2. Roses Are Dead

Diane

I woke up to bright light piercing into my eyes through my eyelids. I could hear the beeping of a monitor and the faint murmur of voices, tugging at my consciousness. 

My body felt very heavy like I was trying to move underwater, and every part of me ached like crazy. I opened my eyes, blinking slowly as I tried to make sense of where I was.

“Diane? Diane, can you hear me?”

A familiar voice cut through my hazy mind. I turned my head slowly, winging as the movement sent a sharp pain through my skull.

There she was. My best friend, Julia, sat beside me, her face filled with a mix of worry and relief.

“Julia,” I said, my voice was barely above a whisper and it sounded hoarse. My throat felt drier than sandpaper.

“Oh, Thank God.” She leaned forward, wrapping her hand around mine. Her hand was warm and soft as it grounded me in a reality I wasn't sure I was ready to face.

I glanced around the room, noticing and taking in the plain white walls and the smell of disinfectant that clung to the air.

Then I noticed the bandage wrapped around my arm, the stiff sheets beneath me, the cold, clinical atmosphere and it occurred to me that I was in a hospital.

“What…What happened?” My voice came out slow and sluggish as though my brain was just waking up.

Julia opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, a man’s voice cut in.

“You were in an accident.”

I turned my head toward the deep, unfamiliar voice and my stomach twisted at the sight of a man I didn't recognize. He stood at the foot of my bed, his handsome face pale, and his dark eyes filled with worry and guilt.

“I’m Marko Giorgio,” he said, his voice firm and low. “I'm the one who…I hit you with my car and I’m so sorry.”

My mind struggled to catch up, then slowly, the memories started coming back to me in fragments—the headlights, the screeching tires, the wet pavement beneath me. I felt a knot tighten in my chest, and suddenly, I couldn't breathe.

“How are you feeling?” The man, Marko, asked me with his hands in his pants pocket.

“I…” I tried to speak, but I couldn't find the words. My head felt like it was about to be split open, and the walls of the room seemed to close in on me. 

I could feel the heaviness in the air, and my heart raced as I tried to make sense of what he was saying. 

“Diane, do you remember anything? Anything at all?” Julia said, her voice bringing me back to the present moment.

I looked at her, my heart beating fast in my chest and then that was when realization hit me.

The breakup.

Luca.

The memories of everything came rushing back to me like a wave. Lucas' face, his voice, and the coldness in his eyes as he told me that it was over. The restaurant, the way people had stared at me when I walked aimlessly on the street. 

My stomach churned and I sat up quickly, so quickly that the room spun.

“Where's my phone?” I demanded, my voice rising in panic. “I need my phone.”

“Diane, slow down,” Julia said as she placed her hand on my shoulder in an attempt to lay me back on the bed. “You need to rest—”

“No,” I snapped, my tone came out sharper than I had intended, and I instantly felt bad. “I need my phone, Julia. Please,” I said, softer this time.

She hesitated, her eyes darting to Marko, who took a small step back as if he didn't want to intrude. Finally, she walked across the room to where my purse was, reached into it, and handed me my phone. 

I muttered a thank you as I collected it, my hands trembling slightly as I unlocked it.

Luca had to be worried about me. He had to know that I'd been in an accident. This was all some sick, twisted joke, and any second now, he'd show up and tell me that he didn't mean it.

He'd apologize and tell me that he loved me, just like he always did.

I started dialing his number, muttering to myself under my breath. “He’s going to pick up. He's going to be here. He wouldn't just leave me like this. He loves me.”

My best friend stood there, looking at me with confusion all over her face. “Diane…what are you talking about? Did Luca break up with you?”

I laughed, but it sounded hysterical in my ears. “He was just joking, that's all. He's going to come here and everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

I placed the call, but it went straight to voicemail.

I tried again, but it was the same thing.

My fingers hovered over the screen and I stared at his name, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. I opened our text thread and typed a quick message.

I’m in the hospital. Call me.

I hit send, but the message wouldn't deliver. I tried over and over again, but the result was the same. My texts were not delivered.

“No.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it, my voice cracking.

“Diane?” Julia said with a cautious tone, but I could hear the worry behind her voice.

“He…” 

The phone slipped from my fingers and my hands fell to my lap as the realization hit me like a punch to my gut. 

Luca cut me off. He blocked my number, and he wasn't coming.

“Diane, what’s going on?” Julia sat on the bed beside me, her face searching mine.

I looked up at her, tears blurring my vision and my voice breaking as I spoke. “He…He really left me, Julia. He broke up with me.”

Julia's eyes widened in shock, and then her expression softened, her shock replaced by sympathy. “Oh, Diane…”

Tears ran down my cheeks uncontrollably, and I sobbed loudly as the weight of everything crashed down on me.

Julia pulled me into her arms, stroking my hair as I cried into her shoulders. She spoke to me in a soft, soothing voice, but it did little to ease the pain in my chest. Marko stood awkwardly in the corner, his hands still in his pocket as he watched us with a mixture of guilt and discomfort.

“I don't understand,” I forced the words out between sobs. “We were supposed to be together forever. How could he… just leave?”

Julia didn't have an answer. She just held me there, whispering that it was going to be okay, even though I couldn't see how it would ever be.

The door opened, and the sound of footsteps made me pull away as I wiped my eyes. A bald doctor walked in, his expression professional but kind. He glanced between the three of us before his gaze settled on me. 

“You need to calm down,” he said, his voice firm but kind. “You're lucky the baby is safe.”

For a moment, the room went silent and his words hung in the air. Julia froze beside me, her hand still resting on my arm.

“What…What baby?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. 

The doctor frowned slightly as if he was confused by my reaction. “You’re one month pregnant.”

I blinked as my mind struggled to comprehend what he'd just said. 

Pregnant? No, that couldn't be right. There had to be some kind of mistake.

Julia finally found her voice. “Wait…Diane’s pregnant?” She said in a shaky voice.

“I’m sorry, are you sure?” I asked, my voice rising in panic.

“Yes,” the doctor replied calmly. “The tests confirmed it. The baby is unharmed, but you'll need to be very careful moving forward.”

My chest rose and fell as I struggled to breathe. Pregnant. The word echoed in my head, over and over again.

Julia’s grip on my arm tightened, and her wide eyes locked in on mine. “Diane…”

I shook my head as though I was trying to wake myself up for another dream. “No. This can't be happening. This can't be real.”

But deep down, I knew it was.

I knew that my life was about to change completely.