Friends Forever, huh?

Chapter 38 | is this a dream?

Cole smirks suddenly, dropping my hands and fiddling around in his pocket for a little black box. My eyes widen as he drops to one knee. Is this what I think it is?

My eyes widen, searching for answers in his eyes. He looks entirely in earnest, the unopened ring box in his hand.

I'm dreaming, right? I have to be dreaming.

"You know sunshine," Cole begins, giving me a smile that makes me feel weak in the knees, "near death experiences make a man think about his life. I learned a few things after I woke up."

It suddenly becomes very difficult for me to breathe. My eyes are locked on his. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

"One," he continues, lifting a finger, "there's nothing in my life so extremely bad that what I did is worth repeating." He won't do it again. I take my next breath a little more easily.

"Two, I am sick of this back and forth thing we have going. Yes, some of it is my fault, but you did your fair share of running too."

I'm about to get mildly defensive when I notice the humor glinting in his eyes. He's teasing me and that feels so nice that I let out a small laugh.

"Either way, I'm sick of us running out on each other. The fact is, I don't like my life much when you're not in it."

What is air? Air, as it turns out, is something I am not getting enough of. I  let out a breath, suddenly becoming aware that I've been unconsciously holding it. Did he really just say that? Where is he going with this? "Me neither," I whisper, but it's so quiet that he probably doesn't hear it.

"So with all of that in mind.." Cole reaches to take one of my hands in his, "will you be my friend?" He flips open the box to reveal a ring pop. Momentarily, I wonder if I should slap him or kiss him. Maybe both?

However, Cole's still staring at me, not laughing at his brilliant joke like I assumed he would. "Screw it," he says softly, looking far more serious than I expected, "will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes." I reply without hesitation. His eyes light up as he slides the ring pop onto my finger. My smile grows to mirror his. What kind of person asks a girl out by a fake ring-pop proposal? This idiot. Oh well, he's my idiot now. My boyfriend.

Boyfriend. The word sounds so right for him.

"Good," Cole says, his eyes not leaving mine, "because I really want to kiss you."

"Okay," I whisper in return. Then he kisses me--a proper kiss, not like the rushed ones we shared before. Not like the ones tainted by the tragedy of the moment. It's gentle, tasting like a promise for the future. Cole's okay. He's okay. He's awake. I smile against his lips, wrapping my arms around his neck so we fit more comfortably together. Cole's arms wrap around my back and he pulls away, just enough to lay his forehead against mine and breathe in the moment.

He smiles and connects our lips again. My eyes flutter open for a moment so I can study his face. I missed him. Oh, I missed him so much. I feel something wet land on my lips and notice the tears sliding down his cheeks, "are you okay?"

Cole nods, his eyes full of emotion, "for the first time in awhile, I can actually say yes."

There's so much we need to talk about, but for the moment, I'm content to just stand there with his arms around me. Right now, that's enough. Surely we're making a scene in the middle of the Cupcake shop, but I'm past caring.

I swallow, "you know what I was going to say that one night before you ran away and.." I look away, not finishing my sentence. The pain of watching him lie in a hospital bed is too fresh in my mind.

"I know what you were going to say," He tilts my chin up with his hand, "that's why I didn't let you say it. But gosh, sunshine, I love you too."

This time, I don't kiss him. I just wrap my arms around his neck and hold onto him tight. I'm afraid to let go: scared that this is all one cruel dream; something that will be ripped from me as soon as I open my eyes. Cole's arms tighten around me and I wonder if perhaps, he's thinking the same thing.

Suddenly realizing the absence of my mother, I turn around looking for her.

"Your mother left," Cole says, a smile in his voice, "Actually, she never intended to stay. I talked her into getting you to come here." His cheeks turn pink and he gives me a somewhat bashful look, "I had to see you. Especially after my mother told me you stopped coming to the hospital," Cole runs a thumb over my cheek, "I'm sorry I did that to you. It wasn't your fault, you know."

"I shouldn't have made it sound like it was your fault," I reply quietly, "I felt terrible. Your uncle called me, sounding completely panicked..." I grab his hand, wincing, "Please don't make me go through that again."

I can still see the pain in Cole's eyes, but it's not the most dominant emotion anymore. Happiness shines through his brown eyes, an emotion that I can't believe I caused him to have. He loves me. "Never," He says firmly, even though his hands shake. I don't fully know if I can trust his words, but they seem honest. I catch his hand, pulling the sleeve of his shirt back. No fresh cuts. I breathe a sigh of relief, glancing up into his eyes. I'll keep a careful watch on him. I'll try my best to keep him from cutting himself again.

"Bruises?" Cole asks, concern clear in his eyes. I shake my head, "no new ones. I lost it and yelled at Shelby...I think she was too stunned to react."

Cole laughs, but sobers quickly, "I'm going to talk to her when we get back. There's no way I'm letting her--or anyone--treat my girl like she's worthless."

My heart warms at his words and I press a kiss to his cheek, "I love you."

"I know."

***

WHAT A LOVELY CHAPTER...TOO BAD ITS ALL JUST A DREAM ;)

JUST KIDDING!!! YOU GUYS REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A DREAM BUT I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT UNTIL I SAW YOUR COMMENTS. LEGITIMATELY GUYS, IT DIDN'T EVEN CROSS MY MIND.

I've been waiting to write this chapter for over a week and I'm really happy about how it turned out. It's basically a conflict-less chapter and I haven't written one of those in like ever. Also, who caught the Princess Leia/Han Solo moment at the very end? ;)

-J