In The Stage Lights

Chapter 35

I sit bolt upright in bed, breathing heavily and shaking slightly. I check my phone and see that it's about one in the morning on June 13th. I call Thayne and when he doesn't pick up I jump out of bed, running to my closet.

I grab some random clothes and put them on before pausing for a second, realizing it was the same clothes from when Thayne had the accident. I change again and run out the door, Atlas staring at me.

I practically sprint to Thaynes apartment. My leg nervously shakes as the elevator takes it sweet time going up to Thaynes floor. The doors finally open and I run down the hall to Thaynes door. I knock loudly until he opens the door, bleary eyed.

"Cameron? What's-" I don't even give him a chance to finish his sentence.

"I love you." I blurt out. He suddenly looks more awake.

"What?"

"I-I love you," I say, letting out a breath that I didn't notice I was holding. "I love every single thing about you."

"Come in." He says, opening the door more and letting me in. We sit down, him taking my shaking hands into his.

"What's going on? Why are you here at like 1 in the morning?"

"I had a really bad dream and in the dream I realized I love you. We only live once right? Let's make the most of it." I say, my leg shaking.

"I mean yeah, definitely, but one in the morning? Really?" I give him a look before we burst out laughing.

"I love you so much." He says after a minute of laughing. "I never stopped." He says seriously.

We both pause, looking each other in the eye. He slowly starts to lean in and I copy his movements.

Later that night he turns to face me in his bed. "What was the dream about?" He murmurs, gently tracing circles on my bare arm.

"Do you want the long or short version?"

"Whichever you feel more comfortable with."

"Well to start it was very realistic, which is probably why I sprinted here earlier." He laughs and I continue, a small smile on my face.

"In the dream I had woken up to a phone call from a hospital, asking if I was your emergency contact and if I could come down. I got there and you were in surgery so I ended up falling asleep in the lobby. When I woke up, Lin, Jon, and most people in the cast were in the lobby. We, Jon, Lin, and I, walked into your room in the ICU and it was bad. You had cuts and bruises all over your face and arms, and had a cast on your leg." I pause, gently tracing over where I could remember the scars.

"A few days later the doctor had said you were in an actual coma. The next day, I think, a nurse said it helps if you talk to them so I basically was begging you to not die cause I couldn't lose another person I love. A few more days passed, I don't know how, it was just like I knew. Something happened and the nurses rushed me out of the room. You flatlined and it was hard. Again time passed, a few weeks this time, and we were at your funeral. Your mom and dad and siblings were there, Lin talked about how you rapped as your audition for Hamilton. That part I remember very clearly. I don't really remember much else, except that when they lowered you I had one thought."

"What was it?" He asks gently.

"That I uh was saying goodbye to the love of my life for the last time." I say quickly before hiding my head in the pillow from embarrassment.

"Awwww Cameron!" I feel Thayne moves closer, kissing the side of my head.

"Shut up." I say laughing slightly.