Recovery

Chapter 52

Chey offers me a small smile. "You remembered."

"You're my best friend- how could I forget?" I ask. 

That sentence feels wrong in my mouth, however, and I have to rethink it.

"You were my best friend- you're dead. You can't be talking to me right now. You are dead," I say slowly.

"Grace," she whispers, reaching out and grabbing my hand. "Come with me."

I turn and look back at Avery, who is still trying to bring my cold body back to life. Surprisingly, I see myself take a short, gasping breath. 

At this point, multiple people have crowded into the bathroom. I actually feel slightly embarrassed, considering my body is shirtless. 

I look down, and realize that I am not shirtless though. I am wearing a white, flowing dress. 

"What about them?" I ask, keeping my eyes on Avery's pained expression.

"They aren't going anywhere," Chey whispers, squeezing my hand. "Come on. I have things to show you, and we don't have much time."

"Time for what?" I ask.

"Stop asking questions," she snaps. "Follow me."

Shocked at her tone, I let her lead me away, my mouth almost welded shut.

She leads me out of the room, and suddenly, I'm in Jace's room. 

I look around at the familiar setting. Jace is asleep on his bed, his chest slowly rising and falling.

"Jace?" I say.

"He can't hear you, Grace," Chey says. "No one hears a dead girl. Of course, he doesn't even know you're dead yet."

"What time is it?" I ask, looking at her.

"It's about 2 in the morning."

"How has it been hours?" I ask, gawking. 

"It hasn't. This hasn't really happened yet. But it will," she says. 

"But nothing is even happening," I say.

"Shhh- just watch."

As if on cue, Jace's phone rings. He slowly stirs in his sleep, and looks around, his eyes bleary. He groggily lifts his phone up, and looks at caller ID. He chuckles to himself.

"Grace, you do realize it is 2 AM?"

His smile quickly dissipates when someone else starts to speak. I can only hear murmuring, but it must be bad news based on the way his facial expression quickly changes.

"Is she okay?" he asks, his voice laced with concern. And then suddenly, all color drains from his face.

"Okay. Thanks for calling me Ivy," he says, his voice cracking. He hangs up the phone and drops it on the floor.

"What's wrong? What did Ivy say?" I ask.

"Just watch."

I move my gaze back to Jace, and watch silently as he crumbles to his knees.

His body shakes, but he makes no noise at first. Then, the most pitiful sob escabes him.

"Jace," I breathe, running to him. I fall down in front of him, and attempt to cup his face in my hands. "Jace, I'm right here! Look at me!"

"Grace, he can't hear you," she says.

At the same time, Jace mutters my name under his breath, and all thoughts fly from my mind.