DEVON
"He's a lucky young man. If his attacker had held on to his throat for two minutes longer, he would've died" Dr Sid said to me just outside the ward where Shea was. I shivered when I thought of him dying in the alley.
"He'll be fine, right?" I asked.
"Yes, he'll be fine"
I nodded.
"He has no family. Can I go in to see him?" I asked.
"Of course. He might be totally out of it. Two of his ribs are broken, he has a concussion and a head trauma"
I stepped into the ward, the heart monitor beeping steadily. I sat down by his bedside and took his free hand in mine. There was a bandage around his head and IV lines were connected to the back of his palm. His eyes were closed, long dark lashes resting atop the skin beneath his eyes. I noticed the moles on his neck and the one on the corner of his lips. How could I have missed that? It couldn't be a coincidence that his moles were in the same position as Theo's moles. I stared at his fingers, they were just as I remembered them. Long and elegant. He was Theo. My Theo. He just couldn't remember yet. Happy tears filled my eyes. He came back to me. I ran a hand through his silk black hair and pressed a featherlight kiss to his forehead.
"I can't believe I almost lost you again" I whispered, brushing his hair away from his face.
"I know you can't remember but I know you still love me. The truth is I never stopped loving you. I'm so glad you came back to me. Despite the fact that you're now human, it doesn't make you any less beautiful" I said, smiling to myself. He started to stir, his free hand squeezing mine gently.
He opened his eyes half-way, pain evident on his face. "Dev? Is that you?" He croaked.
"It's me" I said, stroking his hair gently. "You're so pretty and shiny" he whispered. I smiled, brushing his hair out of his face.
"You're pretty too" I whispered.His eyes widened by a fraction. "Really?"
Yup, it was the pain meds talking.
"Yes, you're really pretty"
He smiled, dimples popping out on his cheeks. He was so adorable.
"Then, you're really gorgeous" he rasped.
I chuckled.
"That's nice" He grinned, his eyelids droopy.
"You're my exquisite queen" he said as his eyes slipped close. I couldn't help but smile at his adorableness. He'd fallen asleep all over again. So, I left the ward and went to the vending machine. I grabbed a bottle of soda and left the hospital. I had to go to school. I couldn't risk skipping lectures.
I came over to see Shea after school. He was asleep when I came in. So, I quietly sat down by his bedside. He stirred and opened his eyes. He reached up to touch his head, then he let out a groan.
"Where am I? I don't-"He tried to sit up but I made him lay back down. "You're in the hospital, Shea. You're hurt pretty bad" I said. "In the hospital? H-how? Who brought me here?"
"I found you in an alley " I said. He looked at me, his tired green eyes watching me carefully.
"Thanks" he breathed."Do you need me to get the doctor?" I asked. "N-no. There's no need for that" he rasped."Do you remember what happened?" I asked, stroking his hair. He closed his eyes, taking uneven breaths, probably because of his broken ribs."I was attacked" he croaked."Do you remember what they looked like?"
"I don't remember. My head hurts really bad" he rasped, squeezing his eyes shut."That's because you have a concussion" I said. He sighed. "Please tell me you didn't go to the alley alone, just to find me" He said, his eyelids drooping.
"I needed to make sure you were safe, Shea" I said.He shut his eyes briefly.
"How're you feeling?" I asked. "Everything hurts. But, I'll live" he croaked. I grabbed the small bottle of water I'd brought with me. "How's your throat?" I asked. "Sore, but I'll live"
I uncapped the bottle and brought it to his lips as I propped his head with one hand. When he'd drank enough water, I placed the bottle on the floor. "You're really unbelievable sometimes, Dev. I still can't believe that you left your house in the middle of the night, just to make sure I was safe" he said and I shrugged."I had to"
"So, what are we now? Just friends? Friendly friends? Friends with benefits? You know, I'm starting to feel bad for Liam" he said, gazing at me. "Me too." I sighed. "Did you ever love him?" Shea asked.
I sighed.
"To be honest, the answer is no. I was still having a hard time and I thought that I could grow to love him. Guess, I was wrong."
"Have you ever been in love?" He asked. I blushed, my cheeks turning bright pink."Yes"
"Tell me about it" he said, closing his eyes."I-uh- I met this amazing guy during high school. He was very mysterious but I was curious"
"That rhymed" he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. I chuckled."Yeah, I guess."
