Saving Eternity: A Jack Gilinsky Fanfic

42. Unconditionally

Four Weeks Later

I slowly opened my drowsy eyelids as the constant high pitched beeping of a machine rang into my ears. My mouth was dry and stale. I was laying down in an unfamiliar bed in a brightly lit room that made it hard for my eyes to adjust to. I felt like I had been asleep for years, but yet I was still tired. The muscles in my neck and back were stiff and sore. I carefully turned my neck to the left and discovered Jack asleep in a chair directly adjacent to my bed. I tried to call out his name, but my words slurred and just sounded like a mumble of random noises. However, it was loud enough for him to wake up.

"Anna?" Jack asked, sitting up from his chair, leaning closer to my bed. He picked up my hand and used his thumb to graze over the top of it. "You're awake." The heat from his tanned skin counteracted with my icy skin. Jack's white teeth shimmered as he smiled broadly. I had never seen him smile so big. 

"What am I doing here? What're you doing here? What happened?"  I asked, looking intensely at Jack who was still smiling. Jack picked up the glass of water that was on my bedside table and lifted it up to my mouth. I took three very small sips from the straw.

 Why was Jack here? 

"Well, you got in a car accident. Your uh--" Jack cleared his throat and transitioned his eyes low to the floor. He continued. "Your boyfriend was drunk driving. Don't worry though. He's OK."

 It all started to come back to me. 

"Oh.. that's right. I remember.. But, wait. You still didn't answer me. What're you doing here?" I questioned. It didn't make sense for Jack to be here. I couldn't wrap my mind around it. I squinted my eyes as I watched Jack laugh quietly to himself.

"Oh, Anna..." He sighed, with a smirk across his face. "You don't get it, do you?"

"Don't get what?" I asked.

"Do you remember that one night I drove you home from your boyfriends?" He said.

"Yeah, I do.. Why?" Jack's laughter faded and he got closer to my face.

"Remember what I told you before you slammed the door in my face?" He used his hands to clear out the hair that was slightly covering my eyes. 

I gently shook my head side to side. "No, what?"

"I told you that I care about you. Anna, I've been here everyday since the crash. Every. Single. day. I've been here. By your bed. Hoping and praying that you would eventually wake up. You wanna know why? Because I care about you." He whispered. I didn't know what to say. I picked up my mouth that had fell open due to the shock.

"That's very sweet of you. Thank you." I said underneath my breath.

"I miss you, Anna. I should of never done what I did. I broke up with Penelope immediately after I found out about the accident. I know it's bad to say this, but your near death experience made me open my eyes and see things in a different light." He paused to take a deep breath, then continued. "I'm still in love with you, Anna. I totally understand if you don't want anything to do with me. I get it, I really do.  But just --"

I cut him off mid-sentence. "Just shut up and kiss me." I said smiling.

He abrasively grabbed my face with his hands and leaned in forward. I let out a small giggle as I observed his bottom lip quiver from anticipation.  My lips had been craving his for what felt like eternity. He pressed his lips against mine. I felt his voice rumble a very soft moan. He titled his head, tracing his tongue along the outline of my inner-lips.