GAME OVER ━━ Lip Gallagher

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

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Game Over
chapter forty nine

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TW:
mentions of attempted suicide.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE LEAVING?" Alan sighed heavily, his breath materializing between them in the cold air. She stared at him incredulously. "Monica just tried to fucking kill herself and you're leaving?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. After everything that happened, how could he just leave? "I have to," he tried to reason with her, attempting to take her hand into his own. She ripped her hand away with a scoff. "No, you don't. You can say no, you're just scared to!" Her voice shook with intensity. She hugged her arms around her torso, trying to fight off the cold air around them. "You know why." His eyes were pleading for her not to get mad. "Baby..." She turned away from him, kicking the loose gravel on the sidewalk. "Go, then," she told him. "Just go." He didn't want to. If he had a say, he'd stay until they were asked to leave. He'd much rather try to console everyone than abandon them in their time of need, but he couldn't stay. "I love you."

She fought back her tears. She had been so wound up the moment she saw Monica. She was so scared of what would happen when she unraveled. "Stay with them tonight, okay?" She waved him off. She knew that if she turned around and looked at him, she'd crumple and fall apart. "I'll text you." She listened to his departing footsteps. She stood there for a good while after he left. She tried to focus on the cold air around her, on her breathing, or on steadying her heartbeat. However, she was starting to unravel little by little. Her eyes snapped down at the red stain on her shirt and on her skin. The sight made her skin crawl. "Fuck," she gasped out, taking the shirt and digging her fingernails into the dried substance. The sound of footsteps approaching her dragged her out of her daze.

"What the fuck happened to you?" She looked up to find Lip standing there, ripping off the blue gown he wore over her clothes. "What are you doing here?" she asked him, confusion evident on her features. He tossed the gown into the trash along with the ripped video tape and crossed the small distance between them. Instantly, he grabbed her wrists to inspect her stained hands. "Are you hurt?" he asked. "Why the fuck are you standing outside? You don't even have a jacket!" He turned over her hands. They were ice cold. "It's not my blood," she told him with a shaky exhale. His brows pinched together, blue eyes peering at her with confusion. "Lip, I know you don't like Monica. She did some fucked up shit and I understand why you don't want to forgive her." He shook his head, blinking. "What does she have to do with this?" he asked, interrupting her.

"Monica tried to kill herself." She hadn't meant for it to come out so bluntly. She had wanted to ease him into the news. There was no telling how he'd react. "She what?" His voice grew small. His hands held hers tighter between his own. She took a small step forward, sighing to herself. "It's her blood," she whispered. His mind began to race with different thoughts. They were growing so loud, echoing in his skull, pounding in his ears. Slowly, he pulled her into him and wrapped her into his arms. She could feel his breath on the top of her head where he pressed his nose. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled against his shirt. "There was so much blood and everybody was in shock. I thought she was going to die. I didn't know what to do."

She buried her face into his chest, willing back her tears. It wasn't her mother. She should be the one consoling him, or any other one of his siblings. "Oh, God. I sound like an asshole." He squeezed her tighter, burying his face into her hair. "You helped her. That makes you a hero," he whispered, his hand running along the spanse of her back. She drew in the scent of sterilization off of him. It wasn't as comforting as she had thought. "What are you doin here?" she asked him, pulling away enough that their eyes could meet. His jaw tensed for a moment before he let out a soft sigh. "It wasn't mine," he answered. "The baby. It was Asian." Her eyebrows rose in surprise, a soft noise passing her parted lips.