Chapter 1

On a dark, muddy day, Callie was driving down a dirt road, in her blue, 1970’s ford truck. The weather man on the radio had warned everyone about the slickness tonight’s storm would bring. She insisted on still driving to see her tough bull rider,Justin Matese. He was a Professional Bull Rider. As she was driving, she thought about calling him and saying she’d be a little late. Callie had decided not to do so. All of a sudden a dog ran out into the road. Callie swerved three or four times. She drove off the dirt road and rolled down a hill.

“Bump, Bump, Bump, Bump”

Callie screamed the words, “My Lanta Georgia, Help Me!”

Then, all went black. The next thing she knew she was in an ambulance, with people rushing around her. She opened her eyes, her lashes fluttering. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach and tried to sit up. Callie screamed.

Callie asked, “What is wrong with me? Where am I?”

No one answered her. She sat up again and caught a glimpse of what was in her stomach. Callie realized it was a Shard of glass, about 8 inches long. She looked down at her legs and arms, there was a gash in her right leg. The ambulance stopped and started getting me out and into the emergency room. We seemed to zoom right past everything. Time consumed my world, right then and there. I was rushed into surgery and they put a mask over my face. I lost consciousness in about 10 seconds after they put the mask on. When I woke up I was in a hospital bed. I felt extremely lightheaded and couldn’t remember anything that happened before the accident. In an instant, a strange group of people surrounded me.

I asked, “Who are you? What are you doing?”

There was an elderly woman and she started to cry. A man about in his early twenties approached me. He was tall, muscular,and seemed like a farmer. He leaned down to hug me. I had no idea why or what relation I had with him, if any at all.

He asked me, “Callie, do you remember me? It’s Justin Matese, your boyfriend.”

Alarmed I answered, “ Boyfriend? I don’t remember anyone named Justin Matese.”

He walked out of the room and I heard a door slam. I flinched at the sound. A tall woman approached me. She put a hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

She said, “It’s gonna be alright Callie, we’ll get through this together.”

I nodded. They just stood there, but soon left me. I appeared to be alone again. I slowly drifted into a deep lonesome sleep. As I was sleeping I had flashbacks of the crash. I didn’t want to hit the dog, so I swerved. Next thing ya know,I was tumbling down the hill, wondering if I was gonna survive or parrish. I woke up with a startle, gasping for air. I tried to calm down, but couldn’t. I turned over, and cried. I ended up falling into a short nap. I awoke in a peaceful manner. I tried moving my legs but was unable to. I couldn’t feel anything in my legs. A tall slender figure approached me. It appeared to be the doctor in a sleek white coat.

I asked the doctor, “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I feel my legs?”

The  doctor sat down on my bed and patted my blonde hair.

He said to me, “Ms. Taylor, in the crash you were thrown through the windshield, and strung in a tree. The paramedics found you laying over a limb. They think when you went threw the windshield your legs hit the tree first and destroyed your nerve connection.

I screamed as loud as I could, tears dwelling in my eyes waiting to come down.

Callie replied, “Why me!”

The doctor told me to relax. He left right after he said that and I started to wonder what I was like. I had no idea of my past life and wanted to fix any mistakes I had made in it. All I knew was what I looked like now, at this very exact moment. I seemed to be pretty tall,and had a lot of freckles. I definitely had lots across my face and on my shoulders. I soon fell asleep and before I knew it I woke up. I checked the stitches on my stomach. They were small stitches, going in a curved pattern.  All was good there and on my leg. I layed back down, but then heard someone coming my way. There was two voices talking, both sounded like men. I sat up to prepare myself for who it was. The curtain flowed as it opened around me. I saw the man I had met the other day who called himself Justin Matese. He waved a hello and I waved back.

The doctor said, “Callie, Justin would like to talk to you about some things. Is that ok?”     

I just answered with a polite “Yes.”

The doctor left, as Justin approached me. He sat on the brim of my bed, hands in his jean pockets.

Justin said, “ Callie, I know you don’t remember me, but I would like to try to start over. I’ll give you as much time as you need to take everything in. This is all my fault. I really should have called you, to make sure you were ok. If I would have done that, everything would be the same.

Callie said, “ No, it's not your fault, I was the one who was in the car and swerved. I just need some time to take everything in, ok?”

He said, “ That's fine with me. I  also heard about your legs. Do you need anything from me? I’d be more than willing to do it.”

