Chapter 53

Cecilia

The hospital waiting room was too bright, too cold, too quiet except for the occasional beep of machines and muffled voices from behind closed doors.

I sat beside Arthur, our hands linked together on the armrest between us, neither of us speaking. Max was across from us, slumped in one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs, his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. He hadn't moved. Hadn't said a word.

The silence was suffocating.

I kept replaying it in my mind—Alice and Madison tumbling down those marble stairs, the sickening crack of bone against stone, the blood. God, the blood.

Arthur took my hand. It was probably meant to be soothing but only reminded me that time was still passing and we still didn't know anything.

"How long has it been?" I asked quietly.

Arthur glanced at his watch. "Two hours since we got here. Three since—" He didn't finish.

Max's hands clenched into fists, his knuckles going white.

I wanted to say something—anything—but what the hell was there to say? Sorry your girlfriend got hurt protecting me from your friend's psycho best friend? Yeah, that would go over well.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, sharp and purposeful, and we all looked up.

Carter appeared around the corner, his face pale, his jaw set. He looked like he'd aged ten years in the past few hours.

Max was on his feet before Carter even reached us.

And then he swung.

The punch connected with Carter's jaw with a crack that made me flinch. Carter's head snapped to the side, and he stumbled back, catching himself against the wall.

"Max!" I jumped up, but Arthur was already moving, putting himself between them.

"That's enough," Arthur said, his voice low and dangerous.

Max's chest was heaving, his fists still clenched at his sides.

He snarled at Carter. "You brought Sophia, and she brought that bitch, and now Alice is—" His voice broke. "Now Alice is in there because of you."

Carter straightened slowly, wiping blood from his split lip with the back of his hand. He didn't try to hit back. Didn't even raise his hands to defend himself. Just stood there, taking it.

"You're right," he said quietly.

Max blinked, thrown by the admission.

"You're right," Carter repeated, his voice rough. "I brought Sophia." He let out a bitter laugh. "I was wrong."

"Damn right you were wrong," Max spat.

"Max, stop," I said sharply. "This isn't Carter's fault. Sophia made her choice. Madison made hers. You don't get to—"

"Don't I?" Max turned on me, his eyes blazing. "Alice is in there right now because she threw herself in front of you. Because Madison was trying to hurt you. So yeah, Cecilia, I think I get to be pissed."

The words hit like a slap, and I felt my face go hot. "You think I don't know that?" My voice came out shaking. "You think I'm not fucking aware that she got hurt protecting me?"

"Then maybe you should've been more careful," Max shot back. "Maybe you should've—"

"That's enough." Arthur's voice cut through the air like a blade. He stepped forward, putting himself between Max and me, his expression cold. "You want to blame someone? Blame Madison. Blame Sophia. Hell, blame yourself for not protecting Alice when you had the chance. But don't you dare blame Cecilia."

Max's jaw clenched, and for a moment, I thought he might take a swing at Arthur too. But then his shoulders sagged, and all the fight seemed to drain out of him.

"I should've been there," he said, his voice hollow. "I should've been with her. I should've—"

He broke off, turning away, his hands going to his hair.

"Where's Sophia now?" Arthur asked Carter.

Carter's expression hardened. "Still at the villa. I told her to pack her things and leave. We're done."

I felt my chest tighten. "Carter—"

"Don't," he said, his voice flat. "Maybe I should thank you for letting me see her true self."

Before I could respond, the emergency room doors swung open, and a doctor emerged, still in his scrubs. We all turned toward him.

"Family of Alice Reynolds?" he called out.

"Here," Max said, his voice cracking. He crossed the room in three strides. "I'm her boyfriend. How is she?"

The doctor looked between us, his expression carefully neutral. "Miss Reynolds sustained a significant head injury—a concussion, along with a hairline fracture to her skull. She also has a compound fracture in her left wrist and several bruised ribs."

My stomach dropped. "A skull fracture?"

"Hairline," the doctor clarified. "Which means it's relatively minor, but still serious. She'll need to be monitored closely for the next forty-eight hours to watch for any signs of brain swelling or bleeding. The wrist will require surgery to set the bone properly, and she'll need physical therapy afterward."

Max's face had gone white. "But she'll be okay? She'll—she'll recover?"

"With proper care and rest, yes," the doctor said. "But it's going to take time. Head injuries aren't something to take lightly."

"Can I see her?" Max's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Not yet. She's being prepped for surgery on her wrist. After that, she'll be moved to a recovery room, and you can sit with her."

Max nodded, his throat working.

The doctor saw we weren’t pressing further, yet he went on speaking out of a sense of responsibility. "Miss Hartley was more fortunate. She has a mild concussion and some bruising, but no fractures. We're keeping her overnight for observation, but she should be able to go home tomorrow."

Of course, I thought bitterly. Of course Madison walks away with barely a scratch while Alice—

I couldn't finish the thought.

"Thank you, Doctor," Arthur said.

The doctor nodded and disappeared back through the doors.

For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then Max turned and walked away, his movements jerky and uncoordinated, like he didn't quite know where he was going. He made it about ten feet before his fist slammed into the wall—once, twice, three times.

"Max!" Carter started forward, but Max shoved past him, heading for the exit.

"Let him go," Arthur said quietly, his hand on Carter's shoulder.

Carter hesitated, then shook his head. "No. He shouldn't be alone right now." He turned to us. "I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. You two—just stay here. In case the doctor comes back."

Before either of us could argue, Carter was gone, jogging after Max.