Page 46 of Stephan

*****

Jade

Something didn’t feel right. I awoke and Iwas alone. Pain throbbed through me, not the worse I’d had, but Istill hurt. I pressed the nurse call button and a woman in her lateforties came in. “Hi, is anyone outside the room.”

“No, sweetheart. Are you expectingsomeone?”

I furrowed my brows and shook my head. “No.”Where was Stephan? I was sure I saw him in the ambulance.

*****

I didn’t see Stephan even after three days.Evelin visited and even his father, Lucas. They wouldn’t tell meabout Stephan besides he was fine and thought it best they stopseeing each other. Derick didn’t come by either. Cassie and myfriends visited me, but no Stephan. The bastard didn’t even tell mehimself he couldn’t be with me anymore.

On the third day in the hospital they let meout. My arm had been recast and my other was in a sling to help itheal. I had stitches in my right leg where a bullet had gonestraight through. I felt like shit, but what worried and scared methe most was I hadn’t seen Stephan or Derick. I learned fromCassie, they were both all right.

Sitting on the bed I waited for my guardianto show up and take me home. Cassie and her parents knocked on thedoor. My heart sank and I knew even before Cassie spoke, I wasn’twith Stephan anymore.

“Guess what. I get to have you as mysister.”

I forced a smile and slowly stood. I shouldnever have let myself fall under his spell. Biting my cheek to holdin my sobs I berated myself, stupid, stupid me. I should know bynow not to trust or rely on anyone. Hardening my heart, I stiffenedmy spine, grabbed my bag, and walked out of the hospital room.Never again. Never again would I let my guard down.

*****

The police wanted to talk to me and this timeI didn’t have a lawyer there to tell them to hurry it along or stopthem from badgering me. The week I spent recovering was spentmostly in the police station. I’d told them everything I couldthink of and more. They wanted to know everything about my grandpaand what I saw and the most important, who I saw. The person theywere most interested in was the man I’d only caught a glimpse of. Inow knew that the police thought I’d been shot at twice now thanksto my grandpa and his dealings. They wanted me kept quiet about whoI’d seen.

This shattered my heart into a millionpieces, because I’d put people I cared for in danger. I was worriedI was putting Cassie’s family in danger. They assured me the twopolice vehicles kept them safe. A bunch of my grandpa’s associateshad been arrested and for the moment I couldn’t do anything.

I was eager to go back to school. Cassie’sparents were fantastic. I only had two weeks until I was eighteenand I promised them I’d find a place of my own then. They told meover and over not to worry, that I was no trouble and welcome tostay as long as I wanted. I was done though. I was done relying onanyone but myself.

“Jade, sweetheart. You have a visitor,”Cassie’s mum yelled to me.

Easing off the bed, I put the book down Iwasn’t really reading and went down the stairs. My heart sped up atthe figure at the door. Stephan stood with flowers and a basketwith goodies in it. He looked like he hadn’t shaved since I’d seenhim over a week ago. He had dark circles under his eyes. I feltbad, but I couldn’t do anything except apologize.

“Hi. I’m sorry about everything. I’m gladDerick didn’t get hurt. ”

“Jade, you have nothing to be sorry about.You didn’t pull any triggers. You were innocent in all this.”

“Okay.” I didn’t know what else I wassupposed to say. “Is that all?”

“No. I wanted to say I was sorry—”

“You have nothing to apologize for.” My bodyached from missing Stephan. My heart was pounding so loud and ithurt at the sight of him. I wanted so badly to jump into his armsand hug him. I wouldn’t though, I would never touch him again. Icouldn’t. I had been shot at, had my body cut and bruised, butnothing hurt more than Stephan leaving me. I didn’t have much in myshitty life but what I had, Stephan had taken and stomped on it.“Thanks for this stuff. I’ll see you around at school.” I turnedand he grabbed my cast halting me. I glanced down at his hand andback to him.

“Wait. Little bit, I want you to comehome.”

I choked on a sob, as he called me by his petname, how could he? I fought him so hard because I couldn’t takethis heartbreak, there were only so many times someone could bebeaten down and I was done. I’d had my mum beat me down all my lifeand I bounced back. I even had my grandpa do it and now the man Iloved had done it. No. I’d had enough.

“Get. Your. Hand. Off. Me. Now,” I grittedout. “You stay away from me.” I backed away and dropped the giftshe’d given me.

Stephan went white and I took an involuntarystep toward him only to stop when I realized what I did. “Just go,Stephan.”

“I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

I knew Stephan and he wouldn’t leave mealone. I nodded and walked away. I went up to the room and calledthe detective who’d given me his number, he was the nicest of thebunch. He had a daughter my age. “Hi, Detective Web. I need arestraining order please.”

*****

Everyone was staring at me. I kept my headdown and kept close to Cassie as we walked to lunch. With theretaining order I had on Stephan I couldn’t sit with the girlswhere we used to sit. They’d moved for me. We now sat in the quadwith all the younger people. Even after three days at schooleveryone was still talking about me.

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