I replied, “ Yeah, I guess that’s the least I could’ve gotten from the crash. Also, who were those other people that came with you?”

Justin told me, “They were your mom, pop, sister, and brother. Your mom, Meredith, was the one who was crying. She was just heartbroken that her daughter had this happen to her.”

“Oh,” I said.

I felt like I could’ve came up with more to say, but didn’t know what file it was in my brain. He patted my leg. I couldn’t feel it, but I didn’t know if I wanted to either.

He said, “Goodbye, I am here whenever you need me.”

Justin was walking out of the room, when I shouted, “Wait!”

He paused and turned around.

“Yes,” he said.

“What was my career?” I said.

“You were a Barrel Racer. The first best in the state.” He said.

I thought to myself, how could I do that? I look so...weak.

As if reading my thoughts, he said, “You were the toughest woman I ever met in my life, Callie.”

When he said that,there was a spark in my chest. It was like a feeling of warmth, or joy.

“What’s your career?” I asked.

“A Professional Bull Rider.” He replied.

“ Impressive. You gotta have guts for that type a rodeo,” I said.

“One more thing. The doctor said you get out Tomorrow. If your feeling well enough, I have a rodeo this saturday. It’s up to you...if you would like to go. Also, your mother bought you a blue dress. She said it goes good with your blue eyes and freckles.”

I started imagining what my mother was like. I gazed out the window and listened to the rain against the window go, pitter, patter, pitter, patter. Justin’s heavy footsteps faded into the distance of the unknown world. The sun disappeared into the distant sky, replaced with the glowing moon. It was about eight o’clock at night. I hit the button on my bed to page the nurse. She came in within the next five minutes.

I asked, “Do you have any books to read?”

“Yes ma'am, I have a book I just finished. It’s called “Cowgirl’s Dream”, she said.

She went out quickly and returned with a book. The book looked about 600 pages long. I read to about eleven o’clock. Then I fell asleep. The following morning I realized it was Thursday. Since I couldn’t walk, two doctors came into my room with a wheelchair. They lifted me from the bed, and into the wheelchair. I was wheeled down to the parking lot. I wasn’t able to drive, so my mother came to pick me up. She owned a green, ford pickup truck. The doctors lifted me into the passenger side. It stunk like a butchered steer. In a millisecond my sight was clouded with a vision of a farm and about 200 head cattle. I saw a man and a woman leaning against a fence, watching horses. Both of the people were dressed in jeans, flannels, and boots. I heard them laugh, they sounded like a bunch a donkeys. The woman turned around. She looked straight at me. With shock that sent a ghostly shiver down my spine, I saw it was me. Then, the woman and man were gone, I was back in the truck.

My mother asked, “Callie, what’s wrong sweetie? Did you have a flashback?”

I sat there, frozen still, just like time.

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I finally spoke.

“ I saw myself and a man. We were leaning on a fence. There was cattle and horses. It was definitely a ranch,” Callie said.

“Callie, that was you and Justin. It was your two year anniversary. He proposed to you that day. The two of you youngins were supposed to get married in two months.”

I looked down at my hand to see if there was a ring. Of course, there was a silver ring. I guess I had never noticed it because I was too busy worrying and wondering.

My mother spoke softly, “He was so worried that you were dead. Justin wanted to make sure you were ok. He got so frustrated. You had fixed his world, Callie. When he met you, he never left you alone. Everyday Justin would come up to the house and bring flowers or somethin for ya. That one day he proposed to you, your heart seemed to be full of joy.”

“I suppose I said yes, since the ring is on my skeleton, skinny fingers,” I said. “Must have been expensive.”

“Actually, the ring was his great grandmother’s. His mom has had it in her house. She waited until he had the right girl to give it to,” she replied.

When my mother said that, I wanted to crawl in a corner and cry. How could I possibly be his jeans and boots princess.

I whispered, “Can we just go home, wherever home is? I don’t really want to talk about this.”

“Sure honey, I need to get home and start dinner for your father anyway.”

We were in the car for about forty-five minutes, before my stomach spoke to me. My mom stopped at a gas station. We picked up an order of ribs and a coke. I plowed through each rib licking my fingers after each one. I never took a sip of my coke until I was finished. Callie’s moma watched in amazement of how fast she ate. Her mom, Meredith, laughed and snorted. Callie couldn’t help herself and started laughing too. They started the journey again, on their way home. Callie flaked out in about 10 minutes, after they started driving again. Callie felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She rubbed her eyes. The light shone brightly in her pupils. Callie flinched back, almost like a vampire. Her mom was sitting next to her, looking at her with a giddy smile.

