After I've promised not to leave you and always be by your side, I decided to leave you. When I know you need me." she cried out. 

I tried to speak up but failed again. If I force myself to I might teared up in front of her as well. Little did she know as much as she blamed herself for leaving me, I'm putting the same amount in my head too. I blamed myself for letting her go. 

"I'll call Renato to come down. Thank you, Joel." She kissed my lips. God knows how bad I miss her lips on mine. She rests her forehead on mine and closes her eyes, making the teardrops fall to the ground. "I'm sorry, Joel." She speaks under her breath before she walked away, leaving me alone with my shattered hope.

Back to our house I tried to cheer myself up by playing video games with Chris and Erick. None of the guys know Amanda came to meet me earlier. I told Renato to keep it a secret on our way back. There's nothing good about it anyway.

I spent the day like usual, doing stupid things with my bandmates, eat uncontrollably, jumping around the house because Erick decided to run away with my crutches. And suddenly I forgot that earlier today, Amanda came and mend my heart a little before she grabbed it and throw it to the ground, leaving me to pieces again. 

Richard has been with his phone all day, making it suspicious to all of us. We suspected he's texting with a fan he laid his eyes on from a fanmeeting the other day, but he denies it everytime.

We were watching movies, just some crazy comedy Chris put on the screen. With the jokes that only him and Erick understand. We're still fighting about whether to change the movie or not when the doorbell rang. "Go get it, Joel. Do some exercise." Richard tells me.

I took my crutches and answer the door, to find Amanda throwing herself on me, burying her face in my chest. Like when we used to date. "I've been lying to myself for too long. After seeing you just now, I know I can't do it. I need you, Joel." she cried on my chest.

I was surprised at first, but when she finally said everything it feels like my prayers have been answered. She's coming back. "I thought you'll never come back." I'm starting to sob as well. "I need you too. I'm sorry I was too afraid to say it earlier. I can't imagine living another day without you."

Amanda raised her face, revealing her glazed eyes and her damp cheeks. "Damn, how can you still look perfect when you're crying?" I said, admiring her face. We both laughed in between tears.

She cupped my face with her hands. "Can I?" she asked, looking at my lips. I nod my head yes and she lift her body up to kiss me. The kisses last too long, and I'm too drawn to it that I almost drop my crutches. Luckily she grabbed it fast enough for me not to fall to the ground.

"And the Joanda is back again." Erick cheered behind us.

Finally, that's the end of this story 🌸 Thanks for the votes, I really appreciate each of it. Love you all ❤ don't forget to read my other work, He's A Bad News (Erick Brian Colon fanfic)