NovelEnglishBACK TO THE NOW
JOSH.
It had been a week since Laura slipped into the coma, and it felt like a lifetime.
The hospital room was quiet except for the steady beep of the monitors and the faint hum of the heater. The
world outside these walls didn't seem real anymore. | barely remembered walking off the practice field, driving
here, or stepping into her room. But the moment | saw her, all of that faded away.
Laura was still, her body too pale against the stark white of the hospital sheets. The rise and fall of her chest,
regulated by the machines, was the only sign of life. But she was alive. That thought was the only thing keeping
| crossed the room to her bedside and immediately took her hand in mine. It was warm, but it didn't squeeze
back. | brought it to my lips and held it there, closing my eyes like she could somehow feelwilling her to
wake up. "I need you, Laura," | whispered, my voice hoarse.
The chair next to her bed was still where I'd left it, and | sank into it, exhausted. Jess had been helping with the
baby while | went to practice. Our baby. My baby girl.
As if on cue, Jess walked in, carrying her in one arm and a bottle in the other. She handed the baby towith a
small, sad smile, and I took her, cradling her like she was made of glass.
0.00%
09:32
BACK TO THE NOW
288 iVouchers
Her tiny face, scrunched up in half-sleep, softened as soon ast the bottle touched her lips. She started drinking,
her little fists clenching and unclenching against my chest.
| stared at her, marveling at how small she was, and my heart ached. She didn't have a nyet. | couldn't
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtnher without Laura. We were supposed to do that together. "Remember when | found you two in the kitchen
that night?" Jess asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
Her voice startled me, and | glanced up to see her standing near the window, Luke by her side. She was
watching Laura, but her lips curved into a faint smile as she continued. "You thought no one would find you. Then
I walked in on you groping my best friend," she teased, looking atwith a mock grimace. "Uh, I still need to
erase that out of my brain!"
A laugh escaped me, soft but genuine. | did remember. How could | forget?
"I remember," | said, my voice quieter now.
And | did. | remembered every single moment with Laura-the stolen kisses, the laughter, the fights that always
ended with us tangled together. But more than that, | remembered every moment without her. And I could say,
without a doubt, the ones with her were better. Jess smiled softly. "You know," she said, sitting down in the chair
opposite me, "when she spoke about you two kissing, | knew. | just knew she fell for you. And that's the only
reason | wasn't more angry. | saw it on her face. She fell so hard." 09:32
BACK TO THE NOW
288 Vouchers.
Jess paused, her expression turning wistful.
"And you," she continued, "well, you never ever went back for seconds. So despite hating you back then, | knew
you felt the sway. Even if you tried to self-sabotage first."
Luke leaned down to help her stand, but she lingered for a moment longer, her gaze shifting back to Laura.
"She's strong, Josh. She's going to wake up. You just have to be patient." Patient.
I'd never been patient. Laura used to teaseabout it. She'd say | couldn't sit still if my life depended on it. But
now, all | could do was wait.
Jess stood and smoothed her sweater, her movements slow and deliberate. "Okay," she said, turning to me. "You
need to go home. Your baby girl needs routine, Josh. The nurses will call if anything changes. Okay?"
| opened my mouth to argue, but the look on her face stopped me. She wasn't asking; she was telling me.
Jess leaned down and pressed a kiss to the baby's head before leaving the room with Luke. The door clicked shut
softly behind them, and for a moment, the silence was deafening.
| looked back at Laura, still holding the baby. She had finished the bottle, her eyelids fluttering closed in sleep. |
gently set her in the portable bassthe nurses had letkeep in the room and leaned back in my chair, my
eyes drifting to Laura again. "I don't know how to do this without you," | admitted, my voice barely above a
whisper. "I don't even know if | can."
09:32)
BACK TO THE NOW
288 Vouchers
| rubbed a hand over my face, the
weight of everything pressing down
hu dna?
on me. "She dogs anyet.
Q Ns
BEcEushY can't pick one without you.
f 9 q
| don't want to pick one without you.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
"
So, you have to wake up, okay?" The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
| leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, my hands clasped tightly together.
"You have to wake up, Laura. You have to," | repeated, my voice cracking.
The monitors beeped steadily in response, offering no
reassurance. | pressed my lips
together, forcin Re ERT
I
threateiihgto spill. The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
When | finally leaned back, | stayed
there, watching han SiENtyCvAling
f |
her to Opefhdreyes. But she didn't.
Not tonight.
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
