Chapter Forty Three-2

I can't stop the tears falling. I place my hand over my mouth, to stop a sob from breaking loose. "I didn't give her a second chance," he murmurs. "But you did. You gave me a second chance that I didn't deserve and for that, I will never stop trying to prove myself and my love to you." A warm tear runs down my cheek. I quickly wipe at it and roll my lips together. "We both deserved a second chance," I whisper at him. He looks up at the ceiling, blinking back his own tears. "Those guys... the ones that did this to you... are from the Gold Coast?" I ask. "Yeah. They came to tell me no one leaves the game without a scratch. Well, they proved their point." "But that's it? There's no more after this?" I question, the hope evident in my voice. "Only if I cross the border into their territory," he replies. "None of this is your fault. You got involved trying to help your mum," I say to him. He closes his eyes, leaning back. "What good did that do?" I sit there for a moment. I don't know what to say. Moving so that I'm on my knees, I crawl to his side and collapse beside him. I place my hand gently on his chest. "You're safe now," I whisper. "I love you." "And I love you," he murmurs, before wrapping an arm around me and holding me to him. *** A few hours later, the sky is darker, the rain heavier and the temperature has dropped a few degrees. I wander along the corridor, my eyes searching for a vending machine. Nurses and doctors bustle around me, trying to get to people. The weather seems to have made the atmosphere chaotic in here. I round the corner and freeze. A tall, slim girl with vibrant red hair stands before me. She's leaning against the wall, her arms wrapped around herself. Her long hair is dripping water onto the floor. Her mascara has run, making her skin look even paler than usual. My mouth opens, to speak, but nothing comes out. She's dressed in jeans and a thick coat. She moves off the wall for a moment, only to fall back against it, as if trying to convince herself to go somewhere. "Samara," I eventually say, my voice coming out thick. She whips her head to me, her lips pale and parted. We stare at each other for a few moments, the tension thick and accumulating with each breath. "Hey," she replies. "What are you doing here?" I ask, my voice quiet and is basically drowned out by the sounds of the rain and hurried footsteps. "I heard about Miles." "Oh." "Eli did this?" she questions. Miles and I discussed what happened. He went into details of everything that he could remember. My hands ball into fists at my side as I think back to it. "He didn't do the act itself, but he set it up," I explain. "Miles could have died last night." "Yeah, I know," she murmurs. "Pretty fucked up." "Yeah, it is," I agree with an edge to my voice. She chews at her lip, looking down at the floor. It's bizarre seeing her this timid. She is the complete opposite. "Kiarra told me everything." She raises her eyes to meet mine. "Told you what?" she whispers. "Everything." She closes her eyes and leans against the wall, appearing fatigued. "Why didn't you ever say anything?" I question, walking towards her. "I didn't want to admit it." "Why not?" I frown. "People change the way they think and look at you. Your friends don't feel comfortable, especially when you're in love with them," she snaps. I shake my head at her. "Like usual, you're wrong." She rolls her eyes. "Sure." "Look, if you want to isolate yourself and be a bitch, go ahead. You do it really well. But I was your best friend and I would have done anything for you. You threw that back in my face and hurt me in the best way you could. And, you did the same thing to Kiarra. We were there for you and you ruined it. You did this to yourself." My cheeks feel hot as I blurt that out. I narrow my eyes at her as she takes my words in, her bottom lip trembling. "Yeah. I know." Silence presses heavily down onto us and I shift my weight from my right foot to my left. "Well, if you ever want to apologise and start acting like a proper friend, you know where I am," I say firmly, before pushing past her and striding down the hall.