“I think it’s hilarious that you’re the only one with a cold,” Matt said.
Connor had to hold me back to prevent me from clawing him to death.
“I will murder you,” I hissed, venom dripping in my tone. I managed to break loose just as Matt dove behind James. James shrieked… shrieked and jumped behind Jess, who, in turn, started begging for mercy. And right when I was about to go in for the kill, Connor threw me over his shoulder, carrying me back to the couch. He sat down, set me down in his lap, and enfolded me in his arms, trapping me. After a couple of minutes of struggling, I gave up, burying my face in his neck. There was a sharp pain running through my side, and I couldn’t help but gasp.
“You okay there?” Connor asked, looking into my eyes.
I nodded my head slightly, gently twisted out of his arms, and stood up to walk.
“I just need some water,” I said.
Connor stood up behind me, his hand on my lower back, guiding me to the kitchen. The pain was growing more and more within me, and after a few seconds, I grasped the counter, my vision fading.
“Here you go,” he said, oblivious to my state.
I smiled at him, taking the glass.
“Bella?”
I looked at him, black spots invading my barely-there vision. “Yes?”
“I love you.”
Then the glass shattered, I felt my body crash to the ground, and then everything went black.
Chapter 18
Connor
“You don’t understand, I need to be with her!” I growled out.
The nurse cowered slightly, looking at the ground.
“You will be with her soon. Just let the doctors fix the…” she stopped and raised her eyes to meet mine. “You’re just going to have to wait.” The small nurse hurried off before I could say anything more.
I took deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down.
“Come on, Connor,” Jess said quietly, tugging at my hand.
I allowed her to lead me back into the waiting room, where Matt and James sat. I collapsed into a chair, my head resting in my hands while Jess sat with James, her head resting on his shoulder.
“She’s going to be fine,” Matt whispered, wiping his hands nervously on his jeans.
With my head still in my hands, I thought of the way she fell on the ground, limp and seemingly lifeless. I froze then. When I saw the shards of glass cut into her skin, it made me feel nauseous.
“My baby! My baby!”
I looked up to see Mrs. Brown rushing into the hospital, with Mr. Brown right behind her. His eyes caught mine and he walked over to me, guiding Mrs. Brown gently.
“Connor,” he said, his eyes filled with worry. “Is my daughter going to be okay?”
I looked at him, completely speechless.
“Here, um, I can tell you guys what happened,” Jess stepped in, giving me a reassuring look.
I watched numbly as they walked into a hallway.
“I’ll be right back,” I muttered to James and Matt, walking outside. The cool, crisp November air whipped my face. Shaking, I pulled out a cigarette, taking a deep drag so I could calm myself down.
Why? Why did I tell her I loved her? I berated myself. I mean, seriously? Those three words, they just came out of nowhere. I don’t know if I really do love her. I mean, fuck! I’ve never loved anyone before, not like that anyway.
This wasn’t like me. Love wasn’t my thing.
I took another deep drag and leaned back against the concrete wall. So many thoughts were going through my mind. The worst one? I wanted to take back what I said.
No, not because I was only in it to sleep with her—that was from before anyway. But because I didn’t want to hurt her. I did have feelings for Bella, no doubt about that. But I shouldn’t say I love her just yet. I wasn’t ready for that, and judging from her reaction, I guess she wasn’t either.
“Connor?” I turned my head to see Matt poking his head out of the door.
“Yes?” I asked, slightly annoyed.
“She’s awake.”
I quickly dropped the cigarette in the ashtray, my heart speeding up. Patting my legs nervously with my hands, I walked back into the hospital, my legs automatically following Matt.
I opened the door slowly… and froze.
“Holy…!”
Bella
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
My eyes fluttered open, and my heart began pounding. The beeping noise accelerated, and I found myself freaking out. A lady in a blue uniform rushed into the room, her eyes wide.
“Honey, calm down!” she said, rushing to my side.
I lifted my hands slowly, only to feel a cord lying across my face, going into my nose.
“Just oxygen,” she said quickly, taking my hands in hers.
“W-what happened?” I asked, wincing as I felt a couple stabs of sharp pain on my face.
“You had a little accident…” she trailed off, looking back at the doorway. “Would you like me to get the doctor to explain this to you?”
I nodded slowly, ignoring the painful twinges all over my body.
“Bellatrix Brown?”
I looked up to see a doctor walk in, who, if I may add, looked extremely attractive. I opened my mouth slightly and stared, feeling a deep blush rise to my cheeks.
He paused, looking up from the clipboard in confusion.
Embarrassed, I quickly closed my mouth, biting my tongue in the process.
“Umph thyes, that’s meh,” I said stupidly, wincing from the intense pain in my tongue.
“You okay?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
Surprisingly, I learned from my mistake and simply nodded, blushing awkwardly and looking away.
“I know you may be pretty confused, and you’re probably feeling some discomfort and pain.”
I nodded along, not really listening to what he was saying.
