in love with a villain | choni

-34-

"Are you sure you wanna come with me?" Toni, with her high ponytail, and wearing a red and black plaid spaghetti dress, asked while placing the strap of the bag on her right shoulder. "Auntie Klarisse might ask so many questions when she wakes up and... though, she knows that you're a Blossom... that's a coincidence, same surname from-" she sighed.

"Don't you think it's time to let her know about us?" Cheryl asked, holding Toni's left hand. "I'll take anything she's going to say to me, and about us. I can promise security, Toni."

Toni frowned. "Are you sure? Also, Tabitha might not like your presence in her mother's private room."

Cheryl nodded. "Yeah. This is your family, babe. It's important to me... getting their blessing is a big deal to me. I won't stop until I prove to them that we deserve to be together," she said and scrunched her nose right after her sentence ended. "Fuck, that sounded sweet but disgusting coming from me."

Toni laughed quietly. "You're adorable."

Cheryl shook her head. "I only accept 'hot'," she said before pulling Toni close by her waist. "Shall we go?"

Toni pecked her lips. "Yeah."

St. Joseph's Hospital

"CM. Good afternoon. Can I help you?" The nurse on the information desk greeted her.

"We're good. We're just going to visit someone," Cheryl replied.

The nurse nodded. "Of course, CM."

"Let's go, babe," Cheryl mumbled, taking Toni's left hand.

"Tabs?" Toni called, knocking before opening the door.

"Toni," Tabitha muttered, going for a hug.

"How's she?" Toni asked, pulling away while Cheryl closed the door.

Tabitha wiped her nose, looking down. "Hemorrhagic stroke, Toni. It could... lead to a lot of complications... could be an aneurysm and... I don't know what I'm gonna do," she said, trying not to wail for the nth time.

Toni frowned and held her cousin's left arm. "She'll make it through. We're going to help her," she whispered as Tabitha cried.

Meanwhile, Cheryl stayed silent and kept her distance while the two had their quiet conversation.

"Babe," Toni whispered, after a couple of minutes, "I need to go buy meds in the pharmacy. Will you be okay here?"

Cheryl, on the left part of the couch, nodded. "Of course. But you want me to come with you?"

"Well... I thought you wanted to talk to her?" Toni replied, referring to Tabitha and her mother if ever she wakes up.

"Yeah. Do you think this is the right time?"

"I guess so." Toni warmly smiled.

"Okay," Cheryl muttered before kissing Toni. "Just be safe there."

"Hmm."

Hesitant, Cheryl glanced at Tabitha to her right, two meters away from her. Leaving her in an awkward situation with the girl, she took the chance to open a conversation even if she wasn't sure where it would be going.

"Uhm... Tabitha," she began quietly and Tabitha just glanced at her. "If you would allow me... I can take all the bills for her," she insisted, genuine.

Tabitha scoffed. "As a what? Bribe?"

Cheryl sighed. "Of course not," she thinned her lips, "family is important to Toni. You are important to her so that means, I care about you, too."