“Sure.”
When he opened the door, a commotion rose as the doctor announced my awakening. The bodyguards made way for Dad to pass, and he smiled.
“Hey, baby,” he sang, his voice breaking. He was holding his tears. Mine, however, couldn’t be stopped.
“Don’t cry, sweetie.” His hand touched mine below the straps. “I’m so sorry, baby.” He kissed my forehead. “I’m so sorry.”
“Not your fault, Daddy.”
His tears fell hot on my skin. “Yes, it is. I should have been there. I should have known. Should have protected you. I’m so sorry.”
My lips twitched as I stared at the nurse lingering by the machines. “Can you give us a minute?”
The nurse gave a shy smile, nodded, and walked out. I glanced at Dad. “Did she even… Has she come to see me?”
He sat on the white chair, a grimace on his face. “She did.”
Which means she’s not here now.I took a short breath and exhaled before it hurt. “Did she even stay long enough to know if I was gonna make it?”
A faint smile crossed his mouth. “Baby, you don’t have to worry about Andrea anymore. We need to get you better now.”
My lips pursed. “Ishehere?”
He gritted his teeth, nodding. “I tried to kick him out, but I couldn’t. After all, he’s the one who stopped you…”
My fucking savior.I stared at the green curtain, the moment Mike fought me for the gun coming back to me. The last thing I remembered before I passed out was his arms. They were snug and constricting around me, and I clung to them like an idiot as I fell.
“How did he even know?” I asked.
“I’d forgotten some papers and went back to the office later that night to get them before my trip. Thank God for that.” He pressed his fist to his mouth, wincing. “And I found the letter. I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t…” He moaned. “I showed it to him, and he found you.”
I closed my eyes, the tears at the corners of my mouth salty.
“I can’t believe I was such a fool. Last time, you weren’t even scared of dying. All you cared about was not letting Andrea know. I should have noticed. How did I miss it?”
Last time, you thought I was just a teen acting out.The pain in my chest increased. “What’s done is done, Daddy. Blame won’t fix anything.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t make you trust me enough to tell me the truth back then or come to me for help whenever you needed it. I know I let you down, but how could you do this to yourself again, Maggie? You promised me. You promised you would never hurt yourself again.”
“I’ve made a lot of promises that I couldn’t keep.” The most important one was to never let Andrea ruin my life again, and now look at me.
I tried to shift but I couldn’t move. “Can you ask them to take these goddamn cuffs off?”
The door opened, and more nurses emerged from behind the guards and stepped inside. “I’m sorry, but we need to walk Ms. Dawson through some breathing exercises and move her a little to prevent clotting,” one of them said, while the others hovered around Dad to get him out.
“Can you take these things off her?” He pointed at my arms, his eyes reluctant.
Can you be more convincing, Dad?
“Just when we move her, but then we have to put them back on,” a nurse answered.
I groaned. “Whatever. Just get me more pain killers.”
Scene82
Mike
Mike stood alone outside Maggie’s room. She left the ICU two days ago, yet not once had she agreed to see him. She saw everybody who came to visit her—even that Kyle cazzone—but refused to seehim.
