“Go back to sleep, Bay,” he whispers. “It’s late.”

“I know.” Sitting back in his arms, I let out a breath and close my eyes. Another night with Tyler. Another night without nightmares.

“Why can’t you see I’m not going anywhere?” My hand touches her shoulder, down her arm. I miss the way she feels against me. I miss her.

I touch her wrist and play with the bracelet holding the anchor, wishing she would believe that she can be happy again. I’ve made some mistakes with Bayleigh and I don’t want make those mistakes again. Leaving her causes an indescribable pain in my chest. I often wonder where we’d be right now if I hadn’t left her that night. My fists ball up. I’m not a violent guy and I never lose my cool, but right now all I want is to slam my fists into his face. She’s been through hell and back. No matter what I do or say, she retreats to her safe place. The weight on my chest feels like someone is standing on it. I clench my hands again and close my eyes.

“Remember you are an anchor. You’re strong and this will remind you that the tides will never hurt you. The strength you have inside your heart will never waver, same with my love.” I whisper, leaning down to kiss her head.

When I hear her softly breathing and her chest rising and falling, I get up from the bed and sit against the wall. I watch her sleep and imagine a life with the only girl who has my heart and soul.

I’ve loved Bayleigh Murphy my whole life. She’s everything to me and people think I’m stupid for only loving her and never experiencing anyone else. That’s the thing. When you find love, you hold onto to it and never let go.

Life was great. We were both at the same college and had the best time. Then the night before our anniversary, some asshole stole her from me. He stole her body and her soul. He stole everything.

She was already at the hospital when I got the call from Carrie Murphy. I rushed to Strong Memorial and they wouldn’t let me in until a family member was notified. I paced around the waiting room and when her parents came in, they allowed us to see her. As soon as I stepped into her room, I ran to her side and took her hand in mine. The nurse said she was unconscious due to blunt force trauma to her head. I sat with her for a while before leaving to run to the store and buy her flowers, teddy bears and anything else I could think of to make the room feel alive.

It was our anniversary and I wanted it to be special. I held the ring in my hand and wanted so badly to put it on her finger.

When I got back to the room, her parents, Carrie and Craig, were sitting with her. I decorated the room and watched to see if she would wake up.

She didn’t wake up for three days. When she came to, I heard the scariest blood curdling scream and rushed to her side. She punched me and slapped me, screaming for help. I didn’t know what was going on. Carrie was crying in the corner and Craig couldn’t get her to calm down. Doctors rushed in and sedated her. I cried. I cried for her and what she’d realize when she woke up again.

She left to go back home and I was left packing our apartment and driving the U-Haul alone. We didn’t talk much and she avoided me every chance she had. I tried seeing her and doing anything I could to hold her hand. She refused to see anyone. I didn’t know if we were still together or if she was going to be okay. I had to leave for work and we didn’t say goodbye.

Resting my head against the wall, I look at her and cry, knowing there’s nothing I can do to make her feel better. My phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out and look at the text message staring at me.

Brian: Hey Tyler. I heard the good news and I’m happy to have you here with us. Listen, if you can confirm everything with Paula tomorrow that’ll be great. We leave on Friday for California.

I stare at the message and close my eyes. I have to be in California for three weeks for training and then I come home and start my new position. Opening my eyes, I find my girl again. I wonder if I’m the only one still in love. She says one thing and acts another way. Actions speak louder than words. I think about the times we spent together and it’s hard to think that she could be over me.

My fingers graze the buttons and it’s fucking killing me. This is one of the best companies in Rochester and if I accept this position, I’ll make enough money to take care of me and Bay. We’ll be set for life and she’ll never have to worry. I’ll pay to get her the best doctors and make sure she’s okay. I’ll do anything for her.

I get up from the floor and look around her room. There’s a collage of our pictures on her wall. My smiling Bay was the happiest girl. She was full of life and had this light about her. Nothing ever got her down.

I kick myself for not being with her that night. I had a dinner meeting with my professor. It was an important dinner and I needed it. She told me to go and I told Ryan to watch her and not let her out of his sight. It was a party we’d gone to plenty of times. She made that walk back to the dorms almost every night. Why would Tony pick that night? Why would he pick her? It makes me sick what he did to her. Slowly she’s getting better, but I know it’s going to be a long road.

I sit down on the bed next to her and watch her wincing. She’s having a nightmare. Quickly, I look around her room for my guitar. Opening her closet door, I see it on the floor. Grabbing it, I sit against the wall and strum her favorite song, Photograph by Ed Sheeran. Softly, I sing and watch her breathe. She’s calming down. I play the song a few more times. It has meaning and the lyrics help me hold on. That’s one of the things we used to do. We’d lie on the floor and listen to music, labeling each song that plays a different part of our lives.

“Tyler,” she mutters and slowly wakes up. “Hi.”

“Hi baby.” I get up and sit on the bed, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

“Can you sing again?”

“I’ll sing to you forever, Bay.”

Bayleigh looks at the ceiling as I play the guitar and sing softly to her. I strum the guitar and feel the music through my fingers. Looking up, I see the worried expression on her face and the tears streaming from her eyes.

“All I can think about sometimes is what if I lost you? I don’t think I would be able to live if you were completely out of my life.” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “I know us not being together is causing you so much pain. I love you, Ty,” she pauses again, “It scares me. I never meant to hurt you. I don’t deserve you, and please believe me, I’ll hold you in my heart forever.”

“I know, Bay. You don’t have to tell me. I know I’m vulnerable and it’s hard. I never wanted to push you so far. You still do things to me and you always will. It scares me too.”

“So what happens now?”

“I think that we’ll stay friends forever and one day we’ll be together again. I’m not going to give up on you.”

She doesn’t say anything. Her eyes are on the ceiling. I wish she would say something, anything, to make me believe her words. The thing about Bayleigh is that she’s a people pleaser. She puts people above herself. I don’t want to believe she’s telling me this to make me feel better. Those words need to be her own.

“I like that plan,” her deep hazel eyes look at me. She turns on her side and reaches out her hand for mine.

We stay like this, holding hands, her simple touch keeping me calm. I know she can’t give me more and this is a lot for her to tell me. I’m proud of her. Keeping her emotions locked up won’t help her or anyone else. That’s why I keep reminding her about being an anchor and the reason I got it for her. As soon as I saw the bracelet in the store, I knew it had to be hers.