When I gain back consciousness, I feel the place where I got hurt with my hand and I look at it to see blood. Whoa, I bled. I need to get home as soon as I can. I feel good enough to drive myself back home. It's 4:15 already. Derek might be getting worried.
The highway remains empty during this time of the day so, no one noticed me. But I know I can do this. I try to encourage myself, repeating the same words as I hit the accelerator and drive as fast as I can before I pass out again.
I keep the speed constant through the ride and reach home in 10 minutes instead of 20. I park the car somewhere in the driveway, not sure where but I know I did. I push open the door and thankfully it isn't locked. "Hey, you're late--- whoa what happened, Candy?!" Derek asks in panic as he looks up at me and runs towards me. He takes my bag from me and throws it somewhere. And the next thing I know is that I pass out again just as he lifts me up and carries me somewhere.
*EDWARD'S POV*
Today's practice is going better than yesterday's, which I am really glad about. Turns out thinking about Charlotte during the practice isn't distracting but the complete opposite of that. Thinking about her made me focus on wanting to do better. She makes me want to do better. Looking at her work so hard every day makes me want to do the same and get into my favorite school. I can and will do that. I go back to where my bag is kept to drink water.
Suddenly my phone rings. It's Charlotte but how? She blocked me. Maybe she realized it was me. "Hello bab-"
"I don't have time to explain anything, just come to the local hospital, Candy got into some accident, I am taking her there." Derek, Charlotte's friend interrupts me. And it takes me a minute to process everything he has said.
"Okay, I will come right now." I say without asking any further questions.
I take everything and run towards my car but some of my team members interrupt me. "Where are you going?" My best friend Carlos asks me. "I need to go. You continue and control rest of the practice." I say without expanding further and leave without waiting for a reply. I start my car and drive with the speed of 120 km/hour. It should take 20 minutes for me to reach her with this speed.
Every second I've spend with her starts relaying through my mind like a movie. Her smart mouth, her curves, her anger, her kisses, the kisses, me taking her V-card, everything. This can't be the end of whatever we are. I want more for the first time and I won't settle till i get what I want. I always get what i want and i won't give up this time.
I can't wait to get there and meet her. I just hope she's fine. I want her to be fine. There are so many things I wanna ask her and I am pretty sure she also has a lot of questions to ask me and I would happily answer them, I just want her to be fine. I don't think I am ready for a relationship or commitment, which is what she probably wants but I want her in my life, somehow, it would be fine even if I have her as my enemy.
I reach the hospital in exactly 20 minutes. I park the car in the parking lot and head, straight inside, to the reception. "I am here for Charlotte Jones. What room is she in?" I ask the old blonde lady who is at the reception.
"She is in room 202, just down the hall." She says gesturing towards the lobby. "Okay, thank you." I reach her room and push open the door without knocking. Inside, Derek is sitting beside her bed on a stool holding her hand.
He looks at me and nods. He gently takes back his hand and comes to me. "She lost some blood as she hurt her head but she will be very fine in a few days." I hear his words and relief floods through my body as I let out a deep breath, i didn't realize i was holding. I am at loss of words due to the sudden happenings so I just nod at him. "Though she is not conscious yet, I will leave you both alone." He pats on my shoulder before leaving.
I go sit and beside quiet Charlotte. I have never seen her this quiet and I hate it more than anything. I take her hand in mine and kiss it. "Charlotte. I know you probably can't hear me but I just want you to know that I really really like you. I want more time with you."
*CHARLOTTE'S POV*
My head feels heavy and I can't open my eyes but to my shock, I can just hear everything. I have no idea where I am but I am pretty sure it's a hospital. Duh. Obviously I am in a hospital. I got hurt pretty badly. Suddenly I hear the voice I was dying to hear. Pun unintended.
"Charlotte. I know you probably can't hear me but I just want you to know that I really really like you. I want more time with you." Omg, he thinks I can't hear so he is confessing his feelings to me. It feels like cheating but I can't help it. "I can't see you like this. Just wake up and run your smart mouth." He says everything as he is holding my hand in his.
Oh my god, he is going to make me fall harder for him. I wish I could wake up and tell him I am just alright. "Today while practicing, I was thinking about how hard you work which makes me want to do the same. You inspire me to be and do better. I hope you know that." I do now.
Everything he says is melting my heart more and more. I don't know what I did to deserve someone like him. There is so much difference between him at school and him at any other place. But now I know that this right here is the real Edward and I love him even more than before.
I just want to somehow wake up and kiss him. But I can't. After another hour, I still get can't myself to wake up. Later on, Edward was joined by Derek. They both have been awfully quiet ever since. I don't think they both would get along so well. But I hope they do because they are two of the most important men in my life after dad and bro. Edward is still holding my hand and it makes me feel safe.
Suddenly, I feel a sharp shooting pain in my head which makes me bolt up from my sleep. Edward and Derek both look at me anxiously as I take in my surroundings. I am in a room with white-colored walls with lots of instruments. There is a tube attached to my arm, which is really uncomfortable for me. "What's wrong, Charlotte? Are you okay?" Edward asks looking at me as he looks relieved.
"My head hurts." I manage to get the words out through the pain.
