Page 75 of Shattered Echoes

The doctor looks for something on the monitor as I feel my heart race with regret. It seems my heart rate has spiked as he notes the change and gives the nurse some instructions. But I can’t hear what he is saying. My throat tightens. I yearn to apologize to Colette, to tell her I never meant for any of this to happen. I just needed to escape.

She touches my cheek, and I lean into her fingers are gentle against my skin, causing me to relax.

“It's okay,” she whispers. “I'm right here, Antonio.” Her words are soothing, offering a fleeting moment of solace even as Leo continues to glare at me.

Leo's voice interrupts the moment, his words laced with venom. "Get away from him," he snarls. "You shouldn't be here. None of this would have happened if it weren't for you." His accusations hang heavy in the air, a harsh reminder of the rift between us.

So, I was right? He blames Colette.

I want to defend Colette, to tell Leo that it's not her fault, it's mine, but I can’t speak. I'm the one who messed up, not her. But the words remain trapped within me. I wish I could protect her from all of this. Colette's eyes meet mine, a silent plea for understanding passing between us.

I'm sorry, Colette.

Leo's protective instincts clash with his anger, torn between his desire to shield me from harm and his resentment towards Colette.

Her gaze softens. She reaches out to me once more, her eyes filled with compassion. “It's okay,” she mouths, her words a whispered promise of comfort and solace. “We'll get through this together.”

She isn’t disappointed with me?

I long to believe her, but doubt and a whisper of fear gnaw at the edges of my mind, refusing to be silenced.

Leo's voice breaks through my reverie, his words a harsh reminder of the reality we face. "You're a disgrace, you want to end your life over that bitch?" he sneers. “A horrible woman who did everything in her power to destroy you?”

Leo, that’s not what happened.

I want to defend myself, to lash out in anger and frustration. It's not fair, I want to say. You don't understand.

Colette's touch ground me, her hand warm against mine as she squeezes it gently. “Ignore him,” she mouths, her eyes on me. Her voice offers me a silent reassurance, letting me know she is with me. You're not alone.

In Colette's eyes, I see a glimmer of understanding, a silent promise of unwavering support that transcends the barriers of speech.

"You're selfish, and a coward!" Leo shouts once more, his accusations reopening wounds I thought had long since healed.

Dr. Mendez tries to intervene. "Leo, please," he urges, his tone firm but gentle. "We can't afford to let our emotions get the best of us."

Henry's intervention is a welcome disruption in the tense atmosphere of my hospital room. I watch as he approaches Colette, his movements gentle yet purposeful. With a firm but reassuring grip, he takes her elbow, guiding her away from my bedside.

“Colette, let’s go,” he says calmly but assertively. “At least we know he’s okay now.”

Colette's reluctance to leave me is clear, her tearful gaze locked on mine with an intensity that pierces through the fog of my exhaustion and tugs at my heartstrings. I can see the concern etched into every line of her face, a silent plea for reassurance that goes unanswered.

“But.. But I don’t want to leave him,” she answers, never taking her eyes off of me.

Don't go, I want to say, but I can't find my words.

Despite her reluctance, Henry's pragmatic suggestion gets through to her. "We should see a doctor," he says, his voice calm yet firm. "Or did you forget you fainted, Colette? We can't ignore that. "

She fainted? Did she faint on their way here or before they came?

Even Leo stops at that, seeming to remember something. He had said nothing about that. All he could do was continue to attack her.

Yes, I nearly died, but I’m alive. No need to be a jerk to her.

As the reality of Colette's fainting sinks in, a surge of worry grips my heart like a vice. I wonder if she is fine, my mind racing with fear and uncertainty.

What if something's seriously wrong?

The thought scares me, but I can’t move, a bitter reminder of my helplessness.

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