When Blake and I went into Jake’s room later that morning, Amanda was sitting beside his bed. Jake turned his head to look at me and his eyes lit up. “Hailey, I’ve been waiting for you to show up!”

            I frowned a little. “You saw me a few hours ago,” I said.

            Jake’s brow furrowed a little. “I did?”

            “Yeah. I introduced you to Blake,” I replied.

            “I don’t remember…” he trailed off.

            I tried to keep my face neutral. “Well, this is Blake, my boyfriend.”

            “Nice to meet you,” Jake replied a little unsurely. “Where are mom and dad?”

            My heart clenched at his words. “They’re gone, Jake,” I said quietly.

            “What do you mean, gone?” he asked in confusion

             “I can’t do this. Not again,” I said, before fleeing from the room. I didn’t know where I was going; I just knew I couldn’t deal with telling him everything again.

            I eventually ended up in the room that Blake and I had slept in. I went back over to the recliner and curled up on it, trying to keep myself from breaking down completely.

            A few minutes later, I heard hesitant footsteps approaching the room. “Hailey?” Blake called out.

            I sat up in the chair. “I’m in here,” I said.

            He came into the room and cautiously made his way over to me, nearly running into things a couple of times. It was weird seeing him like this. I was so used to him being surefooted and unhindered, that it startled me to see him actually acting like a blind person. He finally made it to the recliner and I scooted over to make room for him to sit down next to me. Once he was settled, he pulled me onto his lap. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to follow your girlfriend through a hospital when you’re blind?” he asked.

            I laid my head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, I just couldn’t stay in there. I can’t tell him about the accident again. It was hard enough the first time.”

            He rubbed a hand up and down my arm. “I know, but it’s not his fault that he can’t remember.”

            “I know that, but it doesn’t make it any easier for me to tell him. How am I supposed to deal with telling him every single day that our parents died because my ass of an ex ran us off the road?” My breathing started to hitch and I buried my face in the crook of his neck.

            “It’ll be hard, but you’ll get through it. You’re so strong, Hales; you can get through anything,” he replied, kissing the top of my head gently.

            “When Jared told me that Jake woke up, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was ecstatic that he was awake, but also worried that he would have mental or physical problems. I could have handled those. But having to tell him every day that our parents are dead is too much for me to handle.”

            “No it’s not. You just need to take some time and regroup, that’s all. You’re too stubborn to let this get to you. And you won’t have to be the one to always tell him. Jared, Liam and Amanda can all do that as well. It’s not your burden alone to carry.”

            The tears started then and there was nothing I could do to stop them. Blake held me as I cried, occasionally murmuring soothing words, but for the most part just letting me get it out of my system. I cried for the loss of my parents, for losing my brother for ten months and for finally getting him back, only to have him not remember losing our parents.

            When I finally ran out of tears, Blake continued to hold me as he reached up and wiped my tears away with his thumb. “You okay?”

            I blew out a shaky breath and then nodded. “Yeah, I think I am now. Thank you for being here for me.”

            “Where else would I be? You wouldn’t leave me alone when I was going through a rough time, so there’s no way I’m going to leave you now.”

            That got a watery smile out of me. “I guess my stubbornness is paying off now, isn’t it?”

            “Hmm, I think it started paying off that first day I kissed you.”

            “Oh, you think your kisses just automatically made everything better, huh?”

            “Of course they do. I’m just that good.”

            I laughed. “You really are too cocky sometimes. I can’t believe that was hidden under that hard, sarcastic exterior.”

            “What can I say? I’m a man of many layers.”

            “Like an onion?”

            “Are you quoting Shrek?”

             “What’s wrong with Shrek?”

            “It’s a movie for kids,” he said condescendingly.

            “So? You’ve obviously watched it, since you knew where that quote was from.”

            “I only watched it because the donkey is awesome.”

            I grinned. “I can’t argue with that. I wanted waffles every morning for weeks after I first watched that movie.”

            “Seriously?”

            “What? The way Donkey said waffles made me crave them. It’s not my fault.”

            Blake just shook his head. “You’re so weird sometimes.”

            I let out an unladylike snort. “Like you’re one to talk.”

            “If I didn’t love you, I’d push you off of me right now.”

            “Good thing you love me then, huh?”

            “Yeah, it’s a good thing,” he replied, kissing me lightly.

            “Are you two done arguing about Shrek now?” an amused voice asked from the doorway of the room.

            I turned to see Liam standing there. “Hey, how long were you standing there for?”

            “I got here right before you started talking about waffles,” my uncle said with a smile. “If you’re done arguing, Jake wants to see you. Apparently after you left the room, Amanda explained everything to him and now he’s worried about you. Plus, he’s pretty torn up about your parents.”

            I sighed and got to my feet, heading for the door. Blake placed his hands on my waist and followed directly behind me. When we got to my uncle, I stopped and kissed his cheek. “Did you have fun at your conference?”

            He made a face. “Oh yeah, it was loads of fun,” he said sarcastically.