“But…” he said casually, leaning against my bed, “would you like to tell me how you got those nasty bruises?”
Well, that snapped me out of my trance.
“W-what?” I asked, my voice quiet and barely audible. My throat felt dry, and a sickening feeling spread throughout my stomach.
The doctor gave me a sympathetic look and patted my hand gently. “You really don’t remember what happened?” he asked.
I frowned and shook my head. I was at Connor’s house with Jess, and… Well, that was all I could remember.
“You got some extreme bruising on your torso. There was also some slight internal bleeding, which was probably what caused the stabbing pain you felt. It must have been excruciating because your body went into shock and you passed out. Judging from your injuries, though, they’re several days old. Why didn’t you go to the hospital for any treatment immediately after you got injured?”
I stayed silent, looking down at my hands.
“Were you in an accident? Or did someone do this to you?” He paused and then added, “Someone you know perhaps? A fri——”
My head snapped up and my eyes narrowed. “Excuse me, but what are you implying?” I asked, my words like knives.
He looked slightly shocked, but quickly recovered. “I saw your medical history and…”
“It’s none of your business,” I spat out, anger lacing my tone.
“May we speak with you?”
It was then that I noticed my parents were also in the room, worried expressions etched across their faces. I gave them a small smile as they walked out with the doctor into the hallway, leaving me alone in the room. Leaning back on the bed, I let out a sigh that was soon cut short.
“Holy…!”
I looked up quickly, my eyes widening at the sight of Connor.
“Is there something on my face?” I asked, my heart rate speeding up. I lifted my hand quickly, only to cringe and pull back when I felt the bandage across my cheek.
“How did…?” I trailed off, looking at
Connor in confusion.
“You dropped the glass when you passed out.” His eyes locked with mine. “You cut your cheek pretty badly.”
“I can tell,” I mumbled, wincing as I lightly trailed my fingers across the bandage.
He slowly walked over to the bed, an unreadable expression on his face.
“You don’t remember?” he asked softly.
I frowned and sat up in bed, another wave of confusion washing over me. “No. Remember what?”
Connor’s expression relaxed and took my right hand in his, kissing it softly.
“Connor, may we speak with Bella?”
I allowed a small smile on my face as Connor gave me another kiss—this time on my forehead— before leaving the room so that it was just my parents and me.
My eyes followed him as he left the room and walked out into the hallway. And even as my parents began to talk, my mind was somewhere else.
That look on Connor’s face. It looked pretty much like relief.
Why did he look relieved?
Connor
She didn’t remember.
It was like God was giving me a second chance.
I let out a shaky laugh as I sank into a chair in the waiting room, my head in my hands.
“Connor, you better not be screwing with her.”
My head snapped up, and I stared at James.
“Ex——”
“I heard what you said to her.”
I opened my mouth to protest. But after seeing James’s warning look, I quickly closed my mouth.
“You like her. But you don’t love her. You need to slow down before you fuck up everything you have,” James added
I narrowed my eyes at him, standing up slowly. “I’m not going to fuck this up,” I spat out. “And she doesn’t even remember, so everything’s fine.”
James scoffed and shook his head, looking away for a moment.
“Connor. This isn’t like you,” he stated in a worried tone.
“What? I can’t be happy?” I asked, crossing my arms tightly.
“Connor, you’ve changed. It’s not good for you to act like someone you’re not,” James replied.
“And why’s that?” I asked darkly.
“Because then she’ll get this idea of you and expect you to always be that way. Then the second… the second you slip up, she’ll hate you. And then it will be hell from there.”
I sighed, realizing that what he was saying was true. “What am I supposed to do then?”
“Be yourself. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not. And please, please don’t pull out the ‘L’ word until you’re ready.”
I nodded, punching his shoulder lightly. “Thanks, man,” I said with a grin.
Bella
I sat up slowly in bed, clutching my side as a sharp pain surged through me. The nurse gave me a sympathetic look as she helped me to my feet.
“The pain will soon go away,” she said softly, giving me half a smile.
I gritted my teeth and stood upright, hobbling to the bathroom. I tried not to gasp as I took in my reflection—dark circles under my eyes, my pasty complexion worse, and a stitched-up gash surrounded by an angry bruise on my right cheek.
I’m sexy and I kn—— Fuck that. I look and feel like shit!
“Can I please have something for the pain?” I asked as I walked back to the bed, leaning on one side.
“Sure. But you know what’s funny? You’re the second person this week to come in with bruised ribs,” the nurse said thoughtfully.
I tilted my head to the side and frowned. We were in a hospital. There were bound to be plenty of people with broken ribs.
“His was worse though,” she murmured. “It was like he had been kicked.”
I nodded along, adjusting the sweater I was now wearing, along with sweatpants.
“Wait, what?” I exclaimed, my heart racing and my mouth going dry.
She looked at me, surprised.
“It looked like he had been kicked?”
Kicked. My attacker!
Connor kicked my attacker on the chest. Being kicked on the chest could cause bruised ribs.
