Chapter 28
*Beep *Beep *Beep*
All I could hear was that incessant noise.
*Beep *Beep *Beep*
Again with the beeping! I reached out my arm to shut off the stupid noise and was met with a searing pain, almost at the very thought of moving it.
I tried to open my eyes then, wanting to find this idiotic sound, but they weren’t doing what I wanted them to do. I was still submerged in darkness, my eyelids glued shut.
Where the hell was I? It smelled… clean.
*Beep *Beep *Beep*
That was really getting annoying. Using all my strength I tried to open my eyes again, wanting- no, needing- to turn the insanely annoying sound. I let out a sigh of relief as my eyelids lifted slowly. Gradually my blurred vision focused, presenting me with an unfamiliar room.
Now I was really getting confused. My gaze swept over the room and I finally noticed a sleeping form on the couch- Trent.
I tried calling out but my voice was just a croak. I cleared my voice and tried again, “Trent?”
My brother’s head snapped up instantly. “Rose, you’re awake!” He jumped off the couch and stopped beside my bed, his hand finding mine.
“What happened? Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital, Rose. Don’t you remember anything?”
“I—I don’t know.” I shook my head. “I was—I think I was crossing the road…”
Grant nodded. “You were hit by a car, Rose, out by Grant’s house.”
Yeah, I remembered why I was there- stupid, lying, cheating bastard. I took a deep breath, trying to concentrate on the important things. “Where are Mom and Dad?”
“Resting. They’re at home.”
“And you didn’t go with them? No offence, Trent, but you look like shit.”
“I didn’t want to leave your side,” he said, giving me a little smile. “And you’re not looking so hot yourself, sis.”
I tried to smile back but my face ached. In fact, my whole body was aching. And that’s when I became aware of the wires; they were all over me…
“Rose!” Ryan sang, skipping into the room. “You’re awake, finally!”
Grant came in behind him, nodding at my brother. Trent just stared back at him, kind of hostilely… What was that all about?
I couldn’t think too much about it, though, because Ry launched himself onto the bed beside me, making me wince.
“Sleeping Beauty,” Ryan crooned, cuddling up to me. “I missed you the past few weeks.”
What did he mean, weeks? “How long was I out?”
“Three weeks, exactly to the day,” Trent answered without a beat.
I sighed, my eyes flickering up to the ceiling. Three weeks? It barely felt like a few moments had passed…
Grant coughed and I looked at him. His gaze shot around the room awkwardly, his hands fidgeting uncomfortably. We all just stayed like that for a while- silent.
Then Ryan broke it, giving me a tiny smile. “Come on, Trent. You really look like you need a cup of coffee.” Trent opened his mouth, obviously about to protest, but Ry just dragged him out by the arm.
The uncomfortable silence fell on the room again as soon as the door closed behind them.
“Rose, I...”
“What, Grant?” I snapped. “I’m pretty sure nothing you say will change anything.”
"I can explain. You see, Trent—“
“I don’t care!” I cried. “I felt like nothing, Grant, like a loser all my life. I knew I wasn’t popular or pretty. I had one friend, that’s it. And nobody noticed me, ever. But you made me feel different. I actually felt special because of you.” I wiped the tears from my face quickly, angry at myself for crying over him.
“What are you talking about, Rose? You are gorgeous. You are special.” He walked over to my bed and put his hand over mine.
“No, I’m really not. You’re just saying that because you’re feeling guilty.”
Grant’s hands found my face and he tilted it upwards, forcing me to look at him. “You are beautiful, Rose.” He leant down and kissed my forehead gently.
We sat in silence for a few moments.
Grant sighed deeply. “It’s over, isn’t it?” he asked quietly.
I nodded, pulling out of his grasp. “Yeah.”
“I—I can’t think about losing you, Rose. We don’t have to end; don’t do this to us, please!”
I shook my head. “I just… I can’t just forgive and forget like that, Grant. What you did, it was unforgiveable.”
He turned and left without saying another word. And then the tears started to fall.
I don’t know how much time passed after that, but Ry eventually came back with a cup of coffee. When he saw the state of me, though, it was on the floor. “What the hell, Rose? What’s wrong?”
“I—Grant…“ I shook my head. “We broke up. Grant and I broke up.”
Ryan sat next to me on the bed. “What? Why, Rose?”
I told him everything: what had happened after the party, how I visited Grant in the morning, what I saw- everything.
***Grant's POV ***
Things weren’t meant to have gone like this. I let her down. And it looked like she might never forgive me. I wouldn’t blame her if she did.
I walked down the hospital corridor and saw Trent heading back to Rose’s room. I jutted out my shoulder and bumped him on the way past. He deserved it.
“What the hell is your problem?” he hissed. “You’re the one who—“
I cut him off, “My problem is that I’m your best friend. Rose is your sister. You should have been happy for us,” I snapped. “If you don’t think I’m good enough for her- your best friend- who is?”
“I’m trying to protect her from assholes like you!”
I shook my head, exasperated. “You know what? It doesn’t matter anymore.” Almost running, I got as far away from the hospital as I could.
It wasn’t my fault.
Trent had made me loose the only girl I’d ever loved.