"Go on."
"When I finally unraveled him, I realized that he was truly made for me. He was so selfless and all he ever did was make me happy. He made me feel like I was wanted. He loved me just as much as I loved him. I still love him though" Shea opened his eyes, his green eyes shining in the light.
"Your love story was a beautiful one, Dev. You deserve a happy ending" he said to me. I smiled, happy tears filling my eyes.
"His name was Theo and he had the most beautiful pair of golden eyes I've ever seen" I said.
"You miss him"
"I did. But not anymore. He's right here, in my heart. I've never been so certain. He isn't beyond my reach.....not anymore" Shea gazed at me with admiration in his eyes.
"What's the weirdest thing you've ever done?" He asked."Swimming in a pool filled with chocolates" I said. He gasped.
"No way. How old were you? Five?" He said, raising a brow.
"On the contrary, I was fifteen. It was on my fifteenth birthday. I was dared to do it in my birthday suit" I said and he laughed, grimacing at the pain in his banged up ribs.
"That must've been quite a swim" he said and I shrugged. "It was"
The doctor walked in.
"Sorry to interrupt" he said."It's okay" I said. He examined Shea for a bit."It looks like you'll be discharged in a few hours. From the looks of it, you're recovering quickly, Mr Rolland" he said.
"Fucking finally" Shea muttered and I smiled.
"You just need to take things easy for the main time. It's not advisable for you to do anything that will strain your ribs further. You took quite the beating, so I'll recommend that you have a few days of bed rest"
*******
SHEA
Devon opened the door of her car and I slowly got in, letting out a sigh as I rested my head on the head rest. She shut the door and got in through the other side.
"You good?" She asked as I put on the seat belt.
"Yeah" I said, closing my eyes. I could feel her gaze on me but I made no effort to open my eyes. I was still so exhausted. My body was begging me to just lay down for days. It's weird though; I couldn't remember what my attackers looked like. All I knew was that they were really violent and I was lucky to have survived with a concussion, bruised and broken ribs, and bruises around my throat. I opened my eyes and stared at the mirror, upfront.
There were bags under my eyes and my eyes were slightly blood shot. I looked pale and tired. Not a surprise though, I looked just as tired as I felt. I watched Devon as she drove. Her long hair was in a ponytail and she looked really beautiful today. Her blue eyes met my green ones and I felt my stomach clench. There was a growing warmness in my heart. She made me feel things I didn't understand.
"We're here" she said and I looked outside the window. She'd parked the car right in front of my house, few feet away from my car. My eyes widened. How did my car get there?"I paid someone to fix your car and bring it back here" she said."Devon-"
"I wanted to do it, okay? Besides, it's not a big deal" she shrugged.
"Thanks" I said and she gave me a smile. "You're welcome. Come on out, let's get you in" she said. I stepped out of the car, wincing at the pain in my rib section. She followed me to the door, watching me as I unlocked the door and pushed it in. I was starting to feel dizzy and I realized how much I needed to lie down. I sat down on the couch so suddenly, Devon started to look worried. "Shea-"
"I feel dizzy... give me a second" I said, taking a deep breath. She nodded and placed her purse on the chair. "You should lie down, Shea. I'll help you to your room" she said, holding out a hand. I took her hand and followed her into my room. I laid down on the bed, letting out a long sigh. Devon took her time to take off my sneakers. I was too tired to protest. She stood by my bedside, giving me a bright smile. Then, she pressed a kiss to my cheek.
"Friends with benefits" she whispered. I cocked a brow, grinning at her.
"That's the answer to your question" she added.
"I like that, but what about your boyfriend?" I asked. She placed a finger on my lips. "Sh- it's soon-to-be exboyfriend. I'll handle that later. Right now, you should get some rest" I closed my eyes, relaxing completely. Just before I sank into slumber, I felt her lips graze my hairline.
****
DEVON
My phone rang and I quickly picked the call, moving away from Shea's bedside. "Hey, Liam" I said.
"Devon, where are you?" He asked, his voice hoarse. I grimaced, my grip on the phone tightening.
"I'm not home" I said.
"I know. I'm at your house right now. I-I need to see you right away" he sniffled.
My heart shattered. Oh Crap, he was crying.
"I'm on my way" I said.
"Okay"
The line went dead and I bit my lower lip, worst case scenarios making their way into my mind. Did he know about Shea and I?