No Shame (Book 2 - No Regrets)

Chapter Sixty-Nine - Oh

KATIE'S POV

Aria lets out short and sharp breaths of pain as she shuffles her way out of the restroom. "Let me help you." I say standing up from the chair set beside the hospital bed. Aria waves me off with her good hand, "I got this." This is my first time visiting Aria since everything, Mom dropped me off this morning on her way to work.

I hold my tongue as I watch her ease herself into the hospital bed. It's been four days since she was brought into the emergency room. The spinal swelling and swelling of her eye is beginning to go down, the doctor feels confident in Aria's healing; and after a little more rest in the hospital and limited mobility, Aria should be able to be discharged soon.

I've just sat back down and am adjusting the tray-table for Aria when I hear the room door behind me open. "Hello, I brought a special something for the patient." Seth's voice calls out. Seth enters carrying a clear up with a chocolatey drink inside.

"Hey." I greet him. "Hope that's enough to share." I tease.

Seth chuckles, "Sorry, only brought enough for my special lady." He walks over and sets the drink on the tray-table. He leans down and gives Aria a kiss on the forehead, "How are you feeling?" He asks her.

"As comfortable as can be expected. My arm itches though." Aria says carefully raising her right arm, which is wrapped in a cast. She gives him a smile, "Hope this straw can double as a scratcher." she says as she takes a sip of the drink.

Seth grabs another chair and brings it to the other side of Aria's bed. He starts talking with her about his work schedule. I take a look at my phone to check if Dominick texted he's on his way. He texted over an hour ago that he was leaving his apartment to drop Mollie off with Tyde, Aria has asked that Mollie not see her until all her bruises are healed. She doesn't want to scare or upset Mollie. Dominick has visited once a day but due to school, work, and not having anyone to watch Mollie, he can't stay for long.

Mom and Dad are busy with work, making up for the time they took off recently. Tyde also is working, but fortunately has tomorrow off which means she can keep Mollie for the night. Dominick doesn't have anyone who he trusts enough to watch Mollie; therefore, he can't visit for as long as I know he wants to.

There isn't a text from Dominick, but there is a text notification. "Hey, how are you today?" Christopher's text says. His daily check-in text, he's been sending them ever since that night. I send back my usual response, "I'm alright, how are you?"

Christopher sends a photo of him in a suit and tie with a displeased expression. "Suffering. Preparing for another dinner with grandparents." he texts. I reply with a laughing emoji and a crying face emoji. This is Christopher and I's new dynamic, we don't talk like we used to but we're talking more than we have in a long while. At school, he's mostly always there, he's at the school entrance when I arrive, he'll pop up when I'm walking to classes we don't share and walk with me, and sits next to me in the class we do share. The only time he's not there is during basketball practice, he'll walk me to the gym but then he'll leave.

I can't say I love our new dynamic, but I don't hate it. It's not suffocating or uncomfortable. I do feel some degree of comfort but at the same time, it makes me feel uneasy. Maybe it's because of the way he looks at me now. There is such guilt and anger hidden underneath the surface. Maybe it's because of how Sawyer acts now when we cross paths, he'll smile and wave but he avoids looking at me. I'm guessing he knows.

It wouldn't be much of a stretch to assume that if Sawyer knows so do his siblings, which means Linkon probably knows. However, if they do know, no one has said anything.

"Katie, how is school going?" Seth asks bringing me into the conversation.

"It's going alright, final testing for the semester is about to start." I answer setting my phone down.