Chapter 17 — By Your Side

WITH heavy lids, Audrey opened her eyes and found herself in a room with bright lights and smelled like powder. She tried to sit up and looked around. The bed where she’s lying was higher than usual and looked like the ones in the clinic. It was also covered with a white curtain; as she was about to jump down, the curtain slid off, and Justin stepped inside.

The man went to her side immediately and asked her how’s her feeling. “Do you need something?” he asked, looking worriedly at her.

Audrey looked at him questioningly with a knotted forehead. “I-I’m thirsty.”

“I’ll just get you a bottled water,” he said and quickly stepped outside the curtain.

Audrey looked around and asked herself why he’s here. She caught her throbbing temple. “Don’t dare to get out again, Althea,” she hissed and blinked her eyes twice. “What trouble did you do again?”

‘I’ll tell you if you let me out,’ a small voice in her head answered. ‘I have a revelation to tell you—’

“Shut up!” she said and pulled her hair. “Shut up—”

The curtain slid open, and the nurse looked at her in a knotted forehead. “Is there something wrong, Miss?”

Audrey held her breath and shook her head. “N-nothing…” she said and lay back again on the bed. She kept her eyes wide opened, scared that Althea will come out if she fell asleep.

Audrey felt tired, and her whole body ached. She can’t remember what happened earlier, and she doesn’t want to know it. But she’s sure that Justin will tell her about it, so she’s aware of the surroundings. Audrey brushed her shoulders.

“When will it end?” she asked herself as tears stung her eyes.

‘It won’t end.’

Audrey sat up again and shook her head. “Go away…” she whispered. “Go away.”

A few seconds later, Justin was back with a bottle of water and food. “You must be hungry, too,” he said and as he twisted the bottle cap and gave it to her. “I thought you wouldn’t wake up. I’m so worried about you.”

Audrey drank on the bottled water before she answered Justin. “Where are we?”

“I brought you to the nearest hospital from the mall,” he said and looked at her. “You fainted after…” he hesitated, “after Althea got in trouble with Nikki and her friends.”

Audrey’s brows furrowed. “Nikki? I don’t know her.”

“Nikki is our schoolmate. You don’t know her because she seldom went to your department,” Justin replied and held her hand. “Are you sure you’re okay now, Audrey?”

Audrey lowered her gaze to his hand on her arm. “Did I hurt them?”

Justin squeezed her arm. “It wasn’t you, Audrey. That was Althea.”

Audrey felt the throbbing pain again in her temple. She shut her eyes and opened it again. “Althea is still me, Justin,” she said, starting to cry. “People won’t believe if I tell them that it wasn’t me—”

“They will if you will tell them your mental condition.” Justin cupped her face and made her looked up at him. “I told you I’ll be here for you, Audrey.”

Tears fell on Audrey’s cheeks. Justin wiped them off. “Thank you, Justin. I don’t know what I will do if you’re not with me.”

Justin smiled. “We’re friends, right? And friends should help each other and stay on their side when they need someone to lean on.”

Audrey’s heart wrenched at what Justin said once again: Friends. Justin is doing all these because they’re friends, nothing more, nothing less. But for Audrey, it’s something. She just doesn’t know how she will express it or convey to him that all of these weren’t just an act of friendship for her. Audrey has started to depend on him and look for him whenever something concerning her condition happened. Because this is just a secret between them, Audrey’s attachment to him is becoming stronger.

“Y-Yes, we’re friends…” she repeated and took the sandwich from him. “Thanks for this.”

“You’re always welcome, Audrey,” he said with a smile that made her heart jumped again.

If Justin stays like this to her, Audrey might fall hard on him. She paused. What won’t he fall for me? ‘Then make sure that he will.’ Althea’s voice echoed again inside her head. ‘I can do that, Audrey.’

“By the way, Audrey, your mom kept calling me a little while ago,” Justin said to her. “I told her that we’re still watching movies because I know that you don’t want her to be worried about you.”

Audrey knotted her forehead. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Almost three hours, I think,” he replied. “The doctor said that you don’t have any head injury; you’re just tired and need a rest.”

“Wait, three hours?” She looked at her wristwatch. ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s past seven p.m.!” She jumped on the hospital bed, but her knees betrayed her. Before she could fall, Justin caught her.

“You’re not okay, Audrey,” he said. His handsome face showed worry for her.

“But I need to go home,” she said. Then looked for her bag. “Where’s my bag?”

“It’s here.” Justin took the bag from the table beside the bed and gave it to her. “Your phone’s battery is drained, and also mine.”

Audrey caught her forehead. “Justin, I need to go home.” She slid off the curtain and found other patients on separate curtains. She was inside a ward with other patients taking their night rest. “Mommy is looking for me—”

“I already called your house when I bought you food; I told your mom that we’re on our way home.”

“You did? Thank God.” She leaned on the edge of the bed. “How about the hospital bills? Who’s going to pay it?”

“I paid it already,” he said and smiled at her. “If you’re strong enough to walk, we can go now.”

Audrey tried to move her feet. “I think I can walk now,” she said and was about to walk when Justin put his arms around her shoulders. Audrey looked up at him in surprise. “I-I can—”

“I’ll help you, Audrey,” he told her. “Hold on to me so we could walk side by side.”

Audrey wrapped her left arm on his waist. Their bodies were pressed on each other, and Audrey can feel the heat from his body. Audrey dreamed about this, right? To be near Justin? To be hugged by him?

‘Why don’t you try dreaming of him naked and lying beside you in a bed?’ Althea’s voice echoed in her mind, but this time Audrey didn’t ditch her.