Page 127 of The Sound Of Silence

“You’re okay. You’re okay.” I repeat the words over and over hoping they’ll somehow stick, because we both know that she’s not. She’s never going to be okay again.

We’re silent at first, with me unable to let go of her, holding on for dear life. But when she pushes back to look at me, I allow her to break away, content at just being able to touch her.

“Willow.”

“I’ve been so scared,” she cries, as I brush the hair from her face and the tears from her cheeks. “I didn’t think anyone was coming. I didn’t even know if anyone knew I was gone. I just wanted to know. To see if it helped. To see if it did anything. Because Jesse, I’m going insane.” To anyone else she’d be talking in riddles, but I know what she means. I know why she’s here. “I need to know what happened,” she continues. “You made me want to find out. You made me stronger, and God, I missed you. I missed you so much and I…I can’t even explain it—”

I press a finger to her lips, and palm her face with my other hand. “Fuck, Willow. I missed you too. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. I’m so sorry—”

“No, you have nothing to be sorry about.”

What?

She lifts to crawl into my lap, but cries out and falls back down, clutching at her foot.

“You’re hurt?”Fuck. Why the hell haven’t I checked her out?

Ignoring her objections, I assess every inch of her body with scrutiny, my fingers brushing across her skin, needing to know she’s okay. For my peace of mind more than her own.

When I reach her foot, Willow shakes her head almost violently, her hand subtly rubbing her ankle. “I’m so stupid, Jesse.”

“Let me see it.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Please. Let me do something.” I slowly reach down and remove her fingers from their hold, replacing her hand with mine. “You were gone and I was back home, helpless. Fuck, if something had happened…” I trail off because if I think of something happening to her, I’m likely to spiral, and I need to be strong for her. She’s the one in pain.

Her intense gaze bores into the side of my face as I tend to her ankle, gently assessing the damage. The swelling looks bad, but I’ve seen worse, so it’s likely to be just a sprain.I hope.

“It’s going to need medical attention soon, Willow. Have you tried standing?”

I look up to see her shake her head again as her face contorts, the mere thought of standing paining her.

“Okay, it’s okay. I’ll help you. Or carry you. Either way, you’re going to be all right.”

I gently run the tip of my finger across the already purple skin and watch as her body breaks out in goose bumps. My breaths quicken as her pain becomes mine, and emotion clogs my throat. Yes, this could have been so much worse, but I can’t stand to see her hurting.

“God, Willow. I—”

She palms my cheeks as I did hers and lifts my head until I’m facing her, forcing me to see everything she feels. And what I witness is devastating.

I expected the pain and the fear, but what I didn’t expect was the uncertainty and defeat.

“What happened?” I ask, my voice cracking as a sea of emotions floods me.

Ignoring my question, she leans forward and brushes a kiss across my lips, her mouth lingering without applying any pressure. It’s the briefest touch, but it ignites my soul and gives me more hope than I could ever deserve. She may taste like tears and dust, but the only thing that registers is that she tastes like she’s mine. So when she tries to pull back, I hold her close, whispering against her lips. “God, I was so scared.”I’m not ready to let go.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers back as she breaks our connection. “I should have told you.”

And I’m not ready for this.

“Remember I mentioned my accident?” she asks, waiting for me to nod before she continues. “It was years ago, but…” She pauses as my heart plummets. If she’s telling me the story, it means she still can’t remember my part in it,andI’m going to have to tell her.

“I’ve spent so long pretending to be okay,” she says as she brushes her thumb across my cheek, her eyes following the movement. “But I’ve always felt so numb, and never knowing about that part of my life only made me feel worse. But with you, it was different. I felt alive. Ifeelalive and it gave me the confidence to seek answers. But I should have told you everything,” she whispers through her tears. “I should have asked you to come with me. I wasn’t thinking. I just had the strongest desire to come here.”

As she talks, the news headlines flash in my mind while an invisible hand twists a jagged-edged knife deep into my chest.

Police are investigating an incident on Mt. Beauty, after a young girl was found…

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