I nod in agreement and enter the ward. Amanda lies on the hospital bed; there’s a distinct bruise on her cheek, her face is pale, and she has bags under her eyes. In this moment, she seems so defenseless that I want to wrap her in my arms and protect her from the whole world. I sit in a chair next to her and take her hand. Why is she so cold? Or maybe I'm just paranoid. I’ve never worried so much in my life, but now I am scared. Scared to lose her forever, after seven years, again. And lost in these thoughts, I don’t notice when I drift off to sleep.
- Adam... - I wake up abruptly because I hear her voice, which at first seems like a dream.
- I’m here, Kitten. - I take her hand and watch as she licks her lips.
- I’m thirsty. - she barely finishes when I jump up from the chair, grab water from the table, and help her drink.
- Thank you. - Amanda sinks back onto the pillow and looks at me.
- Should I call the doctor? How are you feeling? - I want to speak calmly, but it’s hard to do when I see her in this state.
- I'm fine. I want to go home. - she tries to sit up, but I see how much it hurts her to do so.
- Wait. The doctor will check you now, and then we’ll decide what to do. - the woman doesn’t argue, and I press the button; a few minutes later, Viktor Petrovich appears.
While Amanda is being examined, I go to Nazar's ward; as far as I know, he has already regained consciousness.
I enter and see his face, full of rage.
- She will regret this. - he hisses through his teeth and tries to get up. But I stop him, pinning his hand to the bed.
- You have two options: forget everything and disappear, or feed the catfish at the bottom of the river. - I pull out a gun and press it to his forehead. - This time, Dad won't save you. Choose.
He looks at me as if he’s ready to rip my heart out with his bare hands, but that doesn’t scare me anymore.
The last fear he and his dad instilled in me was killed seven years ago. When their stupid desire for self-assertion took away the one who was everything to me. To be more precise, they made it so that I drove her away myself, without giving her a chance to return. And even though I couldn't save my life back then, I won’t allow them to ruin Amanda’s life.
- So what do you choose? - I press the barrel harder so there’s no doubt that I'm not joking.
- Nothing happened. - he almost spits out those words, but I’m not in a hurry to put the gun away.
- And heaven forbid, I see you near her, consider yourself dead. - without waiting for a response, I turn back into Amanda’s ward, but she isn’t there. Not understanding anything, I find a nurse.
- Where is she? - I say too loudly, causing the girl to jump.
- She’s on the second floor, being examined by a surgeon. - I exhale and head towards the office, just as Kitten comes out accompanied by the doctor.
- Viktor Petrovich said I can go home. - she turns her green eyes to me, and I melt.
- Yes, but Ms. Amanda needs rest and peace. The doctor says this to me, I nod, and then he says goodbye and leaves.
— I’ll call a taxi. — She pulls out her phone, but she barely makes any moves before I take her hand.
— I’ll drive you. — And even if she refuses, I still won’t listen. Definitely not this time. But Amanda nods, and we head to the car. The drive is silent, but when we enter the apartment, I see the woman’s shoulders tense up.
— Amanda, everything will be fine. Try to forget about it. — She turns and looks into my eyes.
— What happened between you? — This is definitely not what I was expecting to hear from her right now. My heart races because I don't want her to find out everything like this. I’m afraid that my past will forever cross out our future.
But from her eyes, I see that Amanda won’t back down easily, so I start.
— It will be a long story. Coffee, maybe? — I stall for time, and she understands but goes to the kitchen.
— I’ll make it, and you sit down. — I start to prepare the coffee, thinking about how to begin this story. A lot of time has passed, but I remember everything too well. I take the coffee and head to the couch; at that moment, my phone rings. Amanda answers it, and a few minutes later, her eyes fill with tears. The girl begins to tremble, the phone falls to the floor, and she nearly goes into hysterics. I don’t know what to do. I move her into my arms and hold her tightly.
- What happened, little one? How can I help? - but Amanda continues to sob as if she doesn’t hear me at all. I’m terrified to imagine what might have brought her to this condition. I didn’t pay attention to the conversation because I was lost in my thoughts, and now I regret it like never before.
- Kitten, say something. - I can’t bear to see her like this. It hurts even more because I don’t know how to help her. She continues to cry, but through her tears, I hear fragments of a phrase:
“accident” “fatal” “today”...
And I don’t get a chance to ask anything when Ami loses consciousness, causing my body to freeze. At that moment, blood starts flowing from her nose, and it feels as if her life is leaking away...
For the first time in a long while, I don’t know what to do. I am scared, and this fear paralyzes me. I call the doctor, and all I can do is wait for his arrival. And while this waiting becomes a torment, I grab the girl's phone and see the last incoming call: “Mom”...