CHAPTER FOURTEEN
( I MISS THEM )

     CARMEN STAYED SILENT. Despite the fact that Daniel was perched on the chair next to her, looking quite stressed, she couldn't find it in her to talk.

It had been a few hours since Zach left her, and she was already feeling quite lonely. Daniel seemed to be relieved that she was okay, but was sure to ask her if she needed anything several times.

"Do you want me to go get Zach?" Daniel asks, shifting as he looks at Carmen.

"I don't want to bother him," Carmen shakes her head. "I'm fine without him, Daniel."

"He'll be thrilled to come back in here," Daniel rolls his eyes, smiling as he stands. "I'm positive that he misses you as much as you miss him."

Daniel presses a chaste kiss to her forehead, before exiting the room. Carmen smiles, too, hoping that Zach actually would come to see her again. In fact, she almost found it unbearable to stay cooped up in the bed all day, without any sight of him.

Within minutes, the door opened, revealing a joyed Zach, who had a McDonald's bag in his right hand, and flowers in the other. Carmen holds back the urge to hug him, as it would be too painful to sit up or move.

"I thought Daniel would be in here all day," Zach comments, stepping to her bedside. "I was hoping he'd switch places with me."

Carmen doesn't reply, the grin on her face showing enough emotion.

"I got you some food," He says, handing the McDonald's bag over. "I figured I'd get you a burger and fries since the food here sucks."

"Thank you," Carmen chuckles, placing the bag aside. "But I was told that for the time being, I'm only allowed to eat the sucks food here."

"Well that's stupid," Zach snorts, placing the flowers in her lap as he sits on the edge of her bed. "But you don't have to tell the nurses, do you? Jello is not good."

"It's soup, actually," Carmen lays back, adjusting her head. "And since the seatbelt gave me a lot of backlash in the stomach, caused from the collision, it messed with my digestion system, and made it easier for me to throw up than to eat."

"But you can have at it," She hands him the bag. "I'm on a strict all-soup diet. Oh, and thanks for these. How'd you know I like wild flowers and not roses?"

"I took a wild guess," He shrugs, slipping off his shoes as he jumped from the bed to turn out the lights. "Now, it's time for you to get some sleep. I know you must be exhausted."

He slides onto her bed, smiling boyishly as she cuddles up to his chest, tossing the blanket over him, too.

"Goodnight, Carmen."

"Goodnight, Zach."

Within seconds, Carmen had drifted off in Zach's warm arms. And as he stared down at the girl in his arms, he couldn't help but be thankful that the love of his life had lived. So he gently pulled her closer, and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"I love you," He murmers, resting his head on a pillow.

And then he fell asleep, too.

---

Early on in the morning, Carmen awoke to an empty bed. She frowned as she noticed that Zach wasn't by her side. She frowned, glancing around to see that no one was in her room.

With a sigh, she gets comfortable, deciding she would spend her time staring at the ceiling in boredness. And so she did, for minutes on edge. Carmen began to feel lonely, and turned her attention to the door, of which didn't open.

And as she had so much free time, her thoughts began to run wild.

Starting with images of the accident.

She relived the crash, starting with Mark pulling his phone from his pocket. Then headlights flashing in front of them- Elle's terrified scream. And lastly, the front of the car caving in from the forceful impact, crushing Elle and Mark as it did so.

She remembers the sudden pain, and the disastrous screams of Mark and Elle before they were silenced in a heartbeat.

Tears begin to roll down her cheeks as it replays in her mind over and over again.

How she screamed until her lungs felt as though they were giving out. How pain danced in her body like a spreading flame, capturing her in it.

And then, the memories were gone.

She wept silently, placing her hands on her face as the flashbacks began again, different ones this time.

Carmen was in a car with her father and mother, staring out the window in slight happiness. She was finally getting away from everything she ever worried about; her school, the people she once called friends, and Jackson.

Her mother was humming a sweet tune, holding onto one of her father's hands as he drove. His eyes were focused on the road, but flicked to the rear-view mirror to check on his daughter. And by then, she began to doze off. He smiled, his eyes lingering on her a bit longer.

They were finally removing her from her nightmare, and he hoped that L.A. offered something better for her. That she would never have to experience years of torture like she previously did.

And in that moment, another driver clashed with them. Carmen was jolted awake, yelling as the car then tipped, and flipped onto its top.

She sobbed into her hands now, letting all of her emotions run ramped.

But her father didn't yell once. Her mother screamed for him, her eyes not leaving her husband, who got the most impact.

Carmen could only cry, shaking her father's shoulder in attempt to wake him from his unconcious state. And as Carmen was fifteen, of course she knew that he wasn't just unconcious. His chest had stopped rising, as well as his breathing no longer was heavy.

She was so focused on him that she hardly noticed the gash running down her stomach, causing blood to pour onto her shredded shirt.

Her father was gone.

And it was all her fault.

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