Ash's Darling | ✔

Chapter 66

~Ash~

When I walked back into Mae's hospital room after getting a cup of coffee I watched out of the corner of my eye as Tim dropped Kyle's hand, letting it fall back into Kyle's lap as he quickly moved his back to his own lap. I didn't have the energy to point it out or even to tell them I already knew– Mae and I both did.

Mae had been in a coma for six days now and the whole time I'd barely gotten any sleep let alone a proper meal. I was mostly living on coffee and the occasional dry biscuit my mother forced me to eat.

She had called me the night of the fire to see how I was doing and after thirty minutes of talking to her I ended up telling her everything that was going on. The next morning my mother was at the hospital, saying she wanted to be here for me and Esther right now, knowing I would need her to keep me on track. She wasn't wrong. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have eaten anything the past week.

I was too worried about Esther to even think about myself. The doctors said she should be waking up soon but I didn't have much hope anymore, after all, they'd been saying that for four days now.

Tim stood up as Kyle watched him. "We're gonna go get some lunch, what do you want?" He asked me.

I shook my head. "Nothing. I'm fine."

Tim rolled his eyes before looking at Kyle and nodding his head towards the door. "We'll be back soon, your mom said she'd be back later but she needed to sleep." He told me before pausing. "You should try to sleep too, you need it."

"I'm fine, I'll sleep when I know she'll be okay."

Kyle rolled his eyes this time as he passed Tim and walked towards the door. "Stubborn bitch." He mumbled, making me snap my head in his direction.

"Watch it. I'm still your boss."

"Yes, boss." He answered before disappearing out the door, Tim following behind him as he shook his head amusedly.

Once they were gone my attention focused back on Esther and I held her right hand in my own. "Please, Mae." I spoke to her quietly, my voice hoarse from the lack of food and water the past week. "I can't do this without you, darling. I need you to wake up."

I waited a few moments in silence, hoping– praying– that she would somehow respond. I cursed myself as I couldn't control the tears that rolled down my face. "Please." I begged her again, laying my head down on her shoulder. "I haven't even gotten the chance to tell you I love you. Let me have that chance, Mae."

After a second I felt her arm slowly reach up and I froze, wondering if I'd imagined it from the amount of sleep I'd been getting– or lack thereof. Her fingers ran through my hair gently and I snapped my head up, my eyes wide. "Mae." I breathed out, relief and happiness flooding my body.

"I love you too, Ash." She spoke and I swear it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever fucking heard.

I wrapped my arms around her body and pulled her up, closer to me. "Do you know how damn worried I was? Never do that shit to me again." I pulled away from her just enough to smash my lips on hers.

She responded instantly, moving her lips in sync with mine. I pulled back after hearing her heart rate monitor spike and remembering where we were. "Reading is good for you, they said. It's fun, they said." Mae joked.

I shook my head with a small smile on my face, just happy she was all right. "I love you, darling."

She looked at me silently for a minute before pulling me in to kiss me gently. "I love you." She breathed against my lips.