“ Honey, we’re home, wake up,” she said.

Callie opened the door, ready to step out. Then she remembered she had no function in her legs.

Meredith yelled, “ Hold on just a minute girly. You wait for your mama.”

I laid back in the passenger seat, waiting. She came around with the wheelchair. I stared at it , like it was an alien or something. My mama lifted me up into the wheelchair. She had a ramp up to the house door. I was guessing they had built that after they found out I was the crippled one, not the dog. I was rolled into the house, that’s when I saw him. It was Justin. Which I had no idea why he was here, now, at this very exact moment. He was talking to another man, who I guessed would be my father. I just smiled and waved to him. My mother rolled me into the living room. She tried hauling me onto the couch, but had trouble. My father came over to help her. He grabbed my legs and my mother grasped my arms. They carefully laid me down like I was a piece of china, that was 1,000 years old. I moved my torso to adjust  toward the old, 1990’s t.v. screen. I took the remote and flipped the t.v. on. A black and white movie came on. I didn’t know what it was, but I left it on. The t.v. semed to rock me asleep like a mom sings a lullaby to her child. I was out cold in about the next three minutes. All of a sudden, I appeared to be in a different house. It was not a house I had ever seen before. I heard thumping footsteps coming down the stairs.

Someone yelled, “Callie!”

I realized with a sudden startle that was my name. I was dreaming again, having a flashback.

    Another voice, most likely female, hollered back, “I’m in the kitchen Justin!”

I watched and stared, knowing that that was myself and my boyfriend before the crash. They couldn’t see me, but I could see them. Tears waited to roll down my cheeks like a waterfall. I did my best to hold them in, but they came down anyway. Justin came downstairs and walked towards me, the old me. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a kiss. I was actually standing then...standing. She snorted and kissed him back. I couldn’t stop crying because it was something I couldn’t have, but wanted so deeply back. I couldn’t remember any of it, not a single thing until now. This little piece, that proved I had fallen in love before. I woke up alarmed at what I had seen. I felt my cheeks for tears that rolled down. Sure enough there was some on both my cheeks. I turned my hips around to crack my back. I froze straight dead still. Justin was behind the couch in a cowboy hat, Wranglers, boots, and a flannel.

“What's going on, are you ok?” He asked me.

    Callie said, “ Don’t worry it was just a flashback, nothing to be clumsy over.”

He moved towards me in big long strides. He turned a lamp on and his hair glowed in the glimmering light.

    “Callie, you can trust me. I’m not out to hurt you, just tell me. If you want to keep this between just me and you, I don’t care,” Justin said.

    “You really want to know about the flashback. Fine. Better sit down cause it’s a pertty long one. It had you in it to, so prepare yourself,” Callie said.

    “ I’ve had worse in the past, so shoot,” he said.

He sat down on the brim of the couch next to my crippled self. Justin leaned back and threw his arms out like a guy does to a girl in the movies. Although he got nowhere close to me. I giggled like a highschool girl when he missed. I went on to tell him about the flashback. I got to the part where he was in the kitchen with me.

    He stopped me with a surprised look and said, “You saw me and you together?”

“Yeah. I mean I don’t know why my amnesia let me remember that,” I said with a shaky voice.

    “ Oh. Did you see anything else? Could you remember the day of that or anything?” He said.

I looked straight into his deep piercing blue eyes and said, “No, There was nothing to signify that anywhere.”

Callie sat up and collapsed her head into her small fragile hands.

    “ I’m sorry,” she said.

Justin grasped Callie’s hands with his in a gentle manner.

“It's not your fault  Callie. Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you remember something about me,” he said.

I gulped down a mouthful of emotions as they all wanted to come up at the same time. I wanted to cry and him to hold me until I fell asleep. Tears silently rolled down my cheeks. I didn’t think Justin cared about asking to grab me, because he did anyway. He embraced me in his long arms like a mother cradles her child. I sank into them quickly, melting like a snowman. I layed back down and he went with me. It didn’t bother me even though I barely knew him.

Justin said, “Shhh. Everythings gonna be just fine Callie. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Through mumbled words I whispered, “Thank you.”

I suppose I fell asleep because when I woke up I turned around and I was still on the couch in the morning. I shifted my hips to look behind me. Justin was still there.

