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Spencer’s P.O.V.

                My face grimaced in pain as the blinding pain light attacked my weak eyes.  Where was I? I was in a fairly small room with the most generic decoration. An annoying beep kept sounding off sounding steady as a pulse. It looked like a hospital. Why would I be in an hospital? Then it all hit me like a freight train. Billy?!? My eyes weakly scanned around.  I saw the faint, blurry outline of a body. Quickly or maybe it took a long time, I didn’t know, time didn’t seem to matter, but I registered it as Billy.

“Billy.” My voice croaked but I didn’t care. Billy was alive. He wasn’t dead.

“Spencer, baby.” He whispered. His emerald green eyes shining brighter than I’ve ever seen them before. I searched his face and found butterfly stiches on his forehead. Anger bubbled in my stomach as I thought   of who caused them but I was too happy to see Billy. I had so many questions and things to tell him.

“Billy, what happened? How bad did he hurt you? How did you get out? Where are my grandparents? Aunt Niccole? Are they okay?” I started to ask more but Billy interrupted me. Oh well, I was starting to get tired anyways. The pain in my body was sinking it, taking root in every nerve of my body.

“Settle down, Sparky.” The teasing smile drove my drugged body crazy.  The steady beat became erratic and made me blush, but Billy kept smiling. “All of us are fine. All I need were these stitches.” Billy pointed to his bandaged forehead. “Everybody else went down to the cafeteria.” I nodded. As soon as the movement was made, I instantly regretted it. My head started to spin and everything turned black with colored spots. Slowly the hospital room came back into view. Billy looked a little worried when my vision came back.

“I’m sorry. I got dizzy.” I muttered, embarrassed.

“Are you alright?” He asked, concerned.

“Yes.” I sighed. “Now tell me how you got out. The last thing I remembered you were…”  I didn’t finish the sentence because I could feel that fear again. The fear that he wasn’t going to be alive anymore.  

“When I woke up you were already unconscious. I was so scared, love. I thought you were dead.” His green eyes blinked furiously. “I saw you breathing slightly. That drove me. I found a vase and knocked your dad out with it.” He admitted the last part, bashfully.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered.

“For what?” Billy asked, confused.

“I shouldn’t have let you go down near him. I knew what his threats were. I shouldn’t-,” He hushed me by kissing my lips, gently. A warmth spread through my aching body. I heard the machine start going crazy. My face was bright red when Billy pulled away

“You’re so cute.” He chuckled. He brushed my hair back out of my face.

“I love you.” I breathed.

“Spencer!” I heard my grandma exclaimed. Billy pulled away with a slight bashful blush. I felt Grandma’s arms wrap around me, sending a shooting pain throughout my torso and being engulfed in a wave of perfume.

“Ow, Grandma. You’re hurting me.” I gasped out.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Spencer.” She apologized, loosening her grip slightly and then pulling away.

“It’s alright.” I reassured her. Aunt Niccole darted in after Grandma and hugged me, gently.

“I’m going to go to the bathroom.” Billy said, awkwardly. I was the only one who noticed him leaving. I forced a smile as I was already missing him. Before he left the room, he mouthed, “I love you too, baby.”

“Spencer.” Aunt Niccole said, tightening her hug and then letting me go. I stared at them funny. They must have really thought I was going to die. My stomach tightened up at that thought.

“How are you feeling, son?” Grandpa asked. I looked up at him, seeing worry and sadness in his usually cheerful eyes.

“Good.” My body was heavy and it ached but I was thankful that Billy was alive. That was all that mattered at the moment.

“Do you need any medicine?” Grandma asked.

“Not yet.” I lied. I didn’t want to go to sleep again. I wanted to be around everybody. I didn’t remember any of my time being unconscious without them but I missed them all as if I had. She smiled, not seeing through my lie. A sudden thought popped into my mind as I took into account that everybody was here.

“Who’s taking care of the store?” I asked.

“We asked Mr. Wilson to watch the store til we get back.” Grandma reassured me. I nodded, feeling oddly more calm.

