Learn To Trust (Sequel to Learn To Love)

Chapter 9

"I love you."

I freeze.

"Wha-what did you just say?" I whisper. He looks intently into my eyes,

"Carlie Wanger, I am unconditionally and irrevocably in absolute love with you." My eyes fill with tears. He takes them the wrong way,

"Oh... I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to attack you like this...well I did... but...okay...I'll just go now..." He whispers, his own eyes matching mine, filled with tears as well.

"NO!" I grab his arm. He looks at me and cups one of my cheeks with his hand.

"I'm so sorry." He murmurs quietly.

"I'm not mad. I...just don't know how to respond... Jake... I just don't know if I can love you...not yet" I whisper, hoping, just hoping he'll understand.

"Is this about Allison?" He asks with a quiet, lethal venom in his voice. I shake my head quickly.

"It's...me. It's me." He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. He embraces me and strokes my hair.

"I'll wait. I'd wait forever for you." He murmurs sweetly. Then he disappears. Maybe I've lost him. Maybe he doesn't really want to wait for me.

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I hum quietly as I walk down to the library. Suddenly, Allison jumps in front of me. I startle.

"Carlie." She smirks.

"A-Allison." I stammer.

"So... how are you?" She says in her 'normal' sickly sweet voice.

"G-good." I stutter.

"Nervous are we? Why is that?" She smirks again.

"No reason. I'll b-be on my way now." I say as I try to push past her. She smoothly sticks out her foot, tripping me. I fall face first to the hard marble floor. I hear a crack and then a clatter of footsteps as someone runs away, Allison, I assume. Pain erupts in my chest and I black out.

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Carlie... stay with me... I love you... always....come back to me... I need you... I love you... I love you... I love you... I love you...

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I wake up to bright lights, causing me to blink rapidly. I try to speak but all that comes out is a raspy cough. Where am I? What happened to me?

"Carlie?" I hear a familiar voice ask.

"J-Jake?" I cough painfully. Suddenly, his figure appears over me, thankfully, blocking out some of the bright lights.

"Oh my god, Carlie! I thought... I thought you were never... never going to wake up..." He sobs, taking my face gently in his hands. I've never seen him so... broken before. Not even when I went with the rebels.

"I'm here." I manage to whisper. He takes a deep breath and kisses me gently, briefly. I smile weakly.

"What happened to me?" I ask quietly.

"You were found in a hallway with a punctured lung and 4 broken ribs. You've been unconscious for almost... almost 2 weeks." His voice breaks.

"2 weeks?" I gasp.

"Yeah." He mumbles. I suddenly notice the dark, very dark circles under his eyes.

"What have you been doing during those weeks?" I ask.

"I...um stayed. Most of the time." He stammers, seeming embarrassed. I smile,

"You didn't have to do this." I murmur.

"I wanted to." He murmurs back with a tired grin. I sigh,

"Close your eyes and rest for a while, okay?" I rasp.

"Okay." He sighs and leans back in a chair, closing his eyes.

"Find a bed!" I laugh before coughing dryly.

"I don't need one." He retorts.

"Yes you do." I continue.

"Fine." He stands up and spots a small cot in the corner of the room. He pulls it over to my bed. He lies down on the cot and grins at me. I see exhaustion in that smile. I sigh again,

"Just sleep, Romeo." I roll my eyes.

"Okay. I love you, Juliet." He murmurs and reaches for my hand. I let him take it and he falls asleep quickly. I hum quietly, the same lullaby I sang 2 weeks ago, in my room. Soon enough, I start to get tired again. I fall asleep.

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I wake up, several hours later.

"Hey." I hear Jake say. I try to turn to my side and wince.

"Don't." He whispers. Oh right. Broken ribs.

"Right." I sigh. I hear the cot next to me creak as he gets up.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, rubbing my hand absentmindedly.

"Okay." I shrug a little.

"That's... good." He says thoughtfully.

"Something on your mind?" I ask.

"No.... Y-No." He shakes his head quickly.

"Alright. But I'm always here if you need to talk about it." I say softly.

"I know." He whisper softly and smiles.

"Well...help me sit up, please?" I reach out an arm. He puts a hand around my waist and gently helps me sit up, propping a pillow behind me. I kiss his cheek.

"Thanks." He blushes profusely.

"Anytime." He replies then looks at his watch, frowning.

"I'm sorry, Carlie. I have an important meeting to go to. I wish I could stay." He says apologetically.

"It's okay." I manage a small smile. He squeezes my hand.

"I'll be back as soon as possible." He says before running off. I sigh and lean back against the soft pillow. It smells like him. Pine Trees and mint. I hear footsteps.

"Hey Carlie." A voice says. Josh. I smile.

"Hey." I reply.

"So I've been thinking. I know our first date didn't turn out so well, but maybe, if you want, and later, when you're feeling better, you would go on a date with me?"

A/N: HEY GUYS SO HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER? SO I WAS THINKING, WHAT IF I WROTE ANOTHER SELECTION FANFIC? I WOULD CALL IT THE SECOND CHOICE. WHAT IF MAXON CHOSE KRISS? YEAH IMMA WRITE THAT. THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE WRITTEN BY MY FRIEND KAYLEY the_daily_fangirlz . THIS CHAPTER IS ALSO DEDICATED TO authorkatejames BECAUSE I JOINED HER SELECTION ON INSTAGRAM. DURING THAT SELECTION, SHE TRIPPED AND PUNCTURED HER LUNG, ALSO BREAKING A COUPLE RIBS. I DEDICATED THIS CHAPTER TO HER BECAUSE SHE IS AN AMAZING PERSON. SHE IS SO STRONG. THAT'S ONE THING YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS REMEMBER.

PEACE OUT GUYS! (STOLE THAT FROM the_daily_fangirlz