Chapter 24: Forever
I left the hospital the next day, completely bundled up in new clothes that Alice brought me. My mother was checked into the same hospital for psychiatric evaluation and it was determined that she suffered from an extreme anger disorder. She would remain in their care for observation and to determine the correct dose of medication, because they believed it was a chemical imbalance. I was upset that all those long years of suffering, all the trials could have been avoided with a simple prescription. It was hard for me to understand how we could have missed a disorder so unstable that my mom could have neglected to report me missing after two days. Despite that, I couldn't be angry at her. I knew that she was sick, that she really did love me, and that she was probably feeling regretful. But, only time would tell. She would be allowed full custody of us once she was deemed stable and as long as she continued her medication.
Lily was to remain with our grandma until my dad returned from his business trip. Grandma was shocked when Dad informed her that I was allowed to stay with Seth. Lily informed me that our grandma's side of the conversation sounded like this: "You do know that he's a boy right? A boy she likes? And staying with him includes sleeping? In a bed? At his house? And he's almost seventeen? And she's a girl? Fine! If you're so certain. We'll see who's right in the end." And then she proceeded to slam the phone. I was happy that my dad trusted us enough to stay together. No harm would ever come to me as long as I was with Seth.
That night, I was in Seth's bed and he was sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor. His room was so small that he barely fit, his head inches from the wall and his feet against the door. Even though the bed was only twin sized, it still felt empty, huge and cold. I was used to Daisy sleeping in my bed, and now it was just me. I scooted toward the edge of the bed and casually let my arm fall over the side. Almost immediately, Seth grabbed my hand. I squeezed it, then nestled into his pillow, letting his woodsy smell comfort me. As he drifted to sleep, his hand slowly released its pressure from my fingers, until he eventually let go. Instantaneously, I was freezing; I curled into a ball and huddled under his comforter, seeking any warmth I could find. I just couldn't seem to generate any body heat.
I sat up and gazed out the window, watching tiny little flakes of snow drift innocently to the ground. I shuddered, remembering how those innocent flakes could have easily taken my life away from me. My breath came in gasps, but I desperately tried to silence them to let Seth sleep. I lay back down and faced the edge of the bed, trying to even my breathing, to no avail. As I half hyperventilated, half held my breath; the world grew fuzzy around the edges. I felt myself start to roll forward off the bed. The world briefly went black, and then I awakened with a jolt as I landed directly on top of Seth.
His breath went out with a whoosh and his arms wrapped securely around me. He started stroking my back, and I realized I was crying.
"Honey, what's wrong? What happened?"
"C-cold… Empty… Snow… D-die… S-Scared!" I sobbed into his chest.
He made a whining sound, and then sat up, taking me with him. "It's okay." He whispered in my ear. "I've got you."
As he warmed me up, my sobs slowed. I looked up at him and said weakly. "I d-don't want to be cold any m-more!"
His brow furrowed, and then he stood us up and gestured to the bed. I crawled onto it and lay down. I looked up at him.
"How is this helping?" I asked, upset.
"Hold on." He said with a smile. He walked out of the room and came back with a huge, fluffy, down comforter. He threw it on top of me and slid underneath next to me. He pulled me closer and I rested my head on his chest, thoroughly enjoying the warmth that was now enveloping me. As I drifted to sleep, I felt him kiss my head and whisper "I love you, angel." I was too close sleep to respond, but I was thinking with every fiber of my being "I know now just how much you love me. I love you too. Forever."
A/N: That, my dear friends, is the end for now. I will not be adding any more chapters to this story. HOWEVER, I am most definitely going to be writing a sequel! I love these characters far too much to leave them. So, please vote on poll if you haven't yet about which time frame you want to read about; them still in high school, in college, or as adults. Also, leave me a review about what you liked/dislike about this story and this chapter, plus any questions you have! I would love to hear from you. Thanks so much for sticking with me so long and leaving me so many nice reviews, you guys rock!
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