Chapter 94 You Hate Him

Chapter 94 You Hate Him
Chapter 94: You Hate Him 

Ivy 

Everything was a mess. 

Nothing made sense anymore. Not the hospital hallway. Not the blood on the floor. Not the way Anton had checked Julia’s breathing like he was confirming a package had arrived. 

Certainly not the way Solomon had looked at me afterward, like I was already erased. 

“I’ll leave,” I said. My voice sounded small even to me. “I’ll pick up my things and I’ll go. But I only have one request—”

“I will not grant you any request,” Solomon cut in. “Especially if it involves my boy. Get out of here. Now.”

I wiped my face with the back of my hand. It did nothing. The tears just kept coming.

“When Leo wakes up,” I said, “please let me know. I want to see him. Even if it’s one last time. I want to tell him the truth. He needs to know that.”

Anton stepped forward and handed Poppy her phone back without looking at her. 

“Ivy, leave,” he said. “I don’t think Leo would like to see your face again. The best thing for the two of you now is to stay away from each other. You’re not good enough for him. Now go.”

I pressed my palms together like I was praying. Maybe I was.

“Please. I promise I’ll leave after I talk to him. I don’t want him to hate me. It was a misunderstanding.”

Anton shook his head. “I think it’s too late for that. He has no feelings left for you. No sane man would.”

Maddie moved before I could answer. “You heard him. Go.” She shoved me hard in the chest. 

I stumbled backward. If Poppy had not caught me, I would have hit the floor for the third time that day.

“Don’t show your face to Leo again,” Maddie said. Her voice was shaking, but the words were sharp. “You only bring him heartache and trouble. Look at the mess you’ve created. Everything that happened today is your fault. Everything. You should hide your face in shame, Ivy. After today, just know that you don’t have a sister anymore. You’re not my sister—”

“But you stole my boyfriend!” The words tore out of me. “Why is no one talking about that? You’re pregnant for Leo!”

Maddie glanced at Solomon, then at Anton. The two men looked at each other. For the first time all night, they looked genuinely confused.

Poppy’s arm locked around my waist. “Ivy, let’s go,” she said quietly. “It’s no use trying to get through to them. That crazy man might hurt you.” 

I let her pull me away. I was still crying. I couldn’t stop. I looked back once. Maddie was already speaking to Solomon and Anton in a low voice. 

Her hand was on her stomach. Whatever she was telling them about the baby, it looked serious.

The automatic doors opened and the air hit my face like a slap. Completely different from the hallway we had just left.

“What about Julia?” I asked as soon as we were outside. “Are we just going to leave her with them? You saw what he did to her.”

Poppy sat me down on a bench in front of the hospital. Her phone was already at her ear.

“No way in hell,” she said. “Dad is not going to let them keep Julia. We’ll file a lawsuit against Solomon. This time he’s going to get locked up for everything he’s done.”

I shook my head. “You think he’s going to let her go that easily? Knowing she has evidence of what he is? He has a reputation to protect, Poppy. He’s not going to make this simple for Marcel.”

“We’ll let the law be the judge of that.” Her voice was hard. “I know he’s going to try to keep her until he’s gotten rid of every piece of evidence of his beastly nature. But he’s not going to win.”

I buried my face in my hands. 

“Maddie is right,” I whispered. “It’s all my fault. I caused this. It’s my fault Leo ended up like this.”

Poppy crouched in front of me and pulled my hands down. “Stop crying, Ivy. You’ve been crying all day. Aren’t you tired? You’re going to make yourself sick if you keep going like this.”

“But she was right, Pops. I only bring trouble. I let myself get pulled in by Andy. Leo saw everything.”

“Stop listening to that idiot Maddie.” Poppy’s eyes were bright with anger. “She’s clearly picked a side, and it’s not ours. She wants to become a Teague? Fine. She can go right ahead. She fits in with those animals.” 

The words were meant to help. They didn’t. The tears kept falling anyway.

A few minutes later headlights swept across the parking lot. Andy’s truck pulled up so fast the brakes squealed. The second he saw me he was out of the vehicle and at my side.

“Jesus, Ivy. What happened? Why are you crying?”

Something about the concern in his voice made everything worse. I cried harder. I should never have come home. I should never have returned to Weeping Willow. There was nothing here for me except ruin.

“Leo…” I tried to speak and choked. “Leo suffered a cardiac arrest. He’s still unconscious. And Julia… Solomon hit Julia. She’s still unconscious—”

Andy didn’t let me finish. He pulled me into his arms and held me like I might fall apart if he let go.

“It’s alright,” he murmured against my hair. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

“Dad’s on his way,” Poppy said. “He’s coming for Julia.”

Andy nodded once, then helped me stand. “Let’s go. You need rest. You look like hell, Ivy.”

“What about Julia?” I asked as he opened the passenger door. “You’re not worried about her? What about Leo? Don’t you care at all? You’re partly to blame for this.”

His jaw tightened, but his voice stayed even.

“Dad is coming with the police. Julia will be fine. They’ll make sure of that. For now you need sleep. Look at you.”

“Are you sure she’ll be fine?” I asked, even though I already knew no one could promise that.

He cupped my cheek for a second. His hand was warm. “I’m certain. Dad said to take you home. He wants you to rest.”

I stared at him a moment longer, then nodded and climbed into the truck. Poppy was already in the back seat, arms crossed, staring out the window like she was trying not to scream.

Andy got behind the wheel and started the engine. The town lights began to slide past.

“Andy,” I said quietly, “I need to pick up my things at Leo’s place.”

“I already did that.” He glanced at me, then back at the road. “Your things are back at the house.”

I leaned my head against the cold window. Weeping Willow rolled by in pieces. Streetlamps. Closed shops. Streets that looked pretty until you remembered what lived underneath it.

“I want to go back,” I whispered.

They both heard it.

“Why?” Poppy’s voice was full of sadness. “Why do you want to go back? Your school isn’t even—”

“Coming home was a mistake.” I sniffled. “I should never have come back here, Poppy.”

“Don’t say that,” Andy said. His hands were tight on the wheel. “It wasn’t a mistake. There are so many of us who love you and want you here. You just have to forget Leo and his family.”

I looked at his profile. The set of his mouth. The anger he wasn’t bothering to hide anymore.

“You hate him, don’t you?” I asked. “You can’t even hide it, Andy.”

“The feeling is mutual,” he said. “He’s not a big fan of me either.”

Poppy leaned forward between the seats. “If you leave… will you ever come back? Will we ever see you again?”

There was no hesitation left in me. No maybe. No someday.

“No,” I said. “Never.”