~If your heart has seen
better days, I swear to you
it will see them again.
-JH Hard

My dream ended abruptly, as I was shaken back into reality. My eyes opened, my eyelashes faintly batting against my lids when I blinked. I lay in my room with the beeping sound of the machine, debating whether I should get up or not.

My muscles felt weak, just like my energy. I let out an exasperated sigh, groaning as I got up to look around the room. What time was it? How long have I been asleep? Did I have clothes on? All of these questions shot through my mind as I let out a loud yawn.

I had on a change of clothes, but I'm certain that this wasn't what I had on. My limbs were aching, a pain I hadn't undergone in years. Letting out a stifled yawn, I saw something in the corner of my eye. I frowned, looking down at my arms. There were about four different types of wires, each of them connected to a different section of my body. With trembling hands, I brought them to my face. The nose canal was there for sure. Each wire connected to an IV machine that sat at the side of the bed. I had an accident again. I tried shuffling around my mind for any recollections of what could've been the cause of my accident, but my mind was fuzzy from thinking too vastly.

I grumbled while taking each wire out. I despise the idea of feeling like I'm in the hospital. And these stupid wires keep reminding me of the day when I cut my wrist. Shutting my eyes, I push the memory at the back of my head.

If I'm not mistaken, then Vincent might be back if I'm hooked to perfection, but at the same time, I could be wrong. He was away on a business trip. I still remember that I still carry these weird feelings for him.

Pushing myself to a comfortable sitting stance, I got up gradually on my feet but slammed right back down on the bed. My feet were hurting, and I had to wonder how long I had been in this bed. If standing was so hard, then imagine taking a few baby steps. That's how I felt at the moment while staring at the wall, like a toddler waiting for someone to instruct me on how to take my first step.

How long was I supposed to sit here? I was lost in my thoughts, asking so many questions that I wouldn't get answers to if I didn't try to get up. With wobbly legs, I got up, ignoring the pain that I felt. Each stride felt as though I was walking on needles, but as I drew closer, they were long gone.

Finally, reaching the staircase, I took in the air. I felt out of breath just by walking for such a short time. I was still thinking about what had taken place, but each time I'd do so, a headache would pound on my head. My break was over. Taking my time down the stairs, I prayed not to trip and tumble down the stairs. Or I'd end up in that bed again, hooked up with wires again.

Just by the notion, my mouth tasted sour. Stepping off the last stairs, I sighed and patted myself on the back for not embarrassing myself. "What do you mean she won't?" The shouting made my headache got even worse. I'm sure that it was Vincent. He's the only one that insists on shouting in this house when he's furious. "If she doesn't, I'll ruin you!"

His body came into my line of view. He wasn't in his normal attire, which was frightening to me. Seeing him in just a t-shirt and sweatpants was rare, so I had to take in every fragment of his being. I could probably be daydreaming for all I know. He was pacing back and forth, shouting over the phone to the person that was on the other end of the phone.

He hadn't noticed my presence, and I had to make myself a note or I'd be caught creeping around just by looking at him. Knowing that he'd taunt me for the rest of the day by staring at me like a lunatic, I called out to him, "Vincent." My voice wasn't raspy when I spoke, it came out just above a whisper. He stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly.

"It's unlikely that you will make orders in the state that you're in," He took small strides towards me unexpectedly. I had gotten colder. Once he was close enough, I took a sharp intake of breath. A wave of relief filled me when I felt my eyes shut on their own. The intoxicating of his cologne did wonders for me and in that short period, I wanted to be wrapped in his arms just breathing his incense. "What aspect am I in little Laura?" It was momentous that I heard this name, but I loved it with each passing second. It reminded me of when he broke into my apartment.

"I know my husband. You don't always look like this unless something is wrong." I rested my hands on his cheeks, stroking them gently. "Is something wrong-" I wasn't able to finish my sentence when he hugged me. Isn't this gesture forbidden? It was his rules. Yet I did in fact stroke his cheek.

"I'm glad that you're okay." I pulled away and stepped back. I am now as confused as ever. I had so many questions to ask if my suspicions were right, then he was the one that had me all wired up. For what reason, I don't know. "Why wouldn't I be okay? I smiled, feeling a bit uneasy. My stomach growled, and I squirmed trying to silence the rumbling. I glanced at Vincent, who was smiling at me.

"How was your flight?" I asked looking at the empty table. Food would normally be here at this time for me to devour it, but nothing was here. "It was okay." was his answer, a simple answer for a simple man.

My curiosity grew. It was deadpan, eating me up inside. Vincent's smile was unreal. I must be hallucinating. Who knew that he wasn't a robot? I always wondered if he did smile like a smile for real, not that fake smile he gives me when we are out. I pinched myself to be sure, but it hurt a lot, letting me scream in pain. "Ouch!" "What's the matter?" Concerned wasn't a way to describe his facial expression, something more like fear. He cares? Or is it just all an act?