                Billy came back in. The ache from missing him was filled. I smiled up at him.

“Billy, thank you.” Grandma said. Her eyes were teary now. A look of bewilderment flashed upon Billy’s face.

“What did I do?” Billy asked.

“For saving Spencer. It was very brave what you did.” Grandma said, genuinely. Billy was blushing and shifting from one foot to the other.

“Thank you.” Grandpa gave him a hug along with Aunt Niccole. Grandma seemed too afraid to leave my side so she stayed put.

“Yes, thank you.” I whispered to Billy. I was surprised he heard since he was entangled with hugs but he did. He just looked up and smiled at me.

                                A few days later…………………………

                I had talked to the police and countless social workers. Each time an officer or a social worker came in, fear struck my body. Would they send me to foster care? Would I be separated from my family? Would I be separated from Billy? Those questions clouded my mind as they talked to me. In the end only two things changed. One: my grandparents were officially named my guardians. Two: my dad was now where he belonged: jail. He was never going to be a problem for me or my family.

Once he was sentenced my nightmares vanished. Sadly, Billy had a couple of nightmares after the incident. He would wake up kicking and screaming. It broke my heart to see him in this state. I wondered if this how Billy felt all those nights. All I could do was hold him and whisper in his ear, like Billy did for me. I couldn’t go into his mind and take the nightmare and burn it, erasing it from existence like I wanted to do.

Once we got home, Billy and I came out, publicly. Much to my surprise, nothing bad happened. Actually nobody seemed to care. They acted like we were a heterosexual couple. The worse part about being back home was the fact that I couldn’t play baseball. I was out for four to six weeks and then I had to do physical therapy which meant I only had about two or three weeks of the season to play. That sucked. I didn’t like watching my teammates play from the dugout but it was better than nothing.

At home everything was normal except for the fact I needed help with just about everything. Which included showers that Billy eagerly offered to help with. He hindered the shower more than he helped. He always got us both distracted and out showers would take over an hour. That led to awkward questions from my grandmother. Billy was no help with that either.

After an especially long shower, Billy and I were lying on my bed. He was wearing only a pair of plaid pajama bottoms while I wore boxers and a grey tank top. We were facing each other with our hands intertwined. His cut on his forehead was healed with a small scar, leaving its memory behind. I wished that my injuries faded as quickly as Billy’s did. My chest and stomach was still covered with bruises that I did my best to hide from everybody especially Billy but seeing as he is my shower helper it was incredibly difficult. What I couldn’t hide from anybody was my long, angry cut that went down my wrist and all the other little not completely healed cuts. Nor could I hide the bulky cast that encased my other wrist. 

Billy kissed my bare hand, gently. “How was the shower?” A cocky grin was slapped across from his face.

“Good.” I said, kissing him. I kissed the sweet spot of his neck, earning a well-deserved moan from him. His green eyes were dropping. I stopped teasing him. He opened his eyes, disappointed. Billy looked so adorable, almost like a little puppy chuckled at that thought.

“What’s so funny?” He asked, sounding confused and little self-conscious now.

“You look like a puppy.” I laughed. He rolled his eyes. “Hey, in my defense I have been taking pain killers.”

“Spencer, you haven’t taken your pain meds in a week.” He rolled her eyes, giving me a soft, playful push.

“You look like a cute puppy at least.”

“Oh well, in that case.” He said, sarcastically. He kissed me on the lips. “Sometimes I wish that we had that heart monitor from the hospital.” He murmured. His words caressing my ear.

“Why?” That was an odd thing to want.

“Because I could hear how fast your heart beats just from me touching you or this…” He gave me a long passionate kiss that stirred my blood. I blushed.

“I love you.” He whispered in my ear. His intoxicating southern drawl made me melt. I felt completely warm, completely safe, completely at home.

“Forever and always.” I whispered back and settled into his arms. 

This is the last official chapter :( I'm going to post the Epilouge and then this story will be officially over :( I'm proud that I was actually able to finish this long of a story. I hoped y'all liked this story and this chapter. Remember to comment and vote :)

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