Chapter 6
I wake up in the hospital the next afternoon.
As soon as I open my eyes, Marcus is getting yelled at by the doctor: “Didn’t you know the patient is allergic to osmanthus? What kind
you?”
Marcus looks at me with super guilty eyes and says sorry: “Ellie, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
Is he sorry he forgot I’m allergic to osmanthus?
Or is he sorry he made me apologize to Molly?
I don’t get it.
Marcus reaches out like he wants to hug me.
But I move away from him.
His whole body gets stiff, like he thinks I’m still mad.
He asks really carefully. “Ellie, are you still upset with Marcus?”
I shake my head.
I say it again.
“Marcus, we’re…”
I look right into his eyes, super serious: “We’re even now.”
Even means he doesn’t have to feel bad about what happened before and take care of me forever.
He doesn’t have to carry me around like deadweight.
Everything that happened before is gone now.
All wiped clean.
I wanna leave the Kane house.”
Marcus looks panicked for a second, then he tries to smile.
What are you talking about, Ellie?”
What would you do without me? Who’s gonna take care of you?”
wanna argue back.
can take care of myself just fine.
Marcus acts like he can read my mind and starts peeling an apple for me.
‘Don’t be silly, Ellie. You can’t even go anywhere by yourself.”
Marcus sounds totally sure: “Without me, you can’t survive.”
He’s so confident about it.
So confident that he doesn’t even care when I say I wanna leave.
I don’t say anything.
Being stuck in the hospital is super boring. So boring that I count the leaves on the trees outside.
While I’m counting, I’m thinking about stuff.
If I leave the Kane house, where can I go?
Before I figure it out, they bring in this guy to the bed next to me.
The guy’s skin is really pale.
Like, sick pale. When he sees me staring at him, he squints his eyes and makes this really mean face.
“What are you looking at?”
This guy has a really bad attitude.
I get scared and hide under my blanket.
Marcus doesn’t come visit me for like a whole bunch of days.
Tyler tells me that his dad has to work on some mission with Aunt Molly.
The little boy stands next to me acting all snotty.
With his nose in the air, he goes: “Hey, stupid lady, you can see that Dad likes Aunt Molly now,
‘Stop getting in their way.”
right?”
I’m gonna have a new mom soon, and if you try to mess things up for them, I’ll make you sorry.”
Tyler waves his little fist at me to show he’s serious.
‘m kinda speechless.
Light now, Marcus is the one who won’t cancel our engagement.
‘m not trying to mess anything up for them.
When Tyler sees I’m not saying anything, he thinks I’m still being delusional, so he’s about to say more mean stuff to threaten me.
But then a pillow comes flying from the next bed and hits him in the back of the head.
he guy next to me wrinkles up his pretty eyebrows and looks really annoyed.
Kid, you’re being way too loud.”
Get out.”
he guy doesn’t waste words. Tyler gets scared by how tough he looks and runs away super fast.
fter Tyler leaves, the hospital room gets quiet again.
he guy looks at me with this disappointed expression.
Pathetic. Getting bullied by some little brat!”
fidget with my fingers.
get the feeling that he acts all cold but he’s actually nice inside.
ike just now, it seemed like he was… sticking up for me?
