chapter 25
"the letter"

chris begins to write his letter with some left over pens he probably found on the floor in school. he wanted to make this letter special so he took what matt and nick said into consideration. he wanted to build their friendship up first before jumping straight into a relationship like they always did as that clearly didn't work. but maybe one day they will become lovers again. that was chris' main goal.

he spends half an hour writing on a scrap piece of paper, thinking on what to write. matt and nick came in his room a few times and helped him out on a few of the lines. once he finished, he decided to call dejah. she didn't answer obviously, chris expected that. but he decided that he wanted to atleast try. chris runs down the stairs and heads for the door when matt stopped him, "do you want me to drive you to the mail box so you can post it to her?" he asks, watching chris shake his head, "are you sure?"

chris nods, "i'm sure. i'll just walk it's only like 15 minutes around the block. i'll be fine." he states, before walking out of the door.

chris thought that walking would do him some good.

the way the trees arched over the road, their leaves forming a gentle canopy that rustled softly in the wind, brought him a sense of calm that he couldn't find in most places. the air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of rain that had fallen earlier in the day. his steps were light as he moved down the familiar path.

he approached the intersection, a corner he had crossed a million times. the street was usually deserted around this time, and he barely noticed the shift in the traffic light as he stepped off the curb. his mind wandered, thinking about dejah.

in an instant, everything changed.

"so, you love him?" asks nate, looking at dejah with complete and utter confusion.

dejah had just been ranting on to nate about everything. even from when they were little, to now. "well. i think so. i don't know." she says, taking in a deep breath. "i want to be mad at him for what he said yesterday but in a way, i understand him. i've said some pretty messed up shit when i'm angry too and i'm not saying that's an excuse for what he said, all i'm saying is that i forgive him. he just had a really hard day yesterday and everyone was warning me not to say anything and i just persisted when i shouldn't have."

nate nods his head slightly, "his apology better be damn good."

dejah looks at the floor in front of them, "you really think he's going to apologise? especially this early. he's probably still mad."

nate looks over to her vanity, and looks at particular picture of chris, "did you take this photo?" he asks, walking towards the poloroid that's wedged between vanity.

dejah giggled to herself, "yeah, i did."

"i even have this really old one i took in middle school." she laughs, moving her makeup organiser, revealing the old picture.

nate begins to burst out with laughter, "oh my god. i remember when matt and chris used to look like this. that's so funny, how do you still have that?"

dejah laughs and grabs the picture for herself, "my crush on chris was huge at this point. i kept everything that had something to do with him." she says, her voice changing to a soft one.

"he will apologise. trust me, he will." reassures nate, patting dejah on the shoulder.

dejah grits her teeth together and places the photo back on her vanity, "hopefully. because i miss him already. i really do love him and i hope we can fix this and be like we used to be."

nate laughs to himself, "he just needs to ask you out already."

dejah rolls her eyes, followed by a smile, "you know what, i agree."

a car, sleek and black, came speeding around the corner. the driver, distracted by a phone call, didn't see chris until it was too late. there was a brief moment where time seemed to slow, where chris' senses sharpened, he turned his head towards the oncoming vehicle. his eyes widened in shock, his heart raced, and in that fraction of a second, he realised what was happening.

the impact was sudden and brutal. chris felt the hard metal of the car slam into his body, the force throwing him into the air before he crumpled into the ground. pain shot through him, a white-hot flash that consumed his senses, and then everything went dark.

the driver screeched to a halt, horror etched on his face as he jumped out of the car. he was trembling, his hands were shaking uncontrollably as he approached chris' still form on the road. other cars began to stop, drivers getting out, their faces pale as they realised what had happened. someone was already dialling 911, their voice tight with urgency.

minutes felt like hours as they waited for the ambulance. chris lay motionless, his chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths. his mind was trapped in a haze, the pain receding into a dull throb as his body began to shut down, protecting him from the worst of it.

when the paramedics arrived, they moved quickly, their faces a mask of calm efficiency. they checked chris' vitals, stabilized his neck, and carefully lifted him onto a stretcher. the world was a blur of flashing lights, frantic voices, and the distant wail of the ambulance siren as they rushed him to the hospital.

chris drifted in and out of consciousness, flashes of memories mixing with the present, his mind struggling to make sense of what had happened. the last thing he remembered before everything went black was the feeling of his hand being held, a familiar voice whispering that he was going to be okay.

the world outside continued to move, the setting sun giving way to the night. The streets of the neighborhood grew quiet once more, as if nothing had happened. but for chris, and the driver who had hit him, nothing would ever be the same.

2 days went by and dejah had been waiting in the waiting room for hours, waiting for some news from the doctors. matt and nick had finally arrived. waiting with dejah. the room was thick with worry and tension as they all sit there in silence, stressed about what the outcome could hold. "how did you know he got into that crash?" asks matt, watching dejah reach into her pocket for the note.