            I raised and eyebrow and turned my head in Blake’s direction. “I think your sarcasm is rubbing off on him.” 

            “Somehow I doubt that it’s me that’s rubbing off on him. You have enough sarcasm to do that all on your own,” Blake replied.

            Liam laughed a little. “I think it’s a combination of the two of you. Honestly, I’ve never met two more sarcastic people in my life.”

            “It’s a gift,” I said with a shrug. We walked back to Jake’s room and went inside. Amanda and Jared both stood up when we entered.

            “I think Hailey and Jake need a few minutes alone,” Amanda said.

            I smiled gratefully at her. “Thanks. Blake, do you mind going with my uncle for a bit?”

            “Sure. Hopefully he doesn’t lose me like he does everything else,” Blake replied, releasing me and feeling around until he gripped hold of Liam’s shoulder.

            “I do not lose everything,” Liam retorted. “I just temporarily misplace them.”

            “Well, if you temporarily misplace my boyfriend, then you have to buy me a new one. And I’ll want one that doesn’t argue with me all the time,” I told him.

            Everyone laughed and then left the room, leaving me alone with my brother. I turned to him and he moved himself over on the bed, making room for me. I climbed on beside him, resting my head on his chest and taking comfort from the sound of his heart beating. He put one arm around me. “I’m sorry I couldn’t remember what you told me,” he said quietly.

            “It’s not your fault. I’m sorry I took off, this is all just really a lot to take in. I never thought you’d wake up, but you did. I’m just wound up, that’s all.”

            “I can see why. I wish I could’ve been there for you right after the accident. It must have been so hard on you.”

            “It was. But I’m lucky, because I had Jared and Liam there for me. Jared pushed me a lot and got me walking again when the doctors didn’t necessarily think I ever would again.”

            “Was Marcus really the one driving the car?” he asked quietly.

            “Yes, he was. That made everything worse, because one of the people who should have been there to comfort me was the person who had caused me the agony in the first place.”

            Jake rubbed my arm lightly. “But you have Blake now. I know you have probably already told me about him, but would you mind telling me again? I need to make sure he’s good enough for my little sister.”

            I smiled. “I don’t mind telling you about him. First thing you should know is that he’s blind.”

            Jake nodded. “Amanda told me that part.”

            “Okay, well he’s very sarcastic and can be really rude to people. It took me almost two months to get him to accept me fully as a friend and then I started seeing this other side to him. He can be really sweet and thoughtful, and he makes me want to be a better person, as lame as that might sound. He’s an amazing guitar player and he can sing better then a lot of recording artists I’ve heard. He’s got a bit of a warped sense of humor, but it matches me really well.”

            “He sounds like a good guy,” Jake said.

            “He is, but he can also be moody. It doesn’t happen often around me anymore, but he still lashes out sometimes when he’s particularly frustrated about something. He has nothing but hatred for his parents, because they pretty much abandoned him after the accident. I know that it bothers him more then he lets on, but I never bring that topic up because it just gets him riled up.”

            “You said he has a sweet side. Tell me about that.”

            I smiled. “Well, the first time I had a really bad day after I met him, I was stuck in my wheelchair. I tend to get depressed when that happens and there was never anything I could do to get out of it. But Blake came over that day; I guess Jared had called him. He came to my room and we talked for a bit before he decided it would be fun to try and steer my wheelchair. He kept on crashing me into walls because he doesn’t follow directions very well, though he says it’s because I suck at giving directions. It made me laugh, which is something I normally don’t do when I’m in my wheelchair.

            “And then there was this weekend. He planned out this whole romantic outing for us. On Friday night, he had a limo pick me up and take me to a fancy restaurant where he had reserved a private dining room for us. Then he booked a beautiful suite for us at a hotel, which was amazing. Yesterday he had massages and spa treatments booked for the day and then we went to a comedy act last night. It was so much fun,” I said dreamily.

            “And what exactly were you doing in a hotel alone with him?”

            I snapped out of my dreamlike state and gave Jake a cheeky smile. “Listening to music?” I offered.

            He sighed. “Please tell me you’re at least being careful.”

            I blushed and ducked my head a little. “Yeah, I’ve been on birth control for the past two years.”

            Jake frowned. “Why have you been on it for so long?” When I just looked at him, a horrified expression crept over his features. “You slept with Marcus? Jesus Hailey, you were barely sixteen!”

            I glared at him. “And just how old were you when you lost it?”

            He averted his gaze. “That’s different,” he mumbled. “I’m a guy.”

            I poked his shoulder. “It is not! What is with you and Jared having double standards when it comes to my sex life?”

            He grimaced. “Ugh, please don’t refer to it as that. It gives me the willies.”

            “Don’t bug me about it then, or I’ll give you all of the juicy details.”

            He shuddered. “Okay, okay, I won’t mention it again. Hopefully this amnesia will erase this conversation from my mind because I have pictures in my head now that no brother should ever have.”

