Chapter Five

I looked up to see Leander's face just inches from me. Regret was flooding through my body because I hadn't thought about how this would affect my parents. I was on my knees and he was on his, while looking at me.

Before I gave it a thought I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. He put one of his hands on my back and the other behind my head, keeping me on his shoulder.

He then started to rub circles on my back and run his fingers through my tangled messed up hair.

"Don't ever do that again..." he said seriously.

"Your parents love you! People still care about you. I still care about you... and you can't just end your life like that, Valerie. Do you understand!

"Didn't you see how happy your father was when he saw that you had awakened? Or the sad look your mother had when she tried but failed to calm you down when she came back and saw you in tears? Now picture them when you aren't here anymore, Val!"

I sobbed into his neck as he continued to talk to me patiently. Was I that close to falling into the pond? What was I thinking?

I know that if I felt the water swarm my body I would have made myself drown.

•••

We stayed like this in the rain for what seemed like an hour. My sobbing was stopping as I was trying to catch my breath now.

I was still squeezing onto Leander, not wanting to let go as I felt his body move and his hands move to my knees while he was lifting me up into his arms.

Then he started walking back towards the hospital. I didn't care about the looks people were probably giving me as we walked back. They would never be able to understand what I have gone through.

He went to the front desk and shifted me in his arms so I was more comfortable.

"Can I have some dry scrubs for her to wear?" He asked the man at the front desk.

I heard him shuffling in his drawers; then we were walking again. My eyes were still leaking and my body was still shaking, now from the cold.

He knocked on a door before opening it. He set me down on the cold solid floor. Which really didn't help my case, so I quickly tried to stand up even though I stumbled a little bit. He backed away from me and looked me up and down.

"You are a mess. Your parents would be broken if they saw you like this right now," he started to untie the back of my hospital gown very gently, trying his best not to make skin-to-skin contact.

"I won't look or anything, I promise," he said reassuringly. It wouldn't matter anyway. They said I could wear my short boy boxers and white spaghetti strap undershirt.

He pulled the gown over my head looking in my eyes the whole time. He didn't even break eye contact as he moved his hands on the counter trying to find the new and dry clothing I was able to wear.

I lifted my arms as he swiftly put it on me and tied it in the back. I turned around and looked in the mirror. My hair was dripping wet and in a big mess.

I then turned around and looked at Leander. He was wearing dark wash jeans and a white t-shirt with dark blue on the sleeve and around the neck area with matching sneakers.

His blonde hair was falling in his bright green eyes as the water dripped down his face. His t-shirt was sticking onto him from the wetness and he had goosebumps running up and down his arms.

"You're cold," I said walking over to him and started rubbing his arms to help get some warmth in there.

I closed my eyes and pictured Daniel smiling at me again. I couldn't stop him from randomly invading my mind, I was devastated. I felt Leander's finger wipe the tear away from my face and suddenly my knees buckled into his arms once more.

I opened my eyes to see him looking down at me as he adjusted me in his hold. "It's not your fault... don't blame yourself."

I heard the door squeak as it opened and closed behind us. I closed my eyes as he carried me back to my room. Once we were back in my room I could hear footsteps moving on the ground loudly coming closer to me. I kept my eyes shut.

"Where was she?" I heard my mother whisper frantically, I felt her hand on my forehead as she felt my temperature.

"At the park, she was sitting on the swings," he lied so easily.

I wanted to question him about it but I wasn't going to open my mouth and tell my mother the truth. I didn't want to make her or my father feel guilty of the pain.

"I grabbed some dry scrubs and made her change before coming back." I heard the bed sheets moving on my bed, before I was placed gently on it.

The warmth of the covers that were now on me made my body shiver all over again as I tried to adjust the temperature of my body heat.

"I think she may need help... there's no way she can do this alone," My mother said sternly. It broke my heart to hear her voice that sad, to listen to it crack as she spoke.

I wanted to be better for her, for my father, for the both of them but somehow I just didn't think that it was going to be possible.