"He confessed." said Blake the moment I opened my eyes. I took in my surroundings; white, sterile room. Lots of monitors that were beeping around my bed, the echoey hall behind the closed door. An old TV and lots of get well soon cards in the windowsill.
"How long have I been out?" I said, choosing to ignore Blake's previous statement. As badly as I wanted details, I didn't want to talk about Jack Manson, the Devil himself, the second I woke up.
My partner and best friend looked over at a calendar. "A week." He replied dully. I looked around. I've missed a week of life, spent here in these crinkly hospital sheets. I pulled them back to look at the damage. My hip ached and I could hardly move. I moved my hospital gown to the side to reveal a thick white bandage over it. I looked at him, my eyes saying so much more than I ever could. "It's not a broken bone." He said stiffly - why was he acting so weird? "It was mainly just tissues and muscle. You'll be in therapy for a while. Once you get back on your feet."
"Blake." I said simply. "Why are you acting so weird?"
He shifted his weight from one foot to another; a nervous tendency he had. He glanced at the large clock in the corner. "I have to go, I'm meeting my partner at a cafe and I can't be late."
I shot up. "Partner? What are you talking about?!"
Blake looked at me with sad eyes. "Haley." I had never heard his voice so harsh when he said my name. "You lost your job. It's over. This. It's done." I sobbed for who knew how long.
The next time the door to my room would open was a few hours later. It was Blake's mother. She was in yoga pants, sneakers, and a plain T-shirt. I'd never seen her so . . . laidback. She sat by my bed, taking my hand. "He hates this, you know." She said. I looked at her, dazed and confused. "He hates that you lost your job. That that man hurt you. He's angry at himself. He thinks it's all his fault. He regrets taking you to my event. I regret having it. I'm so sorry, Hayley dear. You're so sweet, and so good to him."
"If I was good to him I would still have a job and be doing my fair share of work." I said gruffly.
"He loves you." Blake's mother's words stunned me into silence. I looked up and stared at her. She nodded and left, as if her job had been done.
I pulled at the IVs in my forearm, screeching like a banshee. "I NEED OUT OF HERE AND I NEED OUT NOW! GET ME OUT OF HERE! NURSE! HELLO! OUT! THAT'S WHAT I NEED! HELP ME! SOMEONE LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE!" I screamed. A nurse rushed him, replacing all the IVs and telling me that the drugs can make some patients, like myself, a little worked up. She said not to worry and then gave me a huge dosage of something and I was out.
When I woke up, I remembered the painful last waking moments I had in the hospital. Blake's coldness, his mother confessing his love for me. I was shocked, confused, hurt. And sad.
At least Jack had confessed. That was the only thing I was happy about. I had loved my job. I wanted to know why I had been betrayed by my boss. I thought he genuinely liked me.
I laid my head down on a hard pillow and shut my eyes when I heard the door click open, and then close. Footsteps, and then a sob. "I'm so sorry, Hales." Blake's voice warmed my body. He took my hand and sat down. "I'm so sorry that I did this to you. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him! I want him to die. I want your parents to be alive and your best friend to be here and I just want you to be happy for once. Why can't you ever be happy? Why do people have to ruin you? You're so beautiful. So hopelessly beautiful. I love you. I'll say it again everyday for the rest of my life. But I promise you, you will never hear me say it to you. I hate our boss. He was in cahoots with Manson. He fired you the night of the event, only word hadn't gotten around to you. God, I hate them all."
"I'm being transferred, Hayley. Away from here. I won't see you again. I love you, dear." My hand dropped and I heard him stand. My heart was racing and I stunned for a moment.
Before I shot up and screamed at him to get back in my room and tell me to my face.
