I didn’t tell her what had happened. I couldn’t—didn’t want her to worry.
The nurse said I’d been lucky. The car hit me from the side. Nothing broken. Still, I needed a few more days to heal.
So I stayed. Alone.
Finally, discharge day arrived. I returned to the apartment, just to collect the last of my things before booking my flight home.
That’s when Nathan appeared in the doorway.
“Oh, good, you’re back,” he said, smiling as if nothing had ever occurred. “Listen… we had to sell your car. And some of your things. Sabrina needed emergency funds, and—”
“What?” I froze. “You sold my things?”
“Relax,” Gabriel said, stepping in. “We’ll pay you back. Sabrina’s been through a lot since the robbery. She needs someone to care for her—can you cook? She hasn’t been eating properly.”
I blinked, stunned. “Are you serious?”
Gabriel’s brows knitted. “Where’ve you been anyway? Sabrina said you went to a party after dinner. You weren’t here when she needed you! That’s selfish.”
I laughed, bitter and hollow. “Right. A party.”
Then I hurled the hospital discharge file at them.
“There. That’s where I was. The hospital. You left me out in the rain. I walked home through a thunderstorm. I got hit by a car.”
“What…?” Nathan stammered, shocked. “You were in the hospital?”
“I thought you were with friends…” Gabriel mumbled, confused. “Sabrina said—”
“Of course she did,” I snapped. “It’s always Sabrina, isn’t it?”
Before they could speak further, a piercing scream echoed down the hallway.
“Help! Nathan, Gabriel—it hurts! Please!”
Sabrina. Of course. Always Sabrina.
I didn’t wait to see their reaction. I turned, crossed the threshold, and walked away.
My body ached all over, every muscle screaming for rest. Instead of leaving the room as I had intended, I stayed anchored to the bed, letting the dull pain hold me in place.
I didn’t cry. There were no tears left to shed.
When I opened my eyes again, sunlight spilled through the curtains, warm on my skin. And there, at the foot of the bed, were Nathan and Gabriel.
“Morning,” Nathan said, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips as he held a tray. “We brought you some breakfast.”
Gabriel carefully set the tray on my lap—toast, scrambled eggs, some fruit, and a glass of orange juice. Slightly cold, uninspiring.
“Thought you could use something to start your day,” Gabriel added, perching at the edge of the bed.