"the guy who crashed into chris found this letter with him. he called my contact from his unlocked phone on the floor as the letter said my name." she says, beginning to cry. "i haven't read it yet. i cant."

matt and nick both lean in for a hug as they grip onto her tightly, "it's going to be okay."

the look of hope, present on their face as the doctor walks into the waiting room and calls out for anyone with the relation to chris sturniolo. they all spring up from their chairs and follow the doctor who takes them to chris' hospital room.

dejah immediately starts to sob upon seeing chris in that state. matt and nick covering their mouths in sadness, "i can't believe this. i shouldn't of let him walk" whispers matt, coming to a realisation, "oh my god. what if i drove him instead, would this of never happened?" he says, breathing heavily.

nick notices the pain that matts in so he puts his arm around his shoulder and leads him out of the room, "i'm going to calm matt down, we will be back" he says, leaving the room so matt can calm down before going back in the room.

dejah was now left alone with chris' still body in the hospital bed hooked up to all kinds of machines. she reaches over and strokes his messy hair, moving a few pieces from his face. "i'm so sorry." she whispers, planting a small kiss onto his cheek.

the sound of the beeping from the machines were all that dejah could hear. she grabs the letter from her pocket and she opens it, reading it out loud.

"Dear dejah,

I want to start by saying how truly sorry I am for what happened between us. I know I messed up, and I hate that I hurt you. That's the last thing I ever want to do.

I've been thinking a lot about what I said and how I acted, and I realize now that I wasn't being fair to you. I let my emotions get the best of me, and I didn't consider how my words and actions would affect you. You mean so much to me, and I regret that I didn't show that in the moment.

I know I can't take back what happened, but I want you to know that I'm committed to making things right. I'm willing to listen to you, understand your feelings, and do whatever it takes to rebuild the trust and love between us. You deserve so much better, and I want to be the person who gives you that.

Please know that I'm truly sorry from the bottom of my heart. I love you and I don't want this argument to come between us. If you're willing, I'd really like to talk about what happened and work through it together.

I care about you more than anything, and I hope we can find a way to move forward.

A long time ago, you promised me that all i had to do was write a letter if you was ever mad at me, so that's why i decided on writing this letter hah. (Hopefully my handwriting has improved and you can read this.)

With all my love,
Christopher sturniolo ت♡︎" she reads, leaving tear stains over the page. she grips onto his icy cold hand sending a shiver down her spine. her hairs were sticking up and goosebumps were present in her arms.

chris lay on the hospital bed, his face pale against the white sheets. Bandages wrapped around his head and arm, and his left leg was elevated in a cast. seeing him like this made her heart twist with a mix of relief and sorrow. he was alive, but he looked so fragile, so different from the strong, vibrant person she knew.

for a moment, they sat in silence, just holding hands. the fear and tension that had gripped her all day began to fade slightly, replaced by a quiet determination. chris was hurt, but he was still here, still the person she loved. they would get through this together.

"i was so scared when i got the call," admitted dejah after a while, her voice trembling. "i wasn't going to answer at first, but i did. as soon as i heard that man's voice and he told me what had happened, i thought... i thought i might lose you."

she leaned down and pressed another gentle kiss to his forehead, careful to avoid the bandages. "i love you, chris. the letter was lovely. i already forgave you before i even received it."

she sat beside him, the steady rhythm of his breathing was a soothing balm to her frayed nerves. she knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy—there would be pain, frustration, and moments of doubt—but as long as they were together, she knew they could handle anything.

matt and nick finally walk back into the room. matt pulled up a chair beside the bed, his eyes never leaving chris' face. nick remained standing, his arms wrapped tightly around his own chest as if trying to hold himself together.

"i don't even recognize him," nick whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

matt nodded, swallowing hard. "neither do i."

they sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. matt's mind raced back to the last conversation he'd had with chris, and how different it could've been if he had just drove him. nick, on the other hand, thought of chris' laugh, how it could fill a room with joy, and how he would give anything to hear it again.

"do you think he knows we're here?" nick asked, looking around the room, breaking the silence.

"i hope so," matt replied. "i really hope so."

A nurse entered the room to check chris' vitals, giving everyone a small, sympathetic smile before quietly leaving them alone again. the day had faded into evening, the light outside the window turning the room a muted shade of blue. they were all grappling with the reality that their brother might never wake up.

matt leaned forward, gently taking chris' other hand in his. it was cold and unresponsive, a far cry from the warm, energetic grasp he was used to. "chris" he began, his voice barely above a whisper, "we're here. we're not going anywhere."

dejah could see the sadness behind his two brothers eyes as they sit there and watch his brother on the hospital bed. "nate and liv said they were going to visit tomorrow." speaks dejah, once again breaking the silence.

nick nods his head and pulls a chair out and takes a seat himself.

"that's good." whispers matt.

²²⁵⁵ ʷᵒʳᵈˢ

maisie
💌

so!! this took me hours to write!! but i'm rlly happy w the result as i think this chapter has rlly good writing?? (pls correct me if it's bad 😭😭)

anyways, ik this is a crazy turn but i wanted to do it ahaha
ily all x