𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐋𝐄 → 𝐒.𝐌𝐂𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 ( EDITING )

xxii. 𝗍𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋

        𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀'𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 she had started to wake up. Melissa had given her a sedative, so she could sleep, and she literally slept through the night without the pain. She could roll around because of her leg, which made it lying on her back very uncomfortable.

The redhead opened her eyes to see the sun already out. She looks to her right, and her eyes were wide in her sockets when she saw her parents both sleeping on the chairs at her bed. Her gaze moved to Layla who was seated on the couch, awake, thankfully.

Layla quickly and quietly walks over to Thea and the latter asks, “Why are they here? When did they get here?”

“Yesterday. The doctor called them, and they immediately came down,” Layla whispers. Thea sighs, shaking her head. She knew the doctors would eventually call them if they didn't show up after 24 hours.

“They know.”

Thea groans and asks, “Which part?”

“Just the part of you trying to take your life.”

“Why? You should've told them that Mark beat me. I told you not to tell them,” Thea scolds the girl. “They needed to know.”

“Layla, you know better than anyone what happened to you and how they acted. They never left you alone. They always kept checking up on you. And you saw the look on dad's face,” Thea whispers to Layla.

Layla looks down, licking her dry lips. “It's better that they know now than later, Thea.”

Thea leans back, shaking her head. “When they wake up, I'll have to drop the bomb on them that I'm pregnant and that Mark beat me up,” Thea tells them. “Wouldn't that just make them more worried. . .”

“Yes, but maybe for the time being they'll forget about the suicide part.”

“You know they won't. . .”

Thomas stirs in his sleep, which made Layla shut her lips and Thea wince. She is hoping he'll keep on sleeping. He opens his eyes, and he looks at his daughters, who are both now awake.

“Thea, you're awake.”

“Hey, dad.”

Nina jerks awake when she felt Thomas stirring beside her. “Thea.”

“Mom.”

“Honey, you're okay,” Nina says, gripping on to her daughter's hand. The two of them smiles at their daughter.

“Baby, what happened? Why did you?” Nina asks.

“Mom, it's complicated. I will tell you everything okay, but in due time,” Thea tells the mom. Nina nods, understanding that her daughter needs time.

“Who did this to you?” Thomas asks, looking at Thea's leg. The girl looks at Layla before she answers, “It was Mark.”

“That fucking bastard!”

“Thomas!”

“I will kill him when I find him. How could he do this to you?” Thomas asks, ignoring his wife. “You don't have to ever worry about him again, he is out of our lives forever.”

“I surely hope so. He better stay ten thousand kilometres away from you at all times,” Thomas says. Nina looks at her daughter with worry. She had wondered if he was the reason she did it. Had he put her through so much that she just couldn't take it any more?

She was a psychologist, how could she not notice the signs? There had to be signs that she missed.

“Mom, there wasn't.”