Coma

OurHeartbreak

■NYC, 2 years ago.

Elliot’s POV.

At Valentino’s, where Veronica and I were supposed to meet, I was sitting on the table waiting for her to come.

IT was a beautiful café with a rustic vibe that reminds me of Timmy’s back in Baldwin, the difference? This didn’t feel home. Like when I used to have precious time with my friends, my lover, where I shared my happiest times, with no worries.

Veronica cut off my thoughts when she sat in front of me quickly.

“Sorry for being late! There was traffic on the way.

-Hi, Veronica. Well if you didn’t come on time, well…” I wanted to tease her.

“Well?

-I would wait for you to come, that’s it. Now tell me more about yourself.

-I am Veronica, I come from New York and I am a literature professor, I work in NYC university, and I am passionate about books. What about you?

-Nice, well, I am Elliot, I come from Baldwin, and I am a dealer, I work for NYC wall street, the banks sector, and my life doesn’t sound boring like you think, I am actually living some ups and downs in my life.

-Do these ups and downs relate to what you sent to me via texts today?

-It is. Are you interested in hearing my story?

-Tell me, if I can give you a good advice, I guess you won’t mind.

-Well, I am a 23 years old grown man, who fell in love with a 19 years old girl, I love her for her genuine persona, how funky she is, although we differ in many aspects, and we may not be on our best terms, but still we loved each other.

-Where is the problem in that though?

- there are many problems that we’re facing, actually I am facing, I don’t know about her now. We are on a break.

The biggest problem is that I am forcing myself to get to know her world better, but it seems I am not indulged in it like I want. There were plenty of nights, Kate would be gazing out, she was present as body with me but she wasn’t vibing like I wanted her to be. She didn’t get jealous when she saw me with other women, like I don’t know if I am describing right, but lately, in our last days before our break, the fire of this relation vanished, it became lifeless.

-So you think your fire died? That’s the problem? Easy, you can solve it.

-But this isn’t the only problem, there is one more problem.

-What is it? Asked Veronica politely, she was listening carefully to what I was saying.

-I think, my dearest friend is in love with my girlfriend.

-WHAT? Said Veronica, her eyes became wildly bigger than usual. How is that!?

-I told you I think. But all I know he isn’t interfering in my personal business, in fact, he was supportive, like you know, he helped me to solve my things with her.

-And what does she have to do with all of this?

-She needed a break to figure things, to figure ourselves. Maybe we are too different and we can’t continue.

-And don’t you think she is right? Said Veronica with a low tone, her hand on the back of her neck, like she was telling me to act with her.

-I don’t know, but I can give it a try, since she isn’t even trying to contact me, why would I care? Tell me about your love life.

-Mine is a little bit less complicated, actually it has always been about him. My ex fiancé was pretty abusive to me. I discovered this lately. So I decided to take the lead and leave him. Even though this was hard on me. But what can I do, this is all about love. It may lift you to the highest sky level, or burry you down deep the 7th ground.

-Veronica, do you have any other plan after our little coffee talk?

-Mmm. Actually not, what do you have in mind?

■Baldwin, 2 years ago.

I woke up in Theo’s room. I looked around me. I looked at my body, it was scratched by littles grains of the forest’s rocks, I remember everything getting blurry after my fight with Theo, my head was banging, it was wrapped, all I remember that I was fuming because of him and I couldn’t see in front of me.

“You banged your head with a tree trunk. Said Theo while getting into the room.

-And why do you care? You already are over what we have, it seems. You hurt me more than this headache. I fired at him.

-You know that isn’t true. He said calmly avoiding eye contact.

-Then tell me what the truth is.

-The truth? I want you, I desire every detail about you, want to feel you, touch you, melt with your smiles. I want you to be mine, to be my only one. He said, his voice low and firm enough to make my heart stop.

-Then what’s wrong?” I tried to ask, my legs leading me to his way, I cant help staying away from him anymore.

I came closer to his side, cupped his face with both my tiny hands and made eye contact with him, at the moment, I just wanted to kiss him hard enough to cut off his breath.

As if we were sharing thoughts, he didn’t waste a second and started kissing me, this time it was different on a new level, he tightened his hands around my back, his muscular hands clenching and showing the veins, like he was hanging all his hope on me. And how can I be angry at him. I surrendered myself, I went with the flow. I just adore how passionate he can be. This is the love that I want to consume me. But then came reality, few seconds later, he loosened up his grip from around my back, the kiss was breaking off eventually and now we are apart.

His eyes were filled with tears, like he was broken.

“I can’t do this Kate. I am sorry.”

He just pulled away, like he didn’t want to touch me anymore. I felt mixed, anger, sadness, wonder, lost, all in one moment, I didn’t know how to express my feelings, I was burning to stay in his arms, yet he is detached, he decided to finish whatever we had without even trying to ask me what do I think about this. All I did, was just laughing.