I couldn’t move anywhere so I tapped his shoulder. He didn’t wake up. I tapped Justin again, this time he grumbled and shifted.

    Justin rubbed his eyes and mumbled, “ Callie?”

I looked at Justin to make sure he was awake. Sure enough he was and looked at me with a workin man’s eyes.

    I spoke softly, “Sorry to wake you, but I can’t get up on my own. I’m kinda gettin hungry.”

Justin groaned like he was in pain as he got up and lifted himself over me. He marched over to the corner where my wheelchair was. Justin pulled it out and brought it over to the corner of the couch. He lifted me into the wheelchair and took me to the kitchen.

    Callie said, “ Ummm… Where is the spices?”

I already had the skillet and eggs because they were laying there to start with.

    “They’re in the bottom cabinet to your left,” Justin said.

I wheeled myself forward and reached in as far as I could. I got very close to it. The next thing I knew I was slipping from my wheelchair. I tried to grab hold of the handles, but it didn’t help. I was on the floor in an instant trying to grab hold of something. I crumpled over onto my legs.

Justin came rushing in and yelped like a puppy. He bent down near my misshapen body.

    “Callie!” He yelled.

I groaned and held my hip. I knew there was nothing wrong with it besides the striking pain I had at that moment. Justin slid his hands under my back. He took long quick strides towards the couch, careful not to hurt anything else. Justin took such caution with me, and I didn’t know why. I started to realize I was slowly but surely falling in love with him. I didn’t know why I was thinking of that, when I was about limp. I was set onto the couch in the next few minutes. Surprisingly, my parents hadn’t woken up with all the commotion that was occuring.

    Justin was looming over me, checking to make sure I was ok. He had pulled up a chair and sat so close to me, it seemed that I had no breathing room.

    “ Justin, I’m fine. Don’t worry, I don’t feel any pain at all. Nothing’s wrong,” I said.

He threw his face into his hands and sighed deeply. I wasn’t sure if I had said something wrong.

    Justin rose his voice and said, “Callie, you just don’t get it do you? If you get hurt it’s like me dying. You want to try to get things on your own, yeah I get that. Sometimes you need to ask for help or your gonna get yourself hurt. That would make me crumble into a pile of ashes,Callie. At anytime, if you died on me, I would kill myself.”

    “Justin, nothings gonna ever happen to me as long as I have someone to protect me. I’m never leaving you. Not ever in my life. Plus, we have our whole lives to look forward to. We’re only twenty-two and twenty-three.”

Right after I said that, Justin put his hand on my cheek. He pulled me close to his chest and kissed me. I hadn’t decided whether to kiss him back or not, but I guess I did. I had my arms around his neck and it felt like the moment would never end. Justin pulled away and that was when the moment ended.

    “Callie...I need to know if I’m moving to fast for you. I don’t wanna do anything to disrespect you,” Justin replied softly.

    Callie spoke quietly, “ Hey… I’m right here, don’t fret. Look forward to tomorrow. Your rodeo’s tomorrow. I’ll be there watching you the whole time.”

Justin enclosed me in his arms in a quick motion. I collapsed into his arms like an angel falling from heaven. Justin laid back slowly onto the rest of the couch. It sounded like he was crying, but I think it was just me. My legs were already splayed out on the couch, so no problem there. I fell asleep in his comforting embrace. I woke up around seven thirty in the morning with a bright shining light in my eyes. Justin was no longer under me, but was standing by the living room curtains he had opened.

“ Good mornin sunshine!” Justin shouted.

I rubbed my eyes softly and looked toward the kitchen. It took me a minute to realize where I was. I could hear the birds chirping about to each other. It sounded like they were speaking nonsense. Yeah, I could definitely understand what the birds were saying to each other. I giggled at the crazy thoughts I was coundereing up in my mind.

    Apparently someone heard me and bellowed my name out. “Callie!”

No doubt about it, it was my mother. Footsteps were pounding down the hallway towards the living room. I layed back and groaned loudly. I didn’t want to even move my muscular body. My mother made it to the living room and went straight for my wheelchair. At that point I knew I had to get my lazy butt up.

    “ Come on honey, we got a rodeo to make it to,” my mother declared.

I used my hands to scoot myself towards the edge of the couch. I made it and slid gently into the wheelchair.

    “ Justin, you best be gettin your big self towards that door too, mister,” moma exclaimed.

