The next morning I woke up feeling refreshed. I didn't want to leave the bed but I knew I had to. I dragged myself up and got up to take a shower. After that, my energy was renewed and I packed my bag with the book from Grandma. I figured that I could read it when Will fell asleep.
I took a donut from the free breakfast in the lobby of the hotel. I thought about it and decided to take an extra one for Will. I was sure that it was better than hospital food not that he even ate that most of the time. I took a cab to the hospital and walked through the hallways. I knew my way around a little bit better now.
As soon as I arrived in Will's room I was shocked at what I saw. Two nurses where in the room monitoring Will's state. He was breathing hard and his heart monitor was beeping fast.
"My God," I wailed running to Will's side.
He looked over at me and I took his hand. He held onto my hand but his grip was very weak. I could barely register that the light weight of his hand in mind. Tears began to run down my cheeks but I didn't even care.
"You promised that you would be here," I accused
"I'm...here..." He wheezed hard with every breath. I looked to a nurse for help.
"It's taking over his heart and we're trying to steady his breathing," she explained the best she could. After a few minutes or so, his wheezing stopped but he still took large breaths. The nurses left telling us that I could push the button if Will needed help again.
I looked over at Will knowing that today was probably his last.
"I brought you a donut," I said trying not to cry.
Will shook his head and I put the donut away. I knew it probably hurt him to talk so I didn't press him to talk.
"Checka..." Will breathed. I looked over at him and grabbed his hand again. I waited patiently as he breathed out his message one word at a time.
"I know today is probably it for me but it isn't for you. I'm going to be with my love and I want you to go be with yours," Will requested. I nodded weakly at him. If only things were that simple.
"Thank you for coming to see me. It's meant so much," Will continued. I looked over at his heart monitor which had started slowing down. Will didn't seem to notice though as he kept his gaze on me.
"I'm so hopped up on drugs that I won't feel it. Don't worry," Will said as if reading my thoughts. He had become quite good at that lately.
"Okay," I mumbled quietly. "I am so glad that I got to meet you."
He nodded slowly taking in a large breath.
"Can I ask something of you?" I asked. Will looked at me expectantly. "Can you tell Mom, that...I miss her?"
Will gave me a smile and I noticed his heart rate decrease even more. "I know she loves you," he assured. "Just as I do."
I smiled at him and gently placed a kiss on his cheek. He brought a hand up on my cheek and whispered, "That guy sure is lucky." With those words he closed his eyes and his heart monitor went from slow beeps to one long monotonous beep.
I sighed letting the tears fall before I walked over to the nurse button and pushed it.
Nurses immediately rushed in and unhooked the monitor cutting off the noise. They must have known about the noise before the button was pressed. The nurses didn't even seem to be bothered by me as they must have been used to bystanders of this sort of thing. The doctor came shortly and ordered a nurse to pull me out of the room. I watched helplessly as another nurse wheeled in a defibrillator in a last attempt to save my father.
The helpless nurse who pulled me out of the room tried to redirect my attention for a little while but eventually the doctor emerged from the room with a gloomy expression on his face. He shook his head toward me and I just glanced down at the ground unsure of how I was feeling.
The doctor allowed me to have a few moments of silence. He led me to a bench and allowed me to sit. He offered me a tissue before he gently asked what I wanted done with the body and Will's belongings. He didn't have many so I allowed the hospital to do whatever they wanted with them.
As for the body, I didn't know what to do. The doctor asked if I wanted him cremated or if I wanted to have him buried. If I decided the latter then he offered to lead me to the person who took care of that. I decided that I would have him cremated and I would put his ashes somewhere I felt was right.
I had to do all the paperwork and put a down deposit on the cremation. This stuff wasn't cheap and it wouldn't happen fast. I told them to send the ashes to me at the orphanage. I planned on going there and leaving here as soon as I could.
When I arrived back at the hotel, I sat on the bed and cried. I didn't have all that much time to actually cry at the hospital with all the nurses and the arrangements. I sighed and I realized how much I wanted Elliot to be there right now to hold me. It made me cry harder that I would never see him again.
I booked a plane ticket right away for New Jersey and I would leave three days later.
At the airport, Dell and Nancy were there to pick me up as I had called them in advance. When they saw me Dell rushed over and gave me a hug then Nancy gave me one and before I knew it, I was crying again on her shoulder.
They took me back to the orphanage giving me my old room. I sat my luggage back up in there and tried to make a routine. Get up, eat, talk to people, go to sleep. One day when I wasn't feeling so tired, I tried to read the novel that Grandma had given me.
Everything I read was about if I became Queen (which I so obviously was not going to be). I ended up giving up on the book. I didn't even glance at it for a very long time. My father's ashes came in a box. They were in a vase inside a box but I just couldn't bring myself to open it. I set it in the corner of my room. My father was in a box in the corner of my room, seeing that everyday made me want to cry all over. Finally I was broken out of my routine when Dell came rushing into my room one day.
"Checka! Checka!" Dell was panting a little.
"What?" I croaked from my bed.
Dell held up a white envelope in her hand and she wordlessly handed it to me.
As I began to open it Dell announced, "It's from Wilkenshire!"
I nodded since I had scanned the contents of the front. When I got the envelope open, I pulled out a thick piece of paper. It was a really pretty piece of paper with a lace border and fancy writing.
"What's the letter say?" Dell asked jumping a little eager to see.
My eyebrows furrowed as I read. "It's not a letter. It's an invitation."
"To what? A birthday party?" Dell asked.
I shook my head. "No, to a wedding."
"What?!" Dell asked taking the invite from my hand. I looked at her annoyed as she read aloud.
