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Emergency personnel from the resort finally arrive, the other people in the club standing and staring without shame.

Bougie is standing as a barrier between them and us, his phone glued to his ear, working to control the PR nightmare this could turn into.

An ache tightens in the back of my throat, and I can barely breathe or swallow as they get Vladi onto a gurney, give him some oxygen, and race him back over to the small medical center on the property.

Olivia never leaves my side as I insist on going with him, but security asks me to stay and answer some questions.

Hayes offers to go, but Zack steps in and tells him he should stay with us, explaining he’ll call with any updates.

The EMTs move onto Carlos, who I’m not sure will be able to chew for months after what Vladi did to his face.

A different EMT does a quick exam on me at the same time, and outside of the massive bump I have on my head, I’ll be okay.

While being poked and prodded, security asks me questions about Carlos.

About Vladi. I do my best to control my tears in order to give them some sort of coherent responses, but I can’t stop thinking about what could have happened.

What I allowed to happen. We’re told that a formal complaint will be filed and that, should security need anything else, they’d be in touch.

Tonight is a million years long. My body aches, my chest locked in place as we finally all walk back to our rooms. Kara insists I stay in her room until we know more about what’s going on, and she’s right. Not to mention, I don’t want to be alone.

I collapse on the bed with Kara, the heaviness of what’s just taken place hitting me like a thousand-pound weight slamming into my chest. I’m numb.

Stuck. Frozen. I can’t help but ugly cry, all the fear and panic overwhelming me, as she just sits and holds my hand like the good friend she is.

Olivia fought to stay with me, but Kara and I insisted she go rest up for her big day.

I know she wants to be here, but I don’t want to ruin it any more than it already is.

“Oh, Maggie,” Kara says, moving to look me straight in the eye and giving me no option but to stare blankly back. “Honey, are you sure you’re okay? Did he hurt you at all? ”

“No,” I sniff through my tears, “I’m honestly fine. My head hurts like hell, but I’ll be okay. I’m just more worried about…” I can’t even spit it out, I burst into tears again, unable to even catch my breath.

“Vladi’s going to be okay. Most likely, he’s having a panic attack. My mom used to have bad ones, and that’s what it was like.”

“A panic attack? But I…he…Oh God, it’s my fault. I did this to him!”

She grips my hand a little tighter, rubbing my back with the other. “Maggie…you didn’t do this! This is all that damn douchebag’s fault.”

“He wanted to walk me to the bathroom, and I said I was fine. I insisted he sit next to Hayes and wait. But he was right…he’s always fucking right. And then he…his mom… I caused the panic attack!”

“Oh, honey,” Kara whispers, pulling me in for a hug. “You didn’t do any of this. Why would you make him have a panic attack? And what does this have to do with his mom?”

My stomach twists so hard, bile burns my throat.

I shove her away, the guilt of what happened with Vladi claws at my aching heart, the memory of what happened making my skin crawl.

It’s all churning into something sick and horrible.

I feel like I can’t escape. “He was with his mom when she died. He couldn’t save her.

But he did save me. He pulled that jackass off me and beat him within an inch of his life.

For me. But I know it brought all that back for him.

I…” My eyes burn as I curl into myself, “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.

I just had to pee,” I mumble as Kara lets out a small laugh, providing a break from the intensity of tonight.

“Maggie. He did this because he loves you. You know that, right? ”

I shake my head, my mind insisting this will not end well. “He’s going to hate me now.”

She looks me dead in the face. “He will never hate you. I promise. It’s going to be okay.

Let’s just try and get some rest. Here,” Kara stands up and grabs me a shirt and shorts from the drawer.

“Why don’t you go take a shower; that always makes me feel a little better.

And it’ll help kill a little time before we get an update. ”

“Okay.” I take the clothes and shuffle into the bathroom.

The shower helps a little, soothing my skin and burning away Carlos’ imprint, but it does little to help the rest of me.

The sobs and tears are still here, but now they melt alongside the water running down me.

I did this to him. I feel fucking awful—awful that I didn’t listen.

How hard would it have been to let him escort me to the restroom?

! Fuck me and my damn stubborn self. But…

I never could have imagined this would have happened.

And now all I’m worried about is him . I’m sure they’ll get his breathing under control.

But…what happened tonight? Will it happen again?

Will he be able to see me as someone who doesn’t need saving?

This was his worst fear realized, and my heart sinks into the pits of despair knowing I fucking let it happen.

For just a moment, everything was so perfect.

Hopeful. Right. And now Melissa Joan Heart is dragging herself down a long hallway, shuffling into a hibernation room, and settling in for a long stay. I’m not sure if she’ll ever wake up.