I was wheeled into the kitchen towards the dinner table. We all ate breakfast together, except for Justin, who was already on his way preparin. I had the urge to tell my moma about the kiss last night, but I just stayed quiet. I thought I better keep it to myself. I wondered if Justin had noticed I still had the ring on my finger. I’d have to ask him about that tonight when we came home. The next thing I knew we were on our way to the rodeo grounds to see Justin’s rodeo. My mother helped me dress into a snug pair of wranglers, a flannel, and cowboy boots. I had to wrestle with her for not wanting to wear the dress... to a rodeo. I didn’t know whether I looked very presentable or not. It didn’t really matter anyway. Who cares what anyone thinks. When we got there, we got seats right in the front by the fence. I was watchin all the other men ride the bulls and no one had been on for eight seconds yet. Two more riders and then it would be Justin’s ride. It came to be his turn and he was sat on top of the bull, high prided. He flashed me a glossy white- teethed boyish smile. The kind of smile that made a girl blush for countless minutes. A foghorn blew and the bull was let out with Justin atop him. He was shiftin this way and that on top of the bulls back. Then the clock hit eight seconds. Everyone around shouted hoorays and cheers. All of a sudden, Justin was thrown up off the bull and flipped three times, like a ragdoll. He landed in the dirt with a loud bone chilling crack.His hat had fell off and he was limp. The barrelman were keeping the bull away as Justin lay there motionless. I watched in horror as I saw him there. I was still in my wheelchair and started wheeling through the crowd.

    I shouted as loud as I could, “Justin!”

I didn’t care if I got pushed or shoved while treading through the crowd. All I was focused on was getting to Justin. Two men were making their way toward him at a sprint. I was so anxious things seemed to blur in my vision. I made it to the gate and tried to open. Other riders were there staring at me pathetically.

    “M’am, we can’t let you in there,” a dark shadowed man mumbled.

    I screamed, “ Open it!”

He seemed stunned at my reaction, but then quickly opened it. I rushed toward Justin as fast as the wheelchair allowed me. The men were already there checkin for a pulse. They looked at each other gravley. I started to cry and slipped myself out of my wheelchair to lay beside him. I made it to him and slinked like a snake toward him. I put my hands under his nostrils to check for myself. He was still breathing, but very weakly. At any givin moment his one breath could be his last.

    As the men approached, one bent down near me and asked, “Ms, we need to take him to the emergency room, right now. You are welcome to come with us in the ambulance.”

    “ I need help getting back up into the chair,” I whispered.

The man lifted me up into the chair and I wheeled myself the rest of the way next to Justin in the stretcher. I was lifted up onto the floor inside the ambulance. My head collapsed onto Justin’s chest. I had fallen asleep. Soon enough I  woke up in my wheelchair, in a hospital room. I looked around the room and my eyes landed on Justin. He had a breathing tube lodged in his throat. I felt disoriented, out of sorts. I didn’t know what to do, other than just sit there and pray for him to come back to me. Then, a nurse emerged from the doorway and looked around.

    She stared at me with Pitying eyes, and whispered, “ Good morning, Mrs.Callie.”

I waved with a slight of my hand, but did not take my eyes off Justin. She strided across the room to the bedside to check Justin’s vitals.

    I murmured, “ When will he wake up? How long will it be?”

Her expression was easily readable. It would be weeks, maybe even months. Tears pooled in my eyes, starting to stream down. I sniffled as quietly as I could so the nurse wouldn’t hear. Although she heard anyway. I lay back in my wheelchair waiting, watching, for the moment he’d wake up. I leaned toward him, and cupped my hand against his cheek.

    “ Come back to me, please. I need you here with me,” I had begged.

I couldn’t bare to see him like this for one more moment. I wheeled myself backward towards the door and into the hallway. I went down to the cafeteria and ate something. Anything I had aten felt like air coursing through my lungs. I suppose I was the talk of the hospital, since I was getting pitiful, apologizing looks. I stared at the food I had on my styrofoam tray. I didn’t feel like touching it anymore. I wheeled myself back to Justin’s room. I stared at him for a long time, my eyes lingering on his broken body.

“ I love you, Justin Matese,” I murmured into his ear.

I felt helpless, like Robin in Batman. The pitiful sidekick that can’t do anything. I started sobbing, wishing he would come back at any moment. I cried myself to sleep through the night. I was out cold for most of the night and morning. I woke up to see three doctors surrounding Justin. My eyes stung like wasps, from crying. Doctors gave me curious wondering looks as to if I didn’t know what was going on.

