The Light in the Darkness

Chapter 32:

"Wait." A voice said, so softly, I barely heard it. I looked over at Mattie, his green eyes met mine.

"Mattie!" I breathed. My heart leaped in my chest.

"Zoë." He whispered.

"Oh my god." I cried. "How are you?"

"I've been better." He said slowly.

"This shouldn't have happened!" I said. "I'm so sorry!"

"Don't." He took a sharp deep breath. "It's...not...your fault."

"Shh." I said. "Don't speak. You are tiring yourself out."

"Let me say this." He said softly. "Come closer."

I moved closer to his bed.

"I know who did it?" He whispered.

"Did what?" I said, leaning closer to him.

He took another deep breath but flinched.

"Mattie, are you alright?" I said, panicky.

He took a little breath before speaking.

"It...It was Josh." He said barely above a whisper

"Josh beat you." I asked.

He nodded.

"Not before I got a couple of punches in." He grinned.

I laughed; even at his worst state he still has a sense of humor.

"Jace has taught you well."

He laughed but it quickly turned into a coughing fit. His face paled.

"Mattie." I whispered.

The monitor beeped quickly.

"I'm so sorry, miss. You need to go, now." The nurse said.

Mattie started gasping for air. Tears filled my eyes as the nurse rushed me out of the room. I fell to my knees as doctors ran into the room and slammed the door. Tears fell quickly as I sat against the wall. I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face into them.

"Zoë, what happened?" Jace rushed over to me. He fell to his knees next to me. I looked at him, his eyes full of sorrow. I opened my mouth to say something but it was choked back by tears. I buried my face in his chest and his arms wrapped around me instantly. I breathed in his scent which calmed me a little bit.

~~~

"Zoë, baby." I said softly. "What happened in there?"

We were sitting on a bench outside the hospital. The cold night air lifted a strand of Zoë's hair off her shoulder. I talked her into getting some fresh air; she calmed down a lot since we came outside. She looked at me.

"Mattie woke up?" She said softly.

"Seriously?" I said. "What happened?"

"He told me who beat him up." She said, looking away.

"What." I said.

"Yeah, he said it was Josh."

"That bastard!" I jumped from the bench. "I had a feeling it was him."I'm going to give him a piece of my mind."

"Jace." She said, softly. "Not now."

"Zoë, I can't let this go." I told her.

"I know, Jace, He deserves everything that will come at him." I said. "But please, just stay."

I sat back down next to her.

"I really thought we were going to lose him there." She said, "He was so pale and not breathing."