Pretend

Chapter 58

Torreys POV:

Everything became slightly blurry as I held on for my life. All I could hear was screaming and I watch everyone leave.

"TORREY" Isaiah shouts as he hovers over me and presses his hand firmly onto my wound which makes me scream.

Instant regret came as I realized what is happening to me. I'm dying.

My eyes land on Liv holding onto his gun. The dealer is on the ground and Liv reloads the gun like she's done this before.

Nick is behind her as he was hesitant rather or not to come near her. I see tears fall down her cheeks and I need her to look at me. I don't want her to do something, that she will regret. I don't want to ruin her.

"LIV" the more I talked and even breathed, the pain cursed through me deeply. Her eyes slowly land on me and her eyes were so swollen.

"Don't... don't do it. Please" I whispered enough for her to hear and I feel a tear slide down my cheek.

"Torrey... I can't let him get away with this" she pleaded as tears fell down her cheek more. "The police is coming right now. He won't get away with this"once nick says that he tries to get up but she presses the point on his head.

"Try it. I dare you" her voice became deeper and I never seen her like this before. There was a side of her that I knew was inside of her but now seeing it... made me realize that... I do love her.

I love her.

But... I don't think I will be able to say now, as I feel my blood come out more and my body become cold. My breathing became louder as Isaiah tried pressing onto my wound more.

"Isaiah-"

"No, shut up. I don't want to hear any last words from you because your not going to die" he whispered and he ripped his shirt and pressed it on my wound.

"Okay" I wanted to believe him, to cling to his words like a lifeline in the storm. But deep down, I knew the truth. My time was running out, slipping through my fingers like grains of sand.

I start to hear sirens and I quickly look at Liv. "Liv PUT the gun down" my words makes her shaken. She looks at me again and slowly, hesitantly lowers the gun. Nick walks over and takes the gun.

He slides it on the ground and presses his foot on the dealer chest. The police burst in and I start to feel myself fall asleep.

•••
5 hours later...
Liv's POV:

I stare at her sleeping as she just gotten out of surgery. I was told not to disturb her but all I wanted to do was scream.

She almost died. She almost died and... left me. Alone. Tears welled up in my eyes as I reached out to brush a stray lock from her forehead.

I could hear the breathing tubes in her nose give her oxygen and I wipe another tear from my eyes. She keeps risking her life, to help everyone. To help her family but who is there for her when she needs them. I called Chris and my mom and nether of them responded.

I even have the hospital their number and still no response. The door opens and I see Isaiah walk in with two cups of coffee.

"Thought you might need it" he whispered and sat on the chair beside me. I accept the coffee and give him a small smile. He really is a true friend, almost like a brother to her.

That's all I want for her, to have a family she deserves but unfortunately we are both stuck in a family that neither of us want. And I stuck with feelings that I can't say or think about.

Even if the the dealer shot her, this is my fault. I caused her to act out like this. I wanted to make her jealous. I wanted her to feel what I feel every time I think of her and Maddy. When since the beginning she had been warning me about Maddy and I didn't listen.

She always had my best interests at heart even when she had a hard time showing it. She broke down her guard for me and I just kept trying to hate her, to make it easier for me to function in this world knowing we... we can't ever be a thing.

But... knowing that if she would have died... I would hate myself more for knowing I never gave it a chance. I never gave happiness a chance.

"She's strong... she will push through this" he said breaking me from my thoughts. I take a sip from the coffee and focus on my breathing, as I try to keep calm.

"I'm tired of her always having to be strong. She shouldn't need to be strong in order to survive"

"I've known Torrey for 3 years and... yes she has always been strong but.. when she is around you. It's like she losses it. It's like she resort back into her old self in order to survive. Not to be strong but to escape" he whispered and bit my cheek trying to shake my tears.

"What you two have is complicated, but... it's real. The way she talks about you... I never seen her like that before, somehow you make her want to do better and if you two keep coming after each other rather then just... talk. You both just end up hurting each other even more" he said and I felt the room almost suffocate me.

Letting her in does more bad then good. We aren't good for each other, but we understand each other more then we understand ourselves.

"My mom... she tried so hard to move on from my dad after he died. And it always confused me on how she can still love a man who never caused her any good. But she loved him because... she saw all of his parts" I felt my hands tremble as I place the cup down.

"She saw him, she... knew what he did to me and she didn't do anything. Because she LOVED him. So if... I tell her what Torrey dad had been doing the same thing my dad did to me. I'm afraid she'll do the same thing and telling her that I... that I love- that I have feelings for Torrey too. She'll just hate me" i feel his hand touch my back as he comforts me.

"I was there when he first laid his hands on her. It was the day after her mom died. He blamed her. And I was there, and I froze. I froze and I regretted it every day of my life knowing that was just the beginning and she'll shut me off every time I tried to speak about it"....

"Do what I couldn't do. Try to put an end to it, because even if it dosent work, you'll know that you tried and Torrey would know that someone was there to stand up for her"