Trying to Find a Way

Chapter twenty-eight

I hear voices, though I can't see anything.

"Is she going to be okay?" I hear a familiar voice.

A pause.

"Yes. The punch had such an impact on her." A random voice says.

I want to jump up and scream 'Hey! I'm awake! Look at me!'.

Though my body is so weak.

No strength is left in me.

It's drained.

I feel a hand on my hand.

"Carolina please listen to me. I miss you. You've been out for a week. I just can't believe Bea did this. You need to wake up. I love you so much." The familiar voice says.

I feel lips on my forehead.

Why can't I open my eyes?

With all, I mean all the strength I've collected, I bare to open my eyes.

A bright light welcomes me.

"Carolina?" Troy cups my cheek with his hand.

Thankfully his head is in the way of the light.

"Troy." I croak.

"Doctor!" He screams.

He doesn't move away from me, afraid that I would disappear.

Tears form in his eyes.

"Don't cry." I manage to get out.

"Please step aside, Troy." The doctor instructed.

Troy hesitates and moves away from me.

The doctor looks to be in his middle thirties.

He asked me a bunch of different questions. I answered the best I could.

"The good news is, your mother and Bea aren't going to bother you any more." The doctor looked at me with a smile.

I thanked him and he left me go.

"Put these on." Troy handed me a pair of his sweatpants and his shirt.

I try to, but I'm to weak.

"Troy?" I ask embarrassed.

"Yeah?" He turns back from the wall.

"Can you help me?" I asked with my cheeks flaming.

He nods.

Troy carefully helps me put on the clothes.

"Thank you." I say.

He helps me off the bed.

I try to walk, but that back fired. My legs are still weak.

Troy wraps his arm around my waist and helps me out of the hospital.

He helps me into the car, buckling my seatbelt too.

The car ride was silent.

I sink in the fact that first, I was in the hospital for a week, second, my whole family is in jail.

Tears pour out of my eyes like a hurricane.

"What's wrong, love?" Troy asks me and take my hand.

"My whole family is in jail. What if I become like them?" I sob.

Troy pulls over off of the road, and then turning off the engine.

He turns to me with concern in his eyes.

Cupping my cheek, he leans in, inches away from my face, nose touching nose.

"Carolina," he say.

My heart melts, and then burns into flames.

"You aren't going to be like them. You are so much more than them. You're smart, loving, caring. They were freaking mess up in the head. You're not even close to them." He whispers.

I close my eyes.

Our lips touch.

There my body goes numb. I can't think straight.

He pulls back.

"God I missed you." He breaths.

My heart rapidly pounds in my chest.

"I've missed you so much." I say back.

Our foreheads touch.

"My family...is gone. They're crazy." I say, tears forming in my eyes once again.

"No. I'm your family, and my mom is your family. The bad news is, we have to go to court with your parents. The police and my mom both agree that they need to press charges." He said.

I sigh.

I knew this would happen.

"When do we go?" I ask.

"In two weeks." He explains.

"That's close. How'd they get it that fast?" I ask.

"Well they were going to press charges on your dad and Bea and this is their trial." He said.

I nod.

Troy finally starts the engine and pulls on to the road once again.

This time, he doesn't head home. He drives off on to a dirt road.

"Where are we going?" I asked him as the car shakes from the rocks and uneven road.

He looks over to me and smirks.

"It's a surprise."