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CHAPTER THIRTY TWO: ICE CREAM
ANTHONY MICHAEL VOLPE never felt so much pain in his life.
His eyes opened, and for a moment, everything was blurry, and the ringing in his ears was so loud it was hard to hear. Everything was moving in slow motion, and he wasn't even sure if he was alive or dead.
When his vision cleared, and the ringing stopped, the first thing he saw was the blood. It was everywhere, all over the windows, the seats, the steering wheel. He could taste the metallic taste in his mouth, and the feeling of it running down his face was sickening.
His hands were shaking, and he couldn't get his seat belt off. His breathing was uneven, and his chest hurt every time he inhaled. He looked over at Val, and couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. There was blood dripping down her face, and her head was tilted forward, her hair covering a lot of her face.
He could feel panic rising, and his breathing was getting shallower. He kept tugging at his seatbelt, but it wouldn't budge.
"Fuck," he breathed out, his hands trembling. "Val?"
She didn't move, and he opened his mouth to try and talk to her again, but a searing pain shot through his body, and a second later, he was out again.
_____
ANTHONY OPENED HIS EYES, and for a moment, couldn't remember where he was. He was in a bed, and it took a minute to register that he was in a hospital, and not at home. When he tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through his body. He gasped, and let his head fall back onto the pillows. He tried again, but two hands pushed him back down, and a familiar voice rang through his ears.
"Stop, Kid, you're gonna hurt yourself."
He looked over and saw Luce, of all people, standing next to him, and he could feel the tears stinging his eyes.
"Ward-"
"I know, I know," she interrupted, her hand resting on his shoulder. She turned away and called for a nurse, and a second later, an older woman appeared, a soft smile on her face. She asked him a couple questions, checked his vitals, and then told him the doctor would be in soon.
"Why did they call you?" he asked, his throat dry and scratchy.
"They didn't. Your parents are on their way," she said, handing him a bottle of water. He took a sip, the cold liquid soothing his throat.
"So who called you?"
"I know people, don't ask questions," Luce said, sitting in the chair next to him.
He nodded, and his eyes fell shut, his brain starting to work. His memory was hazy, and he couldn't remember anything past her asking for BlueTooth.
"What happened?" he whispered, his eyes opening.
"Car crash," Luce answered, a sympathetic look on her face. "Some drunk idiot ran a red light and t-boned you."
"Where's Val?"
He saw her face fall, and the color drain from her face, and it scared him. "Luce, where's Val? What's wrong?"
"She's in the ICU, Kid."
"What? Why?" he demanded, ignoring the pain as he tried to sit up.
"Anthony, don't," Luce said, trying to push him back without hurting him more.
"Why is she there?" he repeated, his voice firm.
Luce's face softened. "Her injuries were...pretty bad."
"How bad?"
She hesitated, and her eyes darted around the room. She didn't say anything, just looked away, not meeting his gaze. He waited, and finally, she looked up.
"She took the worst of it," she answered.
"What does that mean?" he asked, his brow furrowed.
"Anthony," Luce sighed. "Please just-"
"No, tell me," he said, his heart pounding.
She hesitated again, and looked down, not saying anything. He stared at her, waiting, his mind running wild.
"She made it through surgery," she said quietly, her voice barely audible. "But...she's still pretty critical. They don't know if she'll..."
Her sentence trailed off, and it was quiet for a moment, and the only thing he could hear was the sound of the monitors, and his own heart pounding. She finished the sentence a minute later, but he wasn't listening.
He just closed his eyes and laid back, his heart breaking.
🌺 🌊🥂
╰┈➤ ❝ LOTTIE'S NOTES ❞
WOAH
im bored w this u already know whats gonna happen but i already have an idea for an epilogue and now i wanna write it so
and i need help should i end this at 35 chapters or 40? bc i need to end it on either a number ending with 5 or 0 or it'll piss me off and i wanted to cram everything in and end it at 35 but idk if i can but at the same time idk if i have enough material to end it at 40
