Chapter 108 108. The hospital
Tabitha’s POV
I finally realize that Luca and Jace are not the only ones in the room. Reed and Evren are here too, along with two maids and Tom. They all share the same worried look. Reed stands near the foot of my bed, his posture unusually tense. Evren stays closer to the door, his attention fixed on me. Jace continues to rock me, one hand firm against my back, as if keeping me grounded in the present.
For a moment, my dream bleeds into reality. The image of four shadowed figures flashes through my mind, and my gaze drifts from one brother to the next. In the dim light of the room, their forms blur together, and for a split second, they look just like the silhouettes from my nightmare, standing watch instead of giving chase.
It feels wrong to wake from a nightmare about them only to find them standing over me. Stranger still, their presence brings comfort, even though they are the very ones who have haunted my sleep for the past five years.
“Here, have some water.” Jace offers a glass of water which I gratefully accept. I take a few greedy gulps before setting it aside.
Then, I warily glance at the audience in my room. I mean, waking up from a nightmare is one thing, but seeing how not only the four of them are here but three of the estate’s staff as well is making me a bit uncomfortable.
“What are you all doing in my room?” I ask while eyeing Mia, one of the housemaids. She is holding a broom as if she forgot to put it aside before barging in here.
“We heard some noises coming from your room, so we got worried and came to check on you,” Luca says.
“It’s bad enough that you did not lock your door,” Reed says in a reprimanding tone, his eyes narrowing slightly.
I don’t even remember how I ended up in my room in the first place…
“We came in when we heard you mumbling in your sleep,” Luca explains. “At first, it wasn’t serious, so we didn’t wake you. But when you started screaming, the maids and Tom heard you too, and we had to wake you immediately.”
My thoughts feel scattered, like they are floating just out of reach. I blink hard, forcing myself to focus. Jace eases me back against the pillows and sits on the side of my bed, his hand still wrapped around mine.
“You seem to have a terrible nightmare.” Jace wipes in the sweat on my forehead with a towel. “Are you feeling better now?” he asks.
His question flies over my head, overpowered by my own questions.
Why am I in my room again? The last thing I remember, my mom and I… shit. My mom and I were talking, arguing about—blood. The image of my mother’s blood-stained hand flashes in my mind. That’s right! I was asking her about the blood in her hand, but she won’t answer me! Then, she starts saying these weird things…
And that’s the last thing I remember.
“Where is my mom?” the question spills out of my mouth as I search the room. That’s when I glance at the window. It’s already night! I must have slept a few hours.
“Tabitha, your mother is in the hospital,” Luca finally answers. He’s looking at me weirdly like I should already know this.
“What?!” I blurt out. “Hospital? Why? H-How did that happen?”
“You don’t know?” Jace asks, confused.
“I wouldn’t ask if I do, right?”
Okay, I am being a bitch but I can’t help it when my mom is apparently in the hospital and I have no idea why!
I take a deep breath to calm myself.
“Can you please just tell me why my mom is in the hospital? Is she sick? Did she get into an accident?”
Oh god, the blood in her hand! Was it her blood, after all?
I turn to the staff for answers. But Mia and Cynthia—the two house maids—and even Tom avert their eyes, as if scorched by my gaze.
What is it today that people keep on ignoring my questions?
Evren glances at the maids and Tom and gives a subtle nod toward the door. “Please give us the room,” he says.
They leave without a word, closing the door behind them. The silence feels heavy once they are gone.
I sit up straighter, my pulse racing again.
“Well?” I start when we’re the only ones in the room. “Will someone please answer me now? What the hell is happening? Why is my mom in the hospital?” I ask rapidly. “And why am I here in my room?”
Evren frowns. “We assume you already knew. You were already asleep when we got home,” he says. “And you were likely asleep when it happened too.”
That makes no sense. I was just talking to my mom before I… before I somehow ended up in this room.
I look at them. “What happened?” I demand.
They exchange worried looks again, and my chest tightens with frustration.
“Damn it! Are you going to tell me or do I have to march into the hospital and find out for myself?” I bellow, voice shaking.
Luca exhales and reaches for my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. His grip is firm.
“Sweetheart…” he says carefully. “Your mother had a miscarriage,” he says quietly.