"It's got nothing to do with you, Stefan."
"No, it doesn't but it has everything to do with you. She was stabbed, Luc. She could have died. We could have had yet another funeral to attend," I pointed out to him.
Luc blanched at the words. He was the reason this happened and now he wanted to speak to her and what? Beg for forgiveness? Mia was so compassionate that she would grant it. I had seen it in her eyes when she asked for Luc. If Mia forgave him, he would continue to drag her down until she ended up like Isa. Nothing but a memory.
"She doesn't want to see you," I said.
"What?"
"Mia," I continued, running with the lie. "She doesn't want to see you. She sent me to ask you to leave her alone."
He tensed and I held my breath. It was a completely plausible reaction and I hoped he would believe me. Luc gave a curt nod. "You're staying?"
"I think that would be best. I'm not sure she should be on her own right now.”
"Fine. Good," Luc said and ran a hand down his face. There were only five years between us but under the fluorescent lights of the hospital hallway, he looked much older. "I'm heading home. I'll check in tomorrow. If she needs anything, let me know, please."
"I'll let you know," I confirmed. "I should get back to her."
I turned away and walked back into Mia's hospital room. She had been hooked up to an IV that administered painkillers and looked like she had only just stopped crying.
"Where's Luc?" she asked when she saw I was alone. I hated how small her voice sounded and the quiver it held. Mia had been left fragile by the mess she had been dragged into. "Is he coming?"
I sat on the edge of her bed again and took her hand in mine. "He doesn't want to see you."
"Sorry?" she choked out.
"Luc's gone home, Mia. I'm sorry," I said, rubbing a thumb over the back of her hand.
"Stef," Mia said, swallowing a lump in her throat. "Please don't leave me."
She looked terrified, exhausted and broken. I should have known that trusting Luc to keep anyone but himself safe was a mistake. Self preservation was what he was best at and everyone else was a minor inconvenience that could be dealt with.
"Never," I told her, pulling her cautiously into me again, and Mia sobbed into my chest until she had no more tears to cry. "What's wrong?" I asked gently.
"I don't even know," she admitted. "I just feel overwhelmed."
I placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Can I do anything?" Mia shook her head. "I'll be here every day until you get out."
"Stef, you can't," Mia sniffed. "You're meant to be in class."
"I'll catch up."
Mia looked up at me and shook her head, but I took her face into my hands to stop her. "You're going to give yourself a headache."
"Don't skip class," she pleaded.
"Okay, I won't but I'll be here after. I can work here. How does that sound?" I suggested.
"Okay."
I let go of her face. "You need to get some rest, Mia."
She didn't argue with me but instead settled back against the pillows and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Stef."
"You have nothing to thank me for." I placed another kiss on her head before I took a seat in the chair next to her bed. When Mia's breathing evened and I was sure she was asleep I left the room to visit Mom a few floors above.
"I wasn't expecting to see you today, son," she said with a smile when she saw me.
