Page 7 of The Deception You Weave

The fluorescent light from above burns my eyes and they immediately start watering, making everything blur that much more.

"Kane." The hope in his voice keeps me fighting to come back. "Hey," he says, and finally my eyes clear enough to see him staring down at me.

He looks terrible, like he's been awake for a week.

That thought forces me to look away from him.

The sterile room comes into view along with the line that disappears into the back of my hand.

Holy shit.

"Wh-where am I?" Each word feels like it rips my throat wide open.

"Here." He moves a cup toward me and presses the straw to my dry lips.

I drink down the entire cup, forcing him to refill it so I can have more.

"You're in the hospital."

"H-hospital?"

"Kyle, you should call for the doctor."

My entire body tenses at the sound of her voice.

I try to see her but Kyle is blocking my view.

Reaching out, I press my hand weakly against his stomach, tapping to make him stand back.

The second he does and my eyes land on her, all the breath races from my lungs.

She's curled up in a chair in the corner. Her hair is piled on top of her head, her face is bare of makeup, her eyes dark with lack of sleep, and her teeth are attacking her bottom lip. She's cuddling a takeout coffee cup as if she needs it to survive.

Dragging her eyes from my brother, they land on mine and widen in surprise despite the fact she just heard me talking and was the one to tell Kyle to get the doctor.

For the briefest of moments, I'm relieved to see her.

Then all my memories come rushing back to me.

They hit me like a fucking tsunami, and if I weren't already lying down, then I swear they'd take me to the floor.

"Get out." My words are low and so quiet I doubt anyone actually hears them.

Kyle stills beside me.

"Get. Out."

Her lips part as if she's going to argue, her eyes exhausted and full of tears.

I don't give a fuck about how she's feeling right now.

She's the one who did this.

"Get. The. Fuck. Out," I spit, my fists clenching. The cannula in my left hand stings and the muscles in my shoulders ache from the movement. I have no idea exactly what happened or what's wrong with me but right now, the only thing I need is her out of this room.

She uncurls herself from the chair.

"No, stay," Kyle insists.