You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of:
Lucas Stephan Garnier & Julietta Anne Marques
On Friday, June 18th from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
To RSVP, please fill out the form attached and send it back.
"Wow!" Dell said suddenly excited. "A wedding for a king has got to be a sight to see."
"King?" I asked confused.
"Yeah didn't you hear? Luke won!"
I guess I had been so caught up in my father's affairs that I forgot all about the competition.
"So are you going to go?"
I nodded. "I'll go for Julie."
"I wish I could go," Dell whined. "I bet Julie is going to look so pretty in her big white dress and queen crown!"
"It says I can invite two people, you want to come?" I asked. She nodded before running out my door and exclaiming that she had to pack. I told her to tell Nancy to pack too.
I went to put the invite back into the envelope after I had finished the RSVP slip when I saw another piece of paper in the envelope. Carefully I took it out and unfolded it.
Elliot's been away for a while but he keeps his phone on him at all times. I know he would want to talk to you. We are both rooting for you two!
~L & J
Below the note was a phone number. I suddenly had a large lump in my throat as I thought about what to do. I looked over at the phone in my room. Nancy would kill me for making a long distance call but I was taking her to a royal wedding so...
I picked up the phone, I was lucky enough to be one of the people to have a phone in their room. I dialed the number carefully and then listen to the dial tone. I suddenly became very nervous. What if he didn't want to talk to me? What if he was busy? What would I even say?
After five rings someone picked up.
"Hello," a very female voice greeted.
"Hello?" I asked back confused.
"Hello!" The girl seemed enthused. I thought I had the wrong number.
"Is Elliot there?"
"Oh, he just left," she mumbled. "He forgot his phone."
What was he doing a girl's house? Apparently he was doing something that was worth his attention if he forgot his phone.
"What's your name and I will tell him you called," the girl continued on.
I sighed as I weighed my options. Suddenly on the other end of the line I heard some shuffling around.
"Oh wait, he just came back. Do you want to talk to him?" I heard a male voice in the background.
I felt my tears spill over as I croaked, "I think it would be better if I didn't."
I hung up the phone quickly and wiped my eyes. It was stupid to cry. I had to expect that he would move on. I wanted him to move on. We couldn't be together and that was just a fact. I needed to move on like he had but...the thought just made me want to cry again. Isn't true love when you want the other person to be happy?
No I think that sentence is pointless and untrue because he was happy with me!
I sighed getting angry with myself. I stood up with my hands balled into fists. I threw the first thing I could reach. It hit the wall and fell and I realized it was the stupid rule book. I knew there was no use in being mad. It wasn't going to change things. I walked over and picked up the book that had fallen open onto a random page.
I looked at the page and just as I was about to close it, something caught my eye. I read over the page and when I was finished I had a huge smile on my face. It was the loophole! Dell rushed in excitedly and I set the book down quickly making sure to mark the page. I had to read it more in depth later and make sure I wasn't just getting all worked up for nothing.
"I'm pretty much all packed! When are we even leaving? Can you believe I will get to see Ellie again? Maybe we can both be flower girls! Oh my God Checka! I'm so excited," Dell squealed speaking fast.
I nodded to her and suddenly my phone rang. Both Dell and I looked over at the phone then back at each other. I checked the number only to see that it was the one I had just dialed. I handed the phone to Dell.
"I'm not here," I said as she answered for me.
"Hello?" She asked sweetly.
"No, it's Dell," she said after a minute.
I rested on my bed putting my face in my pillow. Dell suddenly put the phone on speaker. I glanced over at her wide eyed as Elliot's voice filled the room.
"Well is she there?" He seemed a bit too hopeful. My whole body relaxed as I heard his voice again. I wanted to scream that I was but Dell beat me to it.
"No, can I take a message?"
I heard him sigh. "Can she hear me?"
Dell looked over at me for an answer but I didn't have one. Dell opened her mouth to reply but Elliot continued.
"It doesn't matter. I guess she doesn't want to talk to me. Could you tell her that the girl she spoke to was nothing but a friend? I was at her house to help her," he pleaded.
I scoffed as if I never heard that before.
"I'm in London right now studying abroad and this girl needed tutoring."
I couldn't stop myself as I said aloud. "Yeah right."
I covered my mouth immediately and everything was quiet.
"Checkers? Are you there?" There was evident sadness in his voice. I wanted to cry but I held it in.
"No," I choked out.
"Well then, I want you to know that everything I said was true," he assured.
"It doesn't matter. You can do whatever and whoever you want!" I claimed.
"You have no idea how nice your voice sounds to me even when it sounds mad." I glared at the phone but he made me realize how much I missed him. "And it does matter because I don't want to do anyone else!"
I expression softened and I saw Dell awkwardly standing there.
"Rules are rules," I muttered glancing over at the book. "Dell, take over."
"Well then Dell," Elliot said knowing that I was still listening. "Could you tell the stubborn one, that rules are made to be broken and...that I miss her...a lot?"
"Sure," Dell agreed.
"Okay..." Elliot was awkwardly wrapping this up and searching for a way out.
"We're going to the wedding!" Dell announced. "You should go too!"
I heard him laugh which only caused my lips to pull up into a smile. "I'll be there."
"Yay!" Dell enthused. "See you then!"
Dell hung up without letting him say goodbye. She came over to me and patted my arm.
"Let's go! We have to tell Nancy and pack your bags." Dell was effectively trying to distract me.
I sighed unsure of how this was all going to play out. "Why don't we book our flights first?"
Dell nodded and thrust her fist into the air. "To the computer!"
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Author's Note: Readers, if any of you are out there, then thanks! :)