A/n: So yeah, this chapter is probably gonna be short, but don't worry. I'll probably update again soon.
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Here I am, standing alone once again. But this time, I have nobody to turn to.
All of my friends hate me. My boyfriend isn't even an option. There's no way I could ever go to my parents like this. So what do I do?
The first thing that comes to mind is my brother, but I know exactly what he would say. He would tell me to talk to the guys, but I just can't do that. Not feeling like this at least. I would only make it worse.
So, who else is there?
Just as this thought pops into my head, I remember the person who was there when I got that phone calls about Jack.
Bryan.
I haven't talked to him since that night. He's called me multiple times, but I just didn't see a reason to call him back. After all, he knew what happened, and so did anybody else from school who could possibly want to call me. The only reason he wanted to talk was to see if I was alright, but I wasn't in the mood to explain my feelings to him at the time.
However, now I'm in a completely different position. I have nobody else that I could talk to about any of this, so maybe I could be civilized and call him back for once.
We had gotten so close before all of this happened. I mean, we weren't as close as I am, or was, with the rest of the guys, but I felt completely comfortable around him. I could talk to him about Jack and my life before I moved here, which is a pretty big deal considering how much of a closed book I usually am. Now I can only hope that he's willing to help me through this after two weeks of me ignoring him.
I take my phone out of my pocket and call his number, bringing it to my ear.
As I hear the ring in my ear, I look over at Jack. I completely forgot that I was even here. But now that I do, I feel guilty. If he knew all that happened right now, he would just be disappointed in me. And now I'm calling Bryan. Jack never liked him. He was always upset when I would hang out with Bryan instead of him, and now it just feels like I'm betraying him.
By the time I even consider hanging up the phone, I hear a voice on the other end.
"Hello?"
I wait a second before responding, trying to collect my thoughts.
"Hey," I say quietly.
I can to actually hear Bryan's smile on the other end when he speaks. "Hey Charlotte."
"Um, sorry I didn't call you back before," I gently say. I feel like I'm going to say something that I shouldn't, but I don't understand how I could at this point.
"Don't worry about it," he tells me. "I get it. You needed space."
"Yeah," I mutter, trying my best to get those memories out of my head. There's silence for a moment before he speaks up again.
"So, um, how are things going?"
I finally muster up the courage to actually talk. "Terrible..." I trail off before saying anything else.
"What do you mean? What's wrong?"
I let out a sigh as a tear escapes my eye. "I screwed up big time. Jack still isn't better and I've managed to make everyone hate me."
"Charlotte, nobody hates you."
"Yes they do, and it's all my fault."
"So, I'm guessing by 'they', you mean Johnson and Sam and all of them?" I don't respond, so he continues. "Well, I can guarantee that they don't hate you. Not after all you've been through at least."
"But you didn't see the way Johnson yelled at me," I argue.
"He probably just did that to get through to you. I'm not sure what all has happened since Jack has been in the hospital, but I know that it probably has made a huge difference with the way you've been acting. And from the way I've seen Johnson act with you, he probably just wanted to make a point. It must kill him to know that you're in pain, and he was tired of you acting so closed."
Again, I don't respond right away.
"But that's just from my perspective," Bryan adds.
I try to think about his words for a second. And I guess he's right. Johnson wouldn't hate me just for that, would he? Looking at it like any reasonable person, it's obvious that he's just angry. And if they all really hated me, they wouldn't have given me those sympathetic looks. They would've just left, not even wanting to be in my presence, right?
I decide to just go along with this. After all, I don't know how much more physical damage I can afford.
"Thanks." I mumble in the phone with a small smile on my face.
"No problem," Bryan says. "It's what I'm here for. And if you ever need to talk to someone, just remember I'm here."
We talk for a few more minutes. I kind of fill him in on how things have been going since I saw him last.
When we finally hang up, I look over to Jack. I don't care what anybody says. Right now, I have every reason to believe that he'll be okay.
I walk over and sit down in the chair beside the hospital bed. The last time I was in this position, things were so much worse. I can't necessarily say that things are going great now, but I can at least convince myself that everything will be back to normal eventually.
Observing him from a closer view, Jack's physical appearance is pretty similar to what it was before, aside from a few minor scars that will probably fade over time. I lift my hand and bring it to his hair, running my fingers through it. Man, I forgot how much I missed doing this. After a minute, I reach for his hand and intertwine my fingers with his, holding it lightly. Even though he can't do the same to me at the moment, his touch is enough to give me goosebumps.
"I love you Jack," I whisper. "Don't you ever forget that."
I wait a few seconds, trying to take in as much of him as I can. Deciding that it's time to go, I stand up and let go of Jacks hand. With that, I slowly turn around, walking out of the room.
As I reach the door, I hear something. It sounds almost like a slight groan. I quickly turn around, only to see the sight I've been waiting to see for much too long.
"Jack?"