The last few weeks without Tyler were agonizing, to say the least. Sam had drowned herself in anything she could to avoid thinking about him. Between spending time with Amber, keeping busy with schoolwork, and helping her mom at the bakery, she worked herself to exhaustion. It was as if her body was fighting the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. She would collapse onto her bed each night, her mind too tired to process everything, not leaving a single moment to think about Tyler. The pain of his absence was constant, a dull ache in the background of her everyday life.
But that ache became sharper when she realized something: she had been the one to push him away. The thought of how much she had hurt him, of how much he must have felt, gnawed at her. Every time she saw him at school, casually smiling, laughing with his friends as if nothing had changed, it only reminded her of what she had lost. It hurt so much.
That day, like so many others, Sam was pushing through the exhaustion, trying to block out the guilt that constantly threatened to resurface. As she walked home, every step felt heavier. She was running on empty, her body pleading for rest, but she couldn't stop.
And then, everything went black.
---
When Sam finally opened her eyes, she was no longer on the sidewalk. The sterile, cold smell of a hospital room replaced the familiar scent of the bakery. She blinked, her head pounding. Disoriented, she tried to sit up but was immediately met with a gentle touch on her hand.
Tyler.
He was sitting at her bedside, looking at her with concern written all over his face. His usual carefree demeanor was replaced with something more vulnerable, more serious.
"Why would you push yourself this far?" Tyler's voice was soft but filled with frustration. "What are you really trying to prove?"
Sam felt a lump form in her throat. She hadn't expected to see him, and the sight of him there, sitting beside her, made her heart twist. He was here. He was really here.
The floodgates opened, and Sam burst into tears. She didn't even know where the tears came from. It wasn't just the exhaustion. It was the relief, the guilt, the overwhelming mix of emotions that had been building up over the past few weeks.
Tyler's expression softened, and he hesitated for a moment. "What? Are you in pain?" he asked, his voice full of worry as he jumped to his feet.
He rushed out of the room, likely to get the doctor, but Sam couldn't let him go. She called him back with a weak voice, "Tyler… wait."
He stopped in his tracks, looking back at her. "What's wrong? I'm getting the doctor."
"Why are you here?" Sam asked, her voice trembling. "How are you here?"
Tyler's eyes softened, and he gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I'm still your emergency contact," he said quietly. "Someone found you when you fainted and called the hospital. They called me."
Sam felt a tear slip down her cheek. She nodded silently as he continued, "Your mom will be here soon."
A heavy silence filled the room as Sam tried to make sense of everything. She felt like a failure—her exhaustion had brought her to this point, but what hurt even more was the realization that Tyler still cared.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, wiping her tears. "I'm so sorry. I should have considered your feelings. I was selfish." The words tumbled out before she could stop them. She was crying harder now, the weight of everything she had done, everything she had pushed aside, crashing over her.
Tyler didn't say anything for a moment. He just reached over and placed a gentle hand on her head. Without a word, he kissed her forehead, a soft, lingering kiss that spoke more than words ever could.
"Everything will be okay," he reassured her, his voice calm and steady. "You're going to be okay."
Sam closed her eyes, the weight of his kindness soothing the ache in her chest.
Soon, her mom arrived at the hospital, rushing into the room with frantic eyes, but the doctor had already confirmed that Sam's collapse was simply due to exhaustion. Sam was discharged the next day, still recovering from the emotional and physical toll, but with a renewed sense of hope.
---
The following week at school, everything seemed different. Word spread quickly that Sam and Tyler were back together, and the reactions were mixed. Some were happy to see them reconciled, others not so much. Some classmates whispered behind their backs, unsure of how to feel about their reunion, but Sam couldn't bring herself to care. She had been selfish, yes, but she was willing to make things right, no matter what anyone else thought.
Tyler had accepted her apology, and he had made it clear that he was willing to forgive her, even if it hurt. He told her, in quiet moments, that every day without her had been painful for him. The final straw, though, had come when the hospital called. He had realized that, even though she had pushed him away, he couldn't stay away from her.
As the days passed, Sam found herself walking with Tyler again, her heart lightened by the fact that they were both trying to rebuild what had been broken. For the first time in weeks, she felt like maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be okay.
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