miserable I’d ever seen Jackson. He hardly ate, didn’t sleep, and he rarely cracked a smile, let alone joked or laughed. It was like he was wasting away without Piper.
Mom got angry saying that he was acting like a drug addict. I heard her and Dad talking about it late at night. Mom was saying that Piper and Jackson’s relationship wasn’t normal. That they were obsessed with each other. That Piper had ruined her son. I had laughed to myself at that, totally disagreeing. The truth was that I was always kind of envious of Piper and Jackson. They had the kind of love you usually only see in movies. Sure it was a little intense, but that’s what made it special. Truly they were like something out of a romance novel.
I think Mom and Dad hoped they would break up after their fight, but I knew they wouldn’t. And I was right. Jackson texted her late one night and apologized. I didn’t know what the text said, but I was sure it had a fair amount of groveling. Piper never made things easy for Jackson. I hoped I would be as tough as her when I had a boyfriend. The next day they were together and happy, as if nothing had happened at all.
That last night when Jackson left, I assumed the same thing had happened. I assumed he had texted Piper and they made up, so he was going to meet her. But maybe I’d been wrong. Sighing, I glanced back down at the poem. Had he said something that upset Piper? Something she couldn’t get past?
Everyone thought she’d killed him.
Could they be right?
Piper
The puking started again.
As awful as it was, I was actually grateful because it kept the cop out of my room. Instead, nurses rushed in and fiddled with my IV. I had no idea what they were giving me, and I didn’t care. Afterward Mom came to tell me that the results of the CT scan had come in. I did have a concussion. I knew I should be scared, but honestly I felt numb. And if I’m being completely truthful, a part of me didn’t care if I made it or not. A part of me wanted to die, to go be with Jackson.
How Romeo and Juliet is that?
Problem was that I wasn’t entirely certain I’d go where Jackson was. If heaven was real, then Jackson was there. I had no doubt in my mind. He was too good and pure not to be. Heaven would be a better place with him in it. After all, the world was a darker place since he left it. But my fate wasn’t as certain. Would heaven’s gates open for someone like me? Someone with my scars? Someone who’d committed my sins?
I didn’t think so.
Although Jackson made me believe I was special. He made me believe that my past didn’t matter; that my sins could be forgiven. There were times I even bought into it. Moments when I saw myself through his eyes. But now that girl was gone.
She’d died along with Jackson.
“Are you okay, honey?” Mom stood over my bed, worried lines etching her face.
No, I wasn’t okay. I’d never be okay again. I nodded.
Her hands came up, her fingers touching my hair. “You’re going to be fine. Your dad is making sure you’re getting the best medical care you can get.”
I still hadn’t seen him. Apparently he had time to talk to my doctors and make sure I was getting the best medical care, but he didn’t have time to come into my room and check on me himself. The familiar desperation rose up inside of me. That little girl who wanted her daddy’s attention more than anything spoke from deep inside my heart. She whimpered, begged, sobbed. Damn it, I wish she’d shut the hell up. When she got like this she made me do things. Things I shouldn’t do. She made me act out. Not that any of it ever worked. Nothing could get my dad to see me. He’d been looking through me so long I didn’t know if he’d even recognize me.
Swallowing hard, I turned away from Mom. She had great intentions, but she was clueless on how to help me. The only person who did was Jackson.
Jackson.
His name flooded me, my chest expanding at the very thought of him. If I couldn’t
Mom got angry saying that he was acting like a drug addict. I heard her and Dad talking about it late at night. Mom was saying that Piper and Jackson’s relationship wasn’t normal. That they were obsessed with each other. That Piper had ruined her son. I had laughed to myself at that, totally disagreeing. The truth was that I was always kind of envious of Piper and Jackson. They had the kind of love you usually only see in movies. Sure it was a little intense, but that’s what made it special. Truly they were like something out of a romance novel.
I think Mom and Dad hoped they would break up after their fight, but I knew they wouldn’t. And I was right. Jackson texted her late one night and apologized. I didn’t know what the text said, but I was sure it had a fair amount of groveling. Piper never made things easy for Jackson. I hoped I would be as tough as her when I had a boyfriend. The next day they were together and happy, as if nothing had happened at all.
That last night when Jackson left, I assumed the same thing had happened. I assumed he had texted Piper and they made up, so he was going to meet her. But maybe I’d been wrong. Sighing, I glanced back down at the poem. Had he said something that upset Piper? Something she couldn’t get past?
Everyone thought she’d killed him.
Could they be right?
Piper
The puking started again.
As awful as it was, I was actually grateful because it kept the cop out of my room. Instead, nurses rushed in and fiddled with my IV. I had no idea what they were giving me, and I didn’t care. Afterward Mom came to tell me that the results of the CT scan had come in. I did have a concussion. I knew I should be scared, but honestly I felt numb. And if I’m being completely truthful, a part of me didn’t care if I made it or not. A part of me wanted to die, to go be with Jackson.
How Romeo and Juliet is that?
Problem was that I wasn’t entirely certain I’d go where Jackson was. If heaven was real, then Jackson was there. I had no doubt in my mind. He was too good and pure not to be. Heaven would be a better place with him in it. After all, the world was a darker place since he left it. But my fate wasn’t as certain. Would heaven’s gates open for someone like me? Someone with my scars? Someone who’d committed my sins?
I didn’t think so.
Although Jackson made me believe I was special. He made me believe that my past didn’t matter; that my sins could be forgiven. There were times I even bought into it. Moments when I saw myself through his eyes. But now that girl was gone.
She’d died along with Jackson.
“Are you okay, honey?” Mom stood over my bed, worried lines etching her face.
No, I wasn’t okay. I’d never be okay again. I nodded.
Her hands came up, her fingers touching my hair. “You’re going to be fine. Your dad is making sure you’re getting the best medical care you can get.”
I still hadn’t seen him. Apparently he had time to talk to my doctors and make sure I was getting the best medical care, but he didn’t have time to come into my room and check on me himself. The familiar desperation rose up inside of me. That little girl who wanted her daddy’s attention more than anything spoke from deep inside my heart. She whimpered, begged, sobbed. Damn it, I wish she’d shut the hell up. When she got like this she made me do things. Things I shouldn’t do. She made me act out. Not that any of it ever worked. Nothing could get my dad to see me. He’d been looking through me so long I didn’t know if he’d even recognize me.
Swallowing hard, I turned away from Mom. She had great intentions, but she was clueless on how to help me. The only person who did was Jackson.
Jackson.
His name flooded me, my chest expanding at the very thought of him. If I couldn’t
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