This time Derek is the one to reply, "I will go get the doctor." He leaves and I sit up. Edward comes closer to me, holds my face in his hands and kisses me on the mouth. He pulls back in a few seconds and scans my face closely, "I am so glad that you are fine. I don't know what I would do to myself if something were to happen to you."
"You would be just fine." I say as few tears fall of my face.
Edward places a finger on my lips, "Shh.... First of all, I wouldn't and second of all, we don't need to talk about something like this ever again." He wipes my tears and kisses my cheek. "You need to lie down." Edward lies me down by my shoulders.
"But I have slept long enough." I say grumpily. I never thought I would be tired of sleeping.
"That's okay; I am not asking you to sleep. Just don't get up." He says as he caresses my forehead with his hand. "Okay." I say because I actually can't sit upright.
Just then, Derek reappears with the doctor. Derek gives me a slight smile which I return. "Hello, Charlotte I am Dr. James. How are you feeling now? Is the headache too severe?" Dr. James, as he introduced himself, who looks like he is in his late forties or early fifties, asks me as he goes through some papers.
"It's not too bad but I don't feel very okay." I say as Dr. James approaches me.
"That's obvious as you have lost some blood and the medications might also be making you feel this way. The headache will go away soon. If it doesn't, we will take further tests but the all the reports taken earlier are clear so there's nothing to worry about." He explains. "Okay. Thank you." Derek says.
"When will she be discharged?" Edward asks to the doctor.
"Well, that depends on her recovery rate. If she feels better by tomorrow we can discharge her on Wednesday." "Okay, thank you, doctor."
"No need." He says with a smile and leaves.
"Did you call mom and dad?" I ask Derek as he comes and sit beside me on the stool. "Yes, I told them you are fine. They can't come back till their work is done but they sounded really worried."
I scoff, "Of course they did." Everything is more important than me. "Wait a minute, Derek, how did you inform Edward about this? I don't have his number in my phone." I ask the question which comes to my mind out of nowhere.
"I know a way by which I can get any number I want. So, I found his only to see that he was already blocked from your phone." How is that possible?
"Blocked? I never even had his number in the first place."
"Well, I don't know how but I am sure he was blocked." I look at Edward and notice that he has a weird look on his face, guilty I think? "Yeah, so about that. Charlotte, do you remember some number texted you few nights ago?" I try to remember and it clicks my mind. The creepy guy who texted me cheesy lines.
"Yes I remember. What about him?" I ask as I know what's coming next.
"Yeah, so basically that was me. I got your number from school, saying I have some tutoring business to ask about. I was just messing with you." Edward says smiling guiltily.
I can't help but laugh at him. "Well, I can't say you are wrong. I just didn't know it was actually my dream guy." I say smiling shyly.
"Did I miss something?" Derek asks looking between us both.
"Yeah you did. Few nights ago, Edward sent me some creepy texts and I didn't know it was him so, I blocked him." I explain everything to Derek as Edward smiles sheepishly like a young school boy.
"You both are....something." Derek says laughing, looking at Edward who winks.
"I know right." I look at them and think how I got this lucky. I have the best best friends I could have ever asked for which is enough for me. My eyes start to water, as I feel overcome with emotions, which doesn't go unnoticed by them both. "Hey, hey. What's wrong? Do you not feel well?" Derek asks me sitting on my bed on one side of me as Edward settles on the other.
"I feel very fine, I just can't believe my life right now. I am really happy with it." I say through sobs. "Well, except for this accident." I say gesturing over myself.
"It's okay. We are always there for you." Derek says as he caresses my forehead. "I know. I love you guys." I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth because for Edward they won't sound very appropriate but they don't seem to mind at all.
"Wait, now tell us how did this even happen?" Edward asks with curiosity. Oh that. "I was driving peacefully on the highway when out of nowhere a car bumped into me from behind which made me hit my head on the dashboard. Then before I could call someone for help, I passed out but I saw that it was some white luxurious car that hit me." I explain as my memories start to become blurry.
"Could you see the number plate?" Edward asks as worry pools his eyes.
"No I couldn't." I say as I fail to remember even one digit of the car's number.
"Do you have any bad blood with someone?" Derek asks me and I think and suddenly my feud with Amelia crosses my mind.
"Not specifically but I had a fight with Amelia today." I say and Edward looks at me cautiously.
"What? What happened?"
"Well, we both had our practical class and she body shamed me and I called her out for her fake boobs and lips." I say with a grumpy look and they both laugh.
"Who is Amelia?" Derek asks. "Well, Edward will answer that." I say giving Edward a sarcastic smile and he runs a hand through his hair. "Well, she is the past." Edward summarizes.
"Who he fucked in the school bathroom days just few days past." I expand and Derek laughs at me and my jealousy.
"But I don't think she is capable of doing this so it might be a random accident." I say.
"Well she is capable of this but I am sure she wouldn't go this far." I think about what Edward says. What if she did it? What if because she wants Edward for herself, she did this? I am scared now. If she could go till this extent then she won't be afraid to go even further. But maybe I am just being paranoid. It might have been a random hit and run type of thing. "I hope it wasn't her." I say with a look of concern.