Taylor turned to face her, giving her a half smile. “I must admit that, um, I feel somewhat on the uneasy side about that.”
“Why? You told me yourself that you were over the situation!”
“I was, I mean I am, but--”
“But what?”
“I have no excuse.” Taylor said, making his way back to Simone. She reached her arms up for him to lift her onto the bed. Once she was on the bed, she hugged Taylor. “It’s been so long since I’ve held you in my arms. I almost forget what it feels like.”
“Let me refresh your memory.” Simone said, hugging him again. They came so close to each other. She tilted her head up to allow their lips to touch. At first, Taylor’s initial reaction was to back away, but then he gave in and kissed her so lightly on the lips. It was a short kiss but it brought back the feeling that Taylor loved. The feeling that he loved to get when he was around her. He kissed her again and this time, he let his tongue meet hers. It was so refreshing to finally kiss her again. The kiss grew to become something quite powerful and soon they were both breathless.
Simone began undressing Taylor, but he stopped her.
“What’s the use if you can’t--”
“Shh.” Simone hushed him, putting her finger to his lips to stop him. She leaned forward to kiss him quickly before continuing. “You said you wanted to hold me, right?” Taylor nodded. “That’s all I want. Just hold me, Taylor.”
Under the covers and blankets, all night long, that’s how they stayed; wrapped up in each other’s arms.
The days passed by slowly. With each day, Simone grew stronger, and she got more response in her legs. With the therapy she was getting twice a day, she could very tentatively walk on her own, but only for a short amount of time. She still used the wheelchair every now and then.
While watching American Beauty one evening, Simone couldn’t help but fall asleep. She’d seen the movie before and it just wasn’t the kind of movie to want to watch time after time. The jerky movements of someone pushing her wheelchair into the den awaked her. She reached around and out her hand over the hand pushing her. They stopped in the den.
“Zac!” she said, mostly in shock because she thought that it was Taylor, but partly because she had been thinking about him.
“Sim, I just couldn’t go any longer. I need to talk to you…” Zac said. Simone wanted to smile, but she forced herself not to.
“Zac, you hurt me. Not calling me or even coming to see me while I was in the hospital made me feel as though you have no feelings for me.” Simone said in a rather loud voice. Zac’s eyes widened. He got up and closed the double doors to the den so that no one would accidentally overhear their conversation.
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. But do you understand why there were so many reasons why I couldn’t?” Zac asked, sitting down on a chair across from Simone. “First of all, I had to give Taylor some space. Secondly, my parents think that I hate him, not him hating me. Plus, Ang broke up with me and I was in such a mess. Not just because of the breakup, but because of what happened to you. I couldn’t bring myself to see you like that or to have you see me in the condition I was in.”
Simone nodded, but she still couldn’t fully grasp how that could prevent him from picking up the phone and giving her a call.
“God, I’m so sorry.” Zac said. He was being so sincere. “I just…I mean, I love you so much that it hurts me incredibly to know that I did this to you.
Simone’s mind stopped functioning. There he went again with the whole ‘I-love-you’ thing again. “Zac, you don’t love me.”