    “Ms.Callie? Are you awake?” A doctor had gushed, like it was some great thing they woke me up.

    “ It’s Mrs.Callie, I’m married,” I retorted.

I looked at the group of doctors then at Justin. They had piles of paperwork in their hands. It must’ve been the vitals and stats or something for me to sign. I thought crazy thoughts of what it could be. A grey haired man that was about fifty approached me.

    “ Your husband, is in a level two coma, ma’am. He didn’t get the worst of what he could’ve gotten,” the doctor blurted out.

    “ What’s a level two co…” I had asked.

    The doctor spoke in a rushed voice, “ A level two coma is something that takes a few weeks to wake up from. Although, your husband didn’t get a full level two coma. The bull only tipped his head with the weight it carried, not all. Your husband will wake up in the next ten hours.”

I was overwhelmed with joy, that I forgot I was even paralyzed. I sprang into the doctor’s arms like a cat. He caught me with a surprise, stumbling back barely. He held me up for about two minutes. I was plopped back into my chair. The doctors soon left with loud thuds, that sounded like boots. I turned towards Justin and let out a relief of joy.

    “Your comin home, Justin!” I bellowed.

I laughed hysterically, till the point my throat started aching. Later that night, I slouched down in my wheelchair and cradled myself. I didn’t fall asleep until midnight. It was about four in the morning when I woke up. Justin was still asleep, but his blood pressure and heart rate looked better.  I moved toward the bedside. It was a really low bed so I could reach him. Deep in my heart I had that fairytale Snow White feeling.

    “ Kiss the princess and she will awake because it is true love,” I said to myself

Although, this time it would be the opposite way around. I leaned down and kissed Justin. I didn’t care if he wasn’t going to kiss me back or not. It was worth a try. I felt short gasps of cool breathe on my face. I thought it was my own self, trying to realize what I just did. I opened my eyes to see a pair of dark brown ones staring straight back at me. I pulled back and saw him. Alive and well. My Justin, right there in front of me.

“Kiss the princess and she will awake because it is true love,” he whispered.

I thought my vision was playing tricks on me, until he pulled me back in. The kiss was unmistakable, it was my Justin and he was right in front of me. The kiss lasted for eternity. I was surprised on the feel of my hips lifting up. I didn’t let go, nor looked back. I crumpled onto Justin’s chest and lay there. I just layed there wanting to cry. I finally        broke down with tears of joy.

    “ Shhhhh… I’m right here Callie. I’m never leaving you again,” Justin cooed.

I heard a door close and a few big gasps. I didn’t care anymore, nothing mattered at that moment except, Justin. Tears were refusing to stop coming down from the colored orbs in my eye sockets.

    “Mrs. Callie, is everything all right?” A doctor said.

I pulled away from the deep kiss and looked back. Sure enough I wasn’t wrong about there being an audience of doctors watching. I giggled a tad bit before turning to face the doctors with full attention. At least the attention I had for them.

    “Oh, everythin’s fine. By the way, Justin woke up about twenty minutes ago,” I replied with a hint of sarcasm in my tone.

    The doctor quickly retorted back, “Yes yes, I can see he looks alive and well. We still need to run a few quick tests to make there are no ruptures. Also, his vitals look fine, so we will check that off the list.”

With a slight nod of my head, the doctors understood he had my permission to run the tests. I layed back against Justin, trying not to hurt him. The doctors left the room within the next ten minutes after asking a few additional questions. As I lay there I couldn’t help but think of all the things that could’ve been worse. It could’ve been weeks or months, before Justin woke up, but someone took mercy on him. I was grateful for that. The fact I didn’t have to live without him. The thought of it shot shivers up my spine.

Justin latched his arms around my waist. I had my hands under his shirt, his muscular build colliding with my fingertips. It felt as though the missing piece to my life had been distinguished. A strand of hair fell out from behind my ear. I watched it slip from the threshold of my ear. Justin moved his hand to gently grip it and put it back. His fingertips entwined it and put it back. His rough but smooth fingers, brushed my temple. I blushed deeply.

“I love you Callie Smith,” Justin had said it pleasant but yet so serious.

He grabbed  my hair and kissed me. I leaned into the kiss. My hands ran up his shirt feeling the muscular build of his abdomen. I had a mental note in my head that told me this was kiss number six. I was never leaving his side, until death do us part.