            I started laughing, and he soon joined in. “You’re such a dork sometimes,” I informed him.

            “You’re one to talk,” he retorted.

            I smiled at him. “I’ve really missed you Jake.”

            “Remember that the next time I piss you off, okay?”

            “Maybe. Hey, I almost forgot to tell you something. Blake and I are performing in a talent show in a couple of weeks. Think you might be able to come see it?”

            He frowned a little. “I’d like to, but I don’t know when they’ll let me out of here. I may have full use of my body, but I’m really weak and slow because of the fact that I haven’t moved in so long.”

            “Jared did physical therapy with you while you were in the coma though. Didn’t that help at all?”

            “It helped a lot. If he hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be able to move at all. My muscles would have wasted away. But as it is, I’m able to move them, although not very much. It’ll take me awhile to regain my strength.”

            I chewed on my lip as I thought about that. “Well, maybe they can at least give you a day pass or something so you can come see us perform. It would mean a lot to me if you could be there.”

            “We’ll make something work then. I’ll be there, even if they have to sneak me out of here somehow. What are you two doing for the show?”

            “He’s going to play the guitar and sing and I’ll be playing the piano and singing.”

            “I always liked your singing voice, and you said that Blake is good, so it’ll be a great show then.”

            I nodded. “We’re hoping it will be. We’re partially doing it to show the kids at our school that just because he’s blind, doesn’t mean there’s actually anything wrong with him. I hope that hearing how talented he is will make some of them stop being so ignorant.”

            “Even if it doesn’t, you’re proving something just by getting up there.”

            I smiled at him, glad that he understood. “Exactly. We’re the last act to go on and we won’t be joining any of the regular rehearsals, so no one will know about us until the end. We aren’t even telling our friends about it. We want it to be a complete surprise for everyone.”

            Amanda poked her head into the room. “Everything okay in here?” she asked.

            “Yeah, you can all come back in now,” I replied.

            A moment later, the four of them walked back in. I climbed off the bed and walked over to Blake. “So he didn’t lose you, huh?”

            “Nope, so you’re stuck with me,” he replied with a smug smile.

            “Ah well, we all have our burdens to carry in life I suppose,” I told him.

            Jake chuckled from the bed. “You guys really are funny,” he said. “But I’m sure you’re both dying to get out of here for a bit. Why don’t you go home and relax for a few hours and then come back? Maybe practice for the talent show or something.”

            I looked over at him. “Are you trying to get rid of us?”

            “Nah, I just don’t want to see any lovey dovey crap, so I figured you could go get it out of your system and then come back.”

            I smirked a little. “You do realize what you kind of just implied, right?”

            His eyes went wide as he thought about it. “Oh, ew! No, I didn’t mean to go do… that,” he said with a shudder. “I meant just go hand out and do something platonic.”

            I laughed and started tugging Blake out of the room. “Sorry bro, you’re too late. You put the idea in my head so I’m going to go with it. See you all in a few hours.”

            We walked out of the room, both of us laughing at Jake, who was shouting out something about “inappropriate images”. When we got to the lobby, I stopped. “Wait, how are we going to get home?”

            “Already taken care of,” Blake said. “Look outside.”

            I looked in the parking lot and saw my car sitting there. “How did my car get here?”

            “Jared brought Liam to the house briefly before coming here so that they could bring your car here. They knew we didn’t have a vehicle and I didn’t really want to make Jack hang around with the limo all day.”

            “That was thoughtful of everyone. Do you have the keys?”

            He nodded and dug them out of his pocket, handing them to me. “Our bags are in there already. I’m not entirely sure how they managed that, but they said that it was taken care of.”

            “Well, let’s go home then and see if we can find something that isn’t platonic to entertain ourselves for awhile.”

            Blake grinned. “I like the way you think.”

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Sorry it took so long guys! I hit writers block right in the middle of the chapter and it had me stuck for days. On the bright side, I did get some future chapters written, so I'll be able to update quicker when I get to them. I hope that made sense lol.

Now, I need everyone's help. I fully intend to do my best to get this published (after some major editing), and I want to show the publishers that I've already got a strong fan base and that this story is making a difference. So, I need you guys to write short little testimonials if you can. It doesn't have to be long, just a couple of sentences, but feel free to have it whatever length you want. I need you to say if this story has changed how you look at people with disabilities. If you have a disability or know someone that has one, maybe mention it and say if I did a good job so far of portraying Blake. I also need you to include your first name, what country you live in and how old you are. That'll give publishers a chance to see where to publish this and what age group to target. Only do a testimonial if you think this book actually should be published. You can leave it as a comment here, or send me a PM if you want. I appreciate everyone who does this for me :-).

Now, as for the song for the talent show. No one has guessed it correctly yet, although one person came very close. It is a country song and it is NOT by Taylor Swift. That's all the clues I'll give you. I think the talent show will be in the next chapter, so you'll find out then what it is then.

As always, comment to tell me what you thought of this chapter! It starts out a little roughly, but I think it smoothes out near the middle.