Why laughing? I was laughing at my i***t self, the one that was ready to do whatever to make this work, for the sake of a lover, who wouldn’t fight for me like I would do for him. He was feeling guilt because of his best buddy, and I already knew the existence of this problem but I ignored it on purpose, for him. I looked at him, still my pain smile on my face, he was looking away. My eyes filled with tears, I could see his figure blurry.

“I can’t do this too. At least, I was prepared for such a situation, and you know, I miss Elliot. So. Much. He was thinking of me, respecting my choices, considering my feelings. Not like you, you didn’t even think how I would feel and for a moment? I am thankful we were taking our time in this. I am leaving.”

I left without even looking back, I wasn’t sure if it was daylight or night time, all I knew I got home, there were no one for my luck. I went to my room where I cried myself to sleep.

Meanwhile, Theo’s POV.

I wish I could stop her. But I knew I can’t. No, it wasn’t Elliot, I wasn’t feeling guilt, it was all because of this motherfucker Aaron. Earlier today, I woke up early. Kate was sleeping like an angel, I wanted to kiss her but I couldn’t wake her up. I was just staring at her beautiful face, how long her lashes were, how her beautiful cheeks were shining , but then I noticed something on the glass of the campervan. It was a sticky note, my blood froze when I knew who it was. It was Aaron, the casino owner, he was watching me all the time. On the sticky note, was an only sentence. “She is beautiful, check your phone for more photos.”

I quickly jumped out of the campervan and started looking around, if I could see anyone. There was no one. This was creepy.

I turned on my phone, tons of notifications started popping.

Most of them were from Aaron’s assistant.

“The master would like to inform you that your next work trip with us will be to New York. You should get ready by the end of this week, if you care to see your dad alive, your uncle and his wife left alone, and your cute girlfriend by herself, you should consider our offer.”

The text was attached to a photo of my dad at a club, Damian and his wife doing home chores together, and Kate and I photos from the last two days. I was terrified they might hurt them my family.. my loved people. And then I noticed that Kate woke up and she is coming closer, so I switched the chats to Elliot, what on Earth did he send me? I didn’t even read the text, all I knew is that I should protect Kate. The best way was to break her heart… knowing that she is safe and hates me is way more better than her loving me but at risk.

Those last days were the best of my life. The life I wish I can live like I want, like I desire, with her.

When she hit her head with the tree trunk , I felt my heart falling down with her. I was worried she could get hurt from evil people, all because of me? I would never want to hurt her this way. I felt her for the last time, her soft lips, her red cheeks and puffy red nose. I felt her heartbeat for the last time before she hates me. I guess my actions will let her get back with Elliot. Fine by me as long as she is fine, safe and all healthy, but without me. I hate this, but it is for the best.

■NYC, current time.

Theo’s POV.

All I wanted is for Kate to be safe, to be loved, be in safe hands, with people who love her. But here she is, in a coma, hit by a car, left to fight for her life by herself. My heart, my body, my soul were aching for her presence in my life. After Elliot’s visit, she was the only priority that I wanted to think of, at work, my mind was busy with memorizing her features, her sound, the way she moved like a butterfly. Everything about her would send me to heavens.

All day was blurry, the ghost of her in front of me snatched the little patience I had in mind. After I left the club, I rode my motorcycle and went to the hospital. Elliot mentioned she is still in the ICD, I don’t know which room, but I will find her. I am not expecting to see her, not awake, not living her best life.

I went through the rooms, it was almost 11 pm, I checked the rooms through the glass on the doors of each room. Until one room stopped me, I froze at my place, my breath held, and I could hear my heartbeats raising to my head, there she was, in this gloomy big hospital room, with big windows view, monitors surrounding her, the lights of New York skyscrapers, enlightened her room. I moved in, trembling, like there was something wrong. I felt strange. Like this is all unfamiliar, I remember her being vibrant and her shine surrounding her, I can’t believe she is in a coma, Kate is just sleeping, my Kate is just sleeping. I knelt next to her bed. I remembered that day she hit her head, and was asleep, I wrapped her head, here, her head is also wrapped. I wanted to touch her face, feel it again, after two years of being apart, torn apart. I couldn’t touch her. I just held her hand, I don’t have the right to even touch her, she is hurt, she deserves the whole world, not this, not what she had to face, I shouldn’t hurt her. She is tender like a flower petal, I just felt allowed to touch her hand, to feel her soft skin again. She moved it. Held it and squeezed it. She woke up.

“Theo? Is that you? Gosh, my head is banging? What on Earth happened?”

I looked at her, she was smiling at me.

“I missed you so much. Why did you leave!

-I am so sorry sunshine, I shouldn’t have, I had my reasons, Oh God, you’re real! My joy was extreme, you’re awake!”

But all of a sudden, my illusions got the best of me, I wish she could wake up and blame me for leaving her, slap me, at least she can be awake. But she wasn’t.

“Theo? Is that you!?” another voice popped in the room, it was Dilan