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I could hear his thick, adorable Australian accent pleading behind my back. He was pleading for me to stay. If it were not for me being so upset and frustrated with him, I would have turned around and caught him in a hug, but I couldn’t give in. If I gave in now all of this would teach him nothing.

I had warned him that he had changed for the worse. She changed him. He wasn’t the Michael I knew anymore. His smile was empty and blank and his eyes didn’t sparkle like they used to; he just wasn’t himself. His humor had subsided as if he held it inside him, anxious to come from his shell and crack a joke. I missed his wonderful laugh, how he’d treat me to ice cream when I was upset, and sing me what he or his band, The Academy Is, had written – new or old. Once she came along it all changed.

“Please Carly! Please stay.” He cried out.

“No, Michael!” I choked out for the millionth time, “I warned you. Once she’s gone, call me and I’ll be back.” I pulled my arm from his grasp, my heart slowly breaking into shatters of what it used to be. Nothing was right anymore. I grabbed my bags from my bed and gave him one last glance, repeating my words. “When she’s gone, call me. You have to decide. I don’t want to do this to you, but she’s horrid to me; I can’t take the mental and emotional pain from her anymore.” I paused and sighed. “You’re my best friend and I’d go through thick and thin to stay, but she’s unbearable. Please don’t hate me. I’ll be back when she isn’t around to hurt me.” One single tear ran down my cheek as I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my keys and was out the door with my luggage.

“I love you, Michael Guy Chislett.” This is what I wanted to say. I wanted to run back to him, but I didn’t. I walked to the car and opened it, put my things in, and drove off. I’ll admit I looked back and I saw Michael staring after me tearfully. I let a sob escape me. How could I let this happen? I should have told him right away when her threats had started, but I waited because I wanted Michael happy. For a while I really, truly thought he was happy, but she seemed to suffocate him. He wasn’t playing as well on stage anymore, he was different and that’s when I told him I couldn’t take it anymore.

So I was gone. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew where ever it was, it’d be better than going through hell with… her. I told him I’d be back and I would, when she was gone and he was himself again. Until then I was gone.

********** Hours Later **********

I had been driving for hours. I was tired and my eyes were raw. My senses were less alert and I could feel eyes try to shut. For a moment they did, but it was a moment to long. I felt like a deer in headlights. Streams of light hit my car and my eyes went wide, I had no chance to swerve. My gasp seemed to echo as everything went in slow motion and a black pickup slammed harshly into my door. Immediately I was knocked around. My head hit the steering wheel and bounced off into my headrest. My breathing didn’t sound right and my whole body hurt. Some of me felt numb while others ached.

“Ma’am! Oh God! Ma’am are you okay?!” I heard a man yell. His voice was tortured and scared. I could hear the frantic gasps of a woman speaking on a cell phone, her voice the same as his had been just moments before. I let out a groan. “We’re calling 911, please hold on.” He spoke again. I tried to say ‘Thanks’, but nothing but a cough and groan came. My breathing became gasps of air, my eyes partially open, enough to see the lights of an ambulance and a police car or two.

“Ma’am?” Another voice, different from the male. His voice was huskier. I cried out in pain and moved myself weakly, whispering through tears. “Help me.” Those were the last words I uttered before the darkness took over. I could still hear the commotion and felt myself being lifted away and driven off. I was numb all over and soon fell completely unconscious.

********** Michael’s POV **********

It took me hours to realize she had really left. She wasn’t kidding. Melanie had gone too far, I didn’t want to believe it but she had. It was then that I realized that I didn’t love Melanie I only thought I did. The whole time I was with her, I wasn’t listening to what I really wanted. I quickly called Melanie.

“Mel?” I called through the phone.

“Michael!” She squealed in a sickly sweet voice. How could I not have noticed it before?

“Mel- Melanie. I can’t be with you anymore. I’m really sorry, but it’s not working out how I planned.” I sighed.

“What?! Is this because of that girl? It is isn’t it! I swear, she’s always getting in the way of-“ I hung up, I couldn’t listen to her. I sat there for a while, shaking my head. I felt bad for doing it over the phone, but I had no choice.

My phone broke through my silent thoughts it was Carly. I answered it quickly. “Carly, I’m so sorry I-“

“Sir?” This was a man’s voice, but it’s Carly’s phone. “Is this Michael Chislett?” He asked.

“Yes, but what happened to Carly?” I wondered aloud to him.

“I’m Officer McNam. Sir, she was in a horrible accident. She was taken to the hospital for her injuries. You were her first emergency contact.” He replied. My heart suddenly stopped. Carly was hurt this was my entire fault.

“Is she okay? Will she be okay? What hospital?” I asked frantically.

“The E.R of Anderson Hospital.” The officer replied.

“I’ll be right there.” My voice was harsh and tired. I hung up and ran to my car in the driveway and drove as fast as I could to the hospital.

********** At The Hospital **********

I ran inside after parking quickly in the emergency room parking lot before running inside to the front desk. “Is she okay? I got a call from a police officer saying Carly was in trouble! They brought her here, where is she?!” My eyes showed my urgency.

