Her scream woke me. Her eyes scanned the room until their wildness met me, and she bore into my soul. "Alexander."

I reached forward to take her hand in comfort, but she yanked it away.

Her brown hair was messy to the point of being matted. They'd taken all her piercings out, leaving empty holes along her face. Her lip was stitched closed where one piercing had been yanked out. Bruises colored her fragile arms. The outline of her brass knuckles were perpetually engraved on her fingers.

"Alexa-" I started, but she was already talking in a raspy, weak voice.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was weak but her tone was vicious. Her hazel eyes narrowed. She tried to set her jaw in anger, but it clearly hurt her. She'd been beaten badly.

"I-I..." I trailed off, having no answer to give her. "I'm sorry..."

"Damn right you are," she hissed, groaning as she pulled herself into a sitting position. "Why can't you just let me live? Why are you so hellbent on ruining my life? What the hell is wrong with-"

I cut her off for once. "Who's Jessica?"

She blinked, leaning back a bit as if I'd slapped her. "What?"

"Jessica," I replied, leaning forward on the cushioned red chair the nurses had placed by her bed for me. I rested my elbows on my knees, peering up at her. "You cried out her name."

"No one," she quickly snapped in response.

I stared, pressing my eyebrows together.

"My girlfriend," she finally admitted.

My heart shattered in my chest. Nothing had ever broken me more. Leave it to me to fall for a gay chick, huh? Fuck, I thought. Fuck. "You... You h-have a...?" I let the question hang, unfinished, in the air.

"She died," Alexa mumbled. Her eyes stared down into her lap.

"Sh-she..." The words set into the back of my skull. "I'm so sorry, Alexa..."

She scowled at me, but pain shone in her eyes. "I don't need your pity. I don't need you."

I ignored her harsh words. "What happened?"

"I don't wanna talk about it. I want you to go away."

"You can't keep running," I pressed, placing a hand on the bed.

She glowered at my hand resting beside hers. "And why the fuck not?"

"You're hurting people." My voice softened as tears swelled up behind my eyes. I closed them, biting my lip.

"My ass," she snapped back. "No one cares about me. No one-"

"You're hurting me!" I cried. Alexa finally looked me in the eyes, her brows furrowed up in confusion. "You're hurting me..," I repeated, quieter this time. I looked down as the hot tears I'd been withholding flowed down my cheeks. "Please..."

The weight of her soft hand fell over mine. Her soft voice comforted me. "Stop crying."