"You actually smiled," I said, putting my hands on his cheeks, which he briefly smacked away, rolling his eyes, and he was back to his old self. "I'm hungry," I whined for the last time, hitting the table while Vincent carried the food to the table. My mouth watered the moment I spotted the omelet. It must be filled with cheese.

"Go ahead." I took a bite and smiled, "Vincent, it's so good. What's the green stuff?" With a boyish grin, he raised his eyebrows, opening up his eyes, "Chives and dandelion leaves." I paused as if my thoughts had stopped entirely, "Holy. It tastes good." I haven't tried this before. It surprises me that he knows how to cook.

As he leaned forward, my pulse raced. A small lock of hair tumbled in front of my face, resting just in front of my cheek, but with one swift slide of his thumb, it was brushed out of the way.

Looking into his eyes, I saw deep pools of blue that displayed his soul. His lips touched my cheek. Time stopped. My heart came to a halt. This kiss wasn't like the other times when he'd done it, it was different. And I felt something sparked between us.

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

Vincent was nowhere in the house, apart from his studies, which I haven't checked. I wonder if things had changed between us, and the rules which he had made. Am I still allowed to enter without his permission? Do I still get to touch him? I can't say the same for him. He's touched me more than I can estimate. I went up there deciding on whether to knock or just walk in.

I turned the doorknob and looked around the room, seeing him asleep in his chair. "Tired?" I smiled at Vincent, who jerked awake with a start, and stared weirdly at me."No, I'm fine." He mutters, rubbing his eyes fiercely. I walked towards him and occupied the chair beside him. "You're lying." I poked his arm lightly. I could see it earlier on his face, and by his gruff appearance, it didn't go unnoticed by the eyes. "Don't do that." He moves my arm away from his and stares blankly at the wall in front of us."Not fine my butt," I mumbled, which earned a glare from his side of the room.

A muscle twitched involuntarily at the corner of his right eye. His mouth formed a rigid grimace. With arms folded tightly across his broad chest, he tapped his feet furiously and all the while stared at the window before shutting them. This was a habit of Vincent's when he was going into deep thought.

"Vincent." He hummed in response, holding out his hands for me to take them, which I did and pulled him out of the room. At this point, he was leading me in the direction to his room. I stood dead in my tracks as I watched him sitting on his bed. "I need approval to enter," I said with a smirk plastered on my face. His eyes shown in amusement at my words. "I see you've remembered the rules which we've broken multiple times." I nod in agreement, making my way to where he was seated.

He pulled me down with him looking at me. My insides were burning up by this simple contact. We haven't been this close. He wrapped his arms around my body, his fingers traced circles along my back, leaving a feeling of warmth within me, but something was off. He was exactly off. He doesn't get all affectionate just because of one minor incident, unless it wasn't that small. I've been in a more terrible situation than what had occurred, but I couldn't possibly get it off my mind.

"If something is wrong, I believe you should let me know, rather than hold it in. I'm not your wife for no reason," I asked, taking his face in my hands. His eyes are so different in these scenarios. So empty of the creatures that lived in his ocean eyes, they didn't sparkle like they used to.

The sigh that came was a signal, not of what he was holding up but of the level his tension had reached. It was more like his brain needed that time to process what had happened. His eyes remained fixed on me. I still found myself drowning in them.

"You hit your head two months ago. I thought you'd recover, but the reports showed a lot of brain damage, something that they said was hard to recover from." I missed two months of my life.

Was it bad? Or was it good? I didn't want to ruin the moment we were sharing. It could easily end if I uttered one stupid sentence, so I thought of something that wouldn't push it any further.

"I'm fine now, aren't I?" He didn't seem convinced by my actions, but nodded anyway. "We're OK, you and me. Okay?" I just nodded, taking in every moment, trying to remember what actually happened.

I've seen this before, around the time when I had the small wrist incident, but this look prevailed more than that day. It was like he had lost a big part of him. But I couldn't be too sure who I was to reckon on what he initially felt on the inside. I haven't been around many people to comprehend their emotions. Damn, I can't even recognize my own. It's all but frustrating. "I don't want to lose you again." He said, but it only came out as a whisper. I'm thinking that he's referring back to the last time.

"I'm not going anywhere anymore, I promise." That was the only thing I could propose to which I would in fact live up to. Even if I wanted to stay as far away from him as a couple of months ago, I don't want to let him go now. He has accumulated a big fraction of my heart that beats only for him. It is so funny how one can go from hatred to love.

"You should sleep. It's evident that you're tired and don't give me that saying that you aren't." He heaved a sigh, trailing his fingers along my arm. "I don't need to sleep."

"Businessmen need sleep too. Who's going to lecture me when you're gone?" I protested, holding him tightly to my chest. I started rubbing his back rhythmically, as he tried to move from my grasp. "Go to sleep!" I kept smiling at his annoyed expression. I ran my fingers through his hair, and I could feel his chest heaving against my stomach each time he took deep breaths, a sign that he was sleeping alas. He was bothered. I studied the way he posed himself and how he spoke.