Rivals?

Chapter 41

Mikayla's POV

I just woke up and everyone is furious at me.

"I mean, how could you do this to me, Mickey?" Mom asks, Joey, following right after her.

"How could you do this for Daniel?" He narrows his tired eyes at me.

"Right? I mean, come on, Mikayla! You should know better!" Abby whines.

"Yeah. You know you could've talked to us first?" Haylee asks, pacing back and forth.

I sigh, wincing at the pain that shoots through me. I feel a little better, but my stomach is killing me still. 

"Stop," I whisper. "I know, I should've stayed out of it, but..." I hate myself for saying, "I care for him."

"So, you just fell in love with the guy you used to hate?" Joey snaps.

"Love never came out of my mouth." I groan. 

"Oh enough, Mikayla. You know you love him. Nobody does that for someone they don't love." Abby spits. 

"Friend love, yes. Also, he comforted me more than either one of you ever have." I snap and Haylee and Abby freeze and glare at me.

"What?" They ask in unison.

I roll my eyes and look back at my mom, ignoring them. "I'm sorry, Mom. I won't be at Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow." I sigh.

"No one will, Mikayla. Because of your stupidity!" She snaps and falls back into a chair, leaning her head into her hands. 

"Look, Lane, the guy that tried to hurt me and Daniel, is dead. The other big guys were arrested and are getting charged. Won't you just drop it already?" I ask, lolling my head back onto the pillow gently.

"What, stop caring? Caring that my daughter could've died while just healing from getting stabbed by her own father?" Mom shouts and it scares me.

My eyes water and the scratches on my face burn when the tears roll on top of them.

"I'm sorry." Mom whispers. 

"It's fine, Mom. Really." I turn to Abby and Haylee whose mouths hang open. 

"Yeah. We are too." Abby says and clears her throat. Haylee nods and they both walk over the me and grab each one of my hands. I squeeze them in response.

Joey groans and I glare at him. 

"Stay away from him from now on," Joey says sternly.

My heart aches. For some reason, even with all the danger Daniel caused, he makes me feel safe... and when I saw him cry for the first time... I can't just leave him now. We actually understand each other. 

"No," I say, my bottom lip quivering. 

"Yes. He'll get you killed!" He shouts and clenches his fist, and I wince. 

"Stop. You're scaring me, Joey." I whimper. 

"Oh please!" He yells. I just now realize his words are slurred and his eyes are bloodshot. I now see my father in his eyes.

"I'll keep seeing him, thank you. Don't you need another drink?" I ask, glaring at him. 

Mom sighs and looks at me, shaking her head.

Joey groans and his fist clenches continuously. "You are tearing this family apart," Joey mumbles and walks out of the hospital room. 

I look over at my mom who gives me a reassuring smile when she sees my tears. "Am I, Mom?" I let out shakily. 

She shakes her head. "No, baby. Your father did." She nods to her own words.

Abby squeezes my hand and my vision blurs, my heart rate increases, and the rapid beeping on the machine makes me panic, and my vision turns black again. 

***

I wake up with only Mom in the room. She lets out a sigh of relief and runs over to me. Her mascara is all over her cheeks and she looks tired.

"Thank God." She says, squeezing my hand. "You, you," she starts to cry and I squeeze her hand back.

"Mom, I am okay. I promise." I say.

"Yeah. I know." She sighs. "It's Thanksgiving by the way. You were out a good while."

"Oh. I'm sorry-"

"Don't be." She says, shaking her head. Her gray hair is now in a high ponytail and it sways with her movement. 

"Please don't make me stop seeing Daniel," I whisper.

She hesitates before breathing and saying, "I want to meet him. Bring him over to dinner when you both get out and we can... talk this out." 

"The cops already told you everything, though." I sigh, knowing she knows about the betting.

"I know sweetheart, but there's always two sides to a story. He was a hurting boy with a crappy father," she gulps, "You two got along well, huh?" She lets out a sad chuckle.

I nod slowly and gulp hard. My heart aches to see Daniel again. However, every time I picture him, my body aches from the memory of... that night.

"So you won't force me to stay away from him?" I ask desperately. 

She shakes her head slowly. "As long as he is out of that... gang stuff now or whatever and he stays out of trouble. If the cops have anything really bad on him, then no. However, they just told me he was supposedly dragged into it by his best friend and they are still questioning and stuff." She sighs.

My heart pounds harder and my mind swirls in different thoughts. 

Is Daniel going to be okay? Is he in trouble? Will he get arrested? Could I get arrested? 

I sigh, let my eyes close, and drift off into a deep sleep, trying to forget about that bloody trauma.