Looks like my attacker is closer than I expected, I reflected grimly.
Patient confidentiality, my ass!
It seemed like nothing I said was working. The damn nurse refused to tell me the name of the guy who came here before with bruised ribs. And then she haughtily told me that, frankly, she really didn’t give a damn what I want.
“So, really, why do you want to know?” she asked, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
I frowned slightly, my forehead crinkling as I thought of a reasonable response. Then, I took a deep breath and put everything I had into my award-winning acting skills. But as it turns out, they were non-existent. Case in point…
“I-I’m pregnant! And the baby daddy, he…”
“Bruised his ribs?” she stared at me, shaking her head.
I glared and wiped away the fake tears. “Alright, I get it,” I spat out, giving up the pretense. But before the nurse turned to go, I added, “Anyway, when can I go home?”
She just gave me an annoyed look and exited the room.
Minutes later
The doctor walked in, his brown hair perfectly tousled. He grinned as the nurse whispered something to him, then looked at me with an unreadable expression on his face.
“So, can I go home now?” I impatiently asked the doctor as I gritted my teeth together, still pissed at the nurse.
“Well, Miss Brown, you seem to be doing okay now. The bruising still looks severe, but I think it will be alright for you to just continue your recovery at home. Make sure to get a lot of rest so you can heal properly.”
“That still doesn’t answer my question, you know? Can I go home now or what?” I grumbled. Clearly, my annoyance at the nurse made me irritable and I was taking it out on the doctor. Granted, I felt overwhelmed at the realization that someone out there was clearly out to get me. And discovering that I could have had some answers, but was stopped by some stupid hospital policy, was not making me feel any better either.
“I believe you can, Miss Brown, but we can only release you as soon as your parents fill out the necessary forms. They’re right outside, right?” Then he turned to the nurse and said, “Nurse Thompkins, please assist the Browns with the paperwork.” To me, he said, “Do you have any other concerns, Miss Brown?”
I shook my head. And with that, they walked out of the room
As soon as the door closed, I hastily ran to the bathroom. My heart pounding and my head aching as I tried not to hurl whatever food was in my stomach at that time.
What’s wrong with me? Why am I remembering that horrible incident only now? And who attacked me? Oh, my God, will he try again? Does he know where I live? Will I even be safe at home? At school? Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
Well, I couldn’t lie. I was so wrapped up in the whole love-triangle debacle that I totally forgot about that nasty episode. And Connor’s arms when he rescued me made me feel so safe that my subconscious must have automatically pushed the memory to the back of my mind. I admit, I did have more important things on my plate then, especially when I just decided to choose the bad boy, at the same time, break the good boy’s heart.
Liam. I wonder if he’s alright, my mind couldn’t help thinking. Jeez, everything was such a mess!
Then, the bathroom door opened and someone stepped inside.
“Bella?”
I let out the huge breath that I was holding, and allowed myself to be pulled into my best friend’s small arms.
“It’s okay. Just let it out,” Jess whispered, not even bothering to ask what I was doing there on the bathroom floor but instantly figuring out that I needed her support. Good old reliable Jess.
At that, I let out a whimper and released the tears that had been blurring my vision.
“Oh, hell to the naw!” Jess cried out, pacing angrily inside my room.
I was finally on my own bed, af
ter that surprise stint at the hospital. It was 3:47 am, and Jess had insisted that she would stay by my side the whole weekend. I groaned and rolled to my side, facing the wall and away from her.
“That… that bitch!” she exclaimed.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying in vain to block out the profanities flowing from her mouth.
“Jess, it’s…”
“It. Is. Not. Okay!” she hissed.
Still on my bed, I turned back to glare at her as she continued her ranting.
“That bitch knows who your attacker might be but she refused to tell you?”
I rolled my eyes, slowly sat up, and groaned, “Jess! For the last time, I wasn’t about to tell her that some guy attacked me, and that my boyfriend might have possibly broken his ribs when he kicked him… and could she please give me the guy’s name because we didn’t exactly see who he was when he attacked me because it was dark!” I said without pause, making me feel out of breath.
“I would have,” Jess grumbled, sitting down next to me.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought. Of course Jess would do something exactly like that, I thought as I let out a big yawn, burying myself back into the nice and warm bed.
“Goodnight, Jess,” I mumbled, my eyelids slowly drooping. I could tell that they were still swollen from all the crying. But what can I do about that?
“Yes, yes… you sleep,” she whispered evilly. “Not me. I shall not rest until I’ve successfully planned our revenge,” she said with a snigger.
I let out a small laugh just before the darkness engulfed me.
Nearly ten hours later
I finally woke up and slowly sat up in bed. Feeling thirsty, I quietly stood up and carefully stepped over the heap on the floor—a.k.a. Jess.
“Hey, sexy lady…” she murmured, and her legs began twitching like she was running.
I held in my laughter as I walked out of the room and down to the kitchen where I found my little brother standing by the fridge.