A/N:

Comment here. Do you think Tanner will wake up? If so, when?

Jenna

It's still a shock to my system to find out that Max is the one responsible for Tanner's accident. I can't believe it. Max is a lunatic, for sure, but homicidal? Even for him, that seems a bit much, but the facts don't lie.

Detective Oswald and Officer Renaldi told me that Max confessed to stalking Tanner and me after getting fired from ProteinMania for the shit he pulled against me. He told them he was angry at me and jealous that things with Tanner and I seemed to be going so well. He wanted to make us suffer like he was. He wanted to steal my happiness.

So, he did the one thing that was sure to accomplish that. He hurt the person I love. He tried to take him away from me. And he may just get his wish.

It's been two weeks since the accident, and Tanner still hasn't woken up. The doctors don't know at this point if he will ever wake up. And they seem to be sure that he won't be the same as he was before if he does. They can't find an explanation why he's still unconscious. His scans have all come back clear. There appears to be no lasting damage to his brain. He just won't wake up.

It breaks my heart knowing I may never get to talk to Tanner again, to hear his voice, and look into his eyes as he tells me he loves me. I don't know what to do. My heart is breaking more and more every day as I sit and wait for something to change.

I hate Max. I hate him so much for doing this to me. He took away the man I wanted to build my future with. He plowed into it recklessly and left it to wither. Max didn't want us to be happy because he wasn't happy.

I told the police about everything that happened between Max, Tanner, and me. They told me Max didn't deny anything. He owned up to it and knew he was going to prison. The only question left was for how long?

Tanner is the only one who can answer that. If he wakes up, it will then be a question of how much his life will be altered due to what Max did. Depending on the lingering side-effects of Max's actions, the sentence could be a few years, or it could be a decade. It could be even longer if the worst were to happen- if Tanner never wakes up.

I can't stomach that thought.

I can hardly stand to look at myself these days. Tanner wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for me. Max would have come after me instead, and Tanner would be safe. He'd be awake and thriving, probably living it up on a beach somewhere, celebrating the championship win.

This is all my fault. If I hadn't fallen in love with him, he'd be safe right now.

I broke down the other day and told Mel and Lindsey how I felt. They chastised me and told me I was wrong. They said that the only person at fault in this mess was Max. He's the villain. Mel looked like she wanted to slap me for saying such things. She told me Tanner would be devastated if he heard what I was thinking.

She's right. He'd be heartbroken to know the thoughts running through my head. He'd tell me to stop being stupid, and he'd probably kiss me into oblivion until I saw things his way. Tanner would stop at nothing to prove that our love is the only thing that matters, even if it meant he had to suffer because he chose me.

I try to push the self-deprecating thoughts out of my mind. I try for him. He needs me to stay strong right now. For him. For me. For us.

So, that's what I'll try to do.

My friends and family have been incredible through this whole ordeal. They've showered Tanner and me with so much love and hope every single day. The entire team, coaching staff, and support staff have rallied around us, trying to will Tanner awake.

They've taken turns visiting and talking to him as he lay in the hospital bed. They tell him what he's missing out on, hoping that something they say will snap him out of unconsciousness. So far, it hasn't worked. I'm still grateful to them regardless.

The fans have started sending well-wishes over social media, praying for a swift recovery. Some have even gathered outside the hospital to set up a collection of cards, flowers, and other tokens for Tanner. It's incredible the amount of love that's been pouring in for him. I hope somehow he can feel it. I hope it helps him to find his way back to us.

Mom and Lance came the other day. They're staying in the city for a week to lend their support. Mom was worried I wasn't taking care of myself. So, she's mostly managing my basic needs when I let her. She's ensuring I eat, sleep, and get out of the hospital for a while each day.

It's got to be hard for her, being back here in the place she lost her son, having such a similar event play out in front of her again with the man I love. I don't know how she does it- how she stays so strong after everything she's been through. I hope I got some of that talent from her. I'll need it if I'm going to survive whatever outcome I'm faced with.

She convinced me to reach out to Tanner's family, saying they should be informed of what's going on regardless of what had happened between them in the past. I had all but forgotten about them until Mom asked if they had been by to visit. When I told her no, that's when she suggested I be the bigger person and reach out to them.

Marcus told me it was my call if I wanted to tell them what was going on or not. He said he had no idea how they would react, but he gave me their contact information anyway.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn't indifference. When I told Tanner's Mom and Dad what was going on, they asked if he had life insurance and a will. Then they told me not to call them again unless he passed away.

I thought I was mad before, but I'm livid after speaking to those people. How can two people be so uncaring toward their child? How do they live with themselves?

They don't deserve him!

If he wakes up, if he comes back to me, I'll always make sure he feels loved and valued. He'll never feel the way those people made him feel ever again.

He just has to come back to me.

I don't know how much longer I can do this. I feel like each day Tanner doesn't wake up, the smaller the chances are that he ever will. Mel and the roomies have tried to talk me off the ledge, telling me that Tanner will come through this.

They keep saying that he's tough and has so much to live for. They tell me that they're sure that he'll fight to get back to me.

I just hope they're right.

I'm sitting on the edge of his bed, trying to will him into consciousness as my nerves finally give out. I start to cry, unable to hold back the tears anymore. "Please, baby, you have to wake up. You have to come back to me."

I sniffle as I try to catch my breath. "I can't do this without you, Tanner. Please, wake up."

I lay down beside him, pressing myself into his side, careful of all the monitors connected to him. "I'll love you forever, baby. No matter what. But please, come back to me."

My hand intertwines with his as I bring our hands to my lips, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. When I set his hand back at his side, I feel something. Something so small, I almost think I've imagined it.

Then, it happens again. I look down at Tanner's hand and see his fingers moving. I sit up, staring at his fingers, hoping I haven't gone crazy. They move again, and I hit the call button for his nurse. I break my eyes away from his hand for a second and look up to his face just in time to see his eyelids start to move.

My breath hitches as I see the beautiful blue of Tanner's eyes. 

A/N:

I know you guys were worried. So sorry for stretching out that agony, but now he's finally waking up. Will he be the same? What will he remember? Send in those predictions, I love reading them. :)

Thank you for taking the time to check out The Right Side of Tanner. If you are enjoying so far, don't be afraid to vote and/or comment and let me know :)

Every vote and comment helps elevate the story so others will be more likely to find it on Wattpad and hopefully enjoy it as much as you all have. I really enjoy reading your comments and hearing any theories anyone has on what they predict will happen next.

Also, if you want to be kept up to date on the latest book/series news, head over to my Instagram and follow me there. I post teasers daily for future chapters in my story and that is where is will announce things like printed book giveaways, q&a sessions, etc. The link is in my bio. :)

I'll be back tomorrow with another chapter!

For those who don't want to wait for daily chapters of The Right Side of Tanner, the full book is now available on Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TY4MTKR

❤️