24. BREATHE AGAIN

My hand freezes mid-air as my brain registers the words making my head snap in the direction of the voice.

My lips part as I look at him in shock, smiling weakly at me, "Hey, bambi." He manages to croak out.

Tears pool in my eyes upon hearing his weak voice and I finally straighten my posture, still unable to recover from the initial shock of seeing his beautiful midnight blue eyes staring back at me.

"Staring is rude." He comments.

And that is when I fall on my knees and break down into sobbing. All the pent up emotions comes flooding through the gates, at once. I cover my mouth with my hand as his image blurs because of my crying. In the back of my mind, I could hear him say something but could not concentrate on the words.

So I rub my eyes to clear my vision and find him trying to get up from the bed.

"Oh God, no!" I huff and run over to the stupid human being.

"Stop, Nick. You'll hurt yourself." I say taking a hold of his arms and helping him to lie down again.

"Stop crying, bambi." He says brushing his fingers on my wet cheeks.

I gulp and fill a glass of water for him to drink. He raises his head from the pillow and chugs it down in one go and rests his head on the pillow again.

Meanwhile, I keep staring at him as he closes his eyes in tiredness. He had lost so much weight in these two weeks. My eyes tear up again and I bring my shaking hand up to touch his face, to make sure that he is real, that he have actually opened his eyes.

"I thought, I thought I lost you." I whisper to myself as my warm hand comes in contact with his cold skin.

His eyes open once again and I notice how the blue in them had dulled. His lips lift up in a smile which makes my heart skip a beat and butterflies to flutter in my stomach.

"No, you didn't." he whispers back snapping me out my trance.

"Huh?" I ask blinking my eyes.

"You did not lose me, you won't." he replies clearing my confusion.

My posture relaxes and I close my eyes sighing in gratefulness.

"I'll inform the doctor." I mumble and turn to leave.

Nick grabs my hand and I look back at him, knitting my brows, "What?"

"Just stay, I'm fine." he speaks quietly and I can detect a hint of tiredness.

"I-" I begin to say, while pointing at the door, but he cuts me off.

"Just come here." He whispers with a gentle tug at my hand.

I keep staring at him dumbfounded for a few seconds but eventually give in and go to sit next to him on the chair.

"No, not there." He pulls at me hand and nods his head towards the bed.

I shake my head, "Nick, no, I'll hurt you." I say in worry.

"You could never hurt me, Liza." He says.

"But you did." I whisper softly.

He looks at me in confusion for a second before his expressions morphs into realization and he shakes his head, parting his lips to say something but I cover his mouth with my hand.

"No, no. Don't say anything at all. Don't say sorry, just don't. It isn't your fault, of course it isn't. It was an accident and, and you couldn't do anything about it and I, I am so sorry that it happened to you." I say.

"But?" he probes.

I inhale a shaky breath and reply, "But it hurt me more than it physically hurt you. And I thought I lost you 'cause one second you were there and the other you were not and this thought, just this thought alone, ripped my being to shreds because I honestly have no idea what I would do if you wouldn't look at me tomorrow, or talk to me or smile at me. The earth doesn't revolve around you but, my life does. And well it stopped the moment you didn't open your eyes and this world, for me, was painted in all the negative colors. And there is so much guilt and so much regret that has been growing inside of me because you're one of the few persons I just cannot imagine losing or seeing in such state and I wished that I had said this sooner because you asked me that day in hallway what else have I learned in your language and I just wanna seize this opportunity before it gets taken away again, I, ti amo. Ti amo tanto."

(I love you. I love you so much.)

I see a muscle in his jaw twitch and he swallows, his midnight orbs shining with a thin layer of tears as he stares back at me in somewhat awe and adoration, "Ti amo anch'io." He says quietly.

I cup his jaw and lean down to kiss him. Sparks fly as soon as my lips touches his which moves against mine in sort of urgency. I feel as if someone is filling my lungs with all the needed air. And it all suddenly feels alright, like things are back to normal.

"That's it." I whisper pulling away.

He smiles at me and kisses my hand, "Thank you."

"What for?" I frown.

"For existing." He replies without missing a beat.

Heat crawls up my neck making him grin. I caress his hair with my free hand, "Everyone's been worried sick about you, you know? Ezra has stayed here with you every single night. He has been so quiet and upset ever since." I tell him.

"I don't know what happened, I co- wait, what about the other driver?" he asks in concern.

I shake my head at him and his face falls, "Oh my God." He whispers to himself.

"He was drunk out of his wits, Nick." I inform.

"That's why he couldn't take control of his car. It all happened in a spur of the moment." He says.

"It did but you're fine now." I squeeze his hand gently.

He nods his head, "I could hear you. I could hear you all, I don't know how but I could and I am so sorry I could not be there with you." He tells.

I smile weakly at him, "You are, now, and I am not letting you go anywhere."

He moves a little and make some space on the bed before patting on it, "Come here."

"What are you doing, Nick? I can't sleep there, what if I hurt you?" I ask in panic.

"You wouldn't." he states.

After hesitating for a few seconds, I eventually lie down next to him, carefully, and his good arm comes to wrap around me to pull me closer to him.

"You've slept long enough." I comment.

"Not with you." He teases.

"Goodnight, Nick." I say.

"Goodnight, Liza."