“Sir, calm down please. There was a young girl that had just been admitted to our E.R. We found her license, is this her?” She showed me Carly’s license and I nodded frantically, tears in my eyes. I was desperate and scared for my best friend.

“Please, ma’am. I need to see her. I need to be with her.” I cried in a plea.

“You were her emergency contact?” I nodded solemnly and she had a nurse take me to her room quickly. I was told that they had fixed her up for now and some test had been run. I was also told that the sight of her might scare me, but that it would definitely be her.

I walked in her door and stopped in my track, looking at her limp body hooked to all the monitors. He whole body was bandaged and beat up with bruises. I ran to her side and looked down at her, gently taking her hand. “Carly? Oh God, please be okay.” I kissed her hand lightly. It broke my heart to see her this way and then it hit me. I loved Carly. I loved her. She was always there, but I was so stupid. “Carly! Please wake up. I broke up with her. She’s gone! She can’t hurt you anymore; you have to stay with me. I love you!” I cried to her, squeezing her hand.

********** Carly’s POV **********

“Carly! Please wake up. I broke up with her. She’s gone! She can’t hurt you anymore; you have to stay with me. I love you!” He cried out. I felt a squeeze on my hand. I had to be dreaming, this was Michael. He didn’t love me, did he? I couldn’t open my eyes; it was like 2-ton cinder blocks prevented them from opening.

“Mi-Michael?” I croaked. My monitor sped up slightly before relaxing into a normal beat.

“Carly? Are you awake?” I could hear his surprise and I let off the only smile I could. He brought my hand to what I thought was his cheek before lightly kissing my palm. “You’re alive. I was afraid you wouldn’t make it. I’m really sorry, Carly. I never meant for this to happen. This is my fault.” He paused, “I broke up with her. She’ll never bother you ag-“
I interrupted weakly, “You said you love me.” My voice was unsure, like I was afraid of what I said.

“You- I- Yes, I did.” He finally answered. I opened my eyes slowly and saw him looking down at me.

“Did you mean it?” I asked in a whisper, a painful, scared whisper. I was afraid of his answer. I loved him too of course, but if he only said that because of the moment-

“Yes, I meant it. It took me this long to realize I love you and I’m not letting you leave me. Not now, not ever.” This struck me hard.

“You really do? This isn’t some joke?” I asked, a tear falling from my eye. He brushed back my black hair and stared into my tired brown eyes.

“Of course I do. I couldn’t lie to you about this.” A smile lit on both of our faces, mine may have been smaller and weaker but it meant just as much.

“I love you, too, Michael Guy Chislett. You mean the world to me.” I spoke emotionally and coughed, groaning as the pain hit me.

“Are you all right?” He asked concerned. I smiled again before sighing.

“I need morphine.” I joked at him as I playfully puckered my lips, squeezing his hand lightly.
He grinned at me. “Baby, I’m all the morphine you’ll ever need.” I giggled as he pressed his lips to mine. I couldn’t resist kissing him back and we continued until my heart monitor raced and beeped in an urgent warning to the nurses and doctors. A nurse quickly ran in and she gasped, “Oh!” We pulled away and I blushed shyly while the nurse blushed due to her own embarrassment. Michael just grinned as the nurse rushed out.

“Feel free to be my addiction.” My words were playful even in my current state and he smiled widely at me, his laugh filling the room before he kissed me once more.

************************************************************

They let me out a few days later in a wheel chair. Michael was always at my side, the whole time I was there. My car was totaled, but I didn’t care. I figured it would be.
Yet nothing mattered to me, but him and vice versa. He had taken care of everything and I felt wonderful with him by my side.
“I love you.” He cooed quietly at me with a smile. I smiled back at him and leaned back in the wheel chair before changing looking back up at him with a grin. “I love you more.” He chuckled in reply and kissed my hair before taking me home where everyone was meeting us, everyone being his band and my two best friends. We got there soon enough and he wheeled me to the door before it flew open.
“Carly! God, you scared us!” I smiled; it was my best friends, Ashley and Alyssa, who answered the door so abruptly.
“Sorry Ash, sorry Lyss. I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.” I grinned sheepishly before they giggled and let me in, speaking in unison. “I guess one good thing came out of this.”
I looked at them with a roll of my eyes, “And what might that be?”
“We don’t have to hear you whine about that girl, Melanie anymore.” Ashley folded her arms and Alyssa continued for her, “Nor do we have to hear your complaints about Michael and how you’ll never be able to tell him you love him.” I just rolled my eyes again.
“Be glad I told him at the hospital, or I’d be out of this wheel chair so fast, you wouldn’t know what hit you two.” They just laughed at my tone. “Hi guys.” I waved to the band and they greeted me how they usually did, with funny nicknames, hugs, and this time their teases about Michael and I. Our answer had been a grin, quick kisses, and sweet whispers of ‘I love you’.

Michael and I were together, finally together as I had always dreamed it. There was no way I was letting him go. Not now, not ever.