Breaking

Chapter 15.

"Shut up," Arabella snarls at me as she pushes herself up into a sitting position, and my jaw drops. "I'm sorry, but you tried to stop me, I remember that, I just didn't feel in control anymore." Sadness fills her eyes. "I wasn't..."

"If I hadn't asked you what I did-"

"It wasn't you or what you asked me. It was the realization that no matter what I or you do, I will always be in my mother's grip. She will always use me."

I lean forward and kiss her forehead. "I'm so sorry, Arabella."

She's crying again, harder this time and I feel my fear slowly creeping up on me like goosebumps. "I'm so sorry I scared you like that, Tobias. I didn't mean-" she's out off by her own sobs.

She's worried about me? After everything that happened, she wasn't breathing for a few minutes, and she's worried about me? I pull her closer and hold her tightly out of fear of possibly losing her again. "We're okay now. You're okay. It doesn't matter who's fault it is, you're alive and you're okay-or you will be. You're alive." Patrick is right, as much as I hate to admit it, he's right. I can't help and support Arabella when I'm doubting myself. What happened, happened, I'll learn from it and be prepared for the next time. Although I hope there won't be a next time.

Arabella pulls away and I see her color has returned. But now her cheeks and eyes are red and puffy. "You're not mad at me?" She whispers shyly, looking anywhere but my eyes.

"No."

"Are you sending me back to-"

"No," I say firmly. "And don't you dare even think about it."

She shudders, her eyelids fluttering shut, then after a long moment, she opens her eyes and looks into mine. "I-"

The door opens and the doctor walks in with Manuel following. "How are you feeling?" She asks Arabella with a kind smile.

"Insane," Arabella breathes.

Shit. I forgot to tell Arabella that I lied and told them she accidentally choked then threw up, it was all just bad timing. I hope Arabella doesn't go into much detail now. I'll talk to her another day about talking to someone professionally. If she doesn't want to then I'll keep an eye on her but if I think otherwise, it's too bad for her.

"My stomach hurts," Arabella corrects herself after taking in my grim expression. "I want to go home."

"Let me just get a look at you." The doctor...I really wish I could remember her name, approaches Arabella, grabs her pen, turns on the light at the end of it, and flashes it in Arabella's face. After a short moment, she pulls away. "Do you feel dizzy?" Any headaches?"

"A little and yes."

"Okay. I just need to talk to your...Mr. Turner."

I nod, kiss Arabella's head, then rise to my feet. Without sharing a word, Manuel steps farther into the room, clearly staying with Arabella, and the doctor and I step into the hall.

Arabella

Manuel's body grows suddenly rigid when the door closes behind Tobias. He does everything he can to not look at me as he walks around the bed and sits in the chair nearest to me. But he caved in for a millisecond and I saw the sympathy in his brown eyes. Yep, Tobias told him. I was hoping he wouldn't. "Um," Manuel fishes out my phone from his back pocket and places it on the bed. "He's been calling."

Alex. I can worry about him later.

"I didn't mean to do it," I tell Manuel. I hope he doesn't look at me differently for what I did that put me in the damn hospital.