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CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR: GO FISH
4 MORE DAYS passed, and Valerie was still in the ICU. The doctors were starting to think about taking her off life support, but her parents refused to give up hope. Anthony didn't like to think about that, and neither did Lila, so they just avoided the topic altogether.
He spent most of his days with her, holding her hand, and talking to her. He felt kind of stupid, because he knew she couldn't hear him, but he did it anyway. He talked about anything and everything.
Lila would spend time with him, and they would both take turns telling her stories. Sometimes, she'd make him play cards or do puzzles with her, and sometimes, they would sit in silence, each holding one of Val's hands.
"Do you have any fives?" Lila asked, glancing up at him.
"Go fish," Anthony muttered, his gaze shifting back to his girlfriend.
Lila groaned, and picked up another card. She glanced over at him, and saw his eyes were still glued on her best friend.
"It's your turn," she prompted, but he didn't say anything.
"Anthony?"
"Mhm."
"Your turn," she repeated, and he finally tore his gaze from the girl.
"Oh, um...do you have any queens?"
"Go fish," Lila said, and they were silent for a few minutes, the only sounds were the shuffling of cards.
"What are we doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why are we playing Go Fish while she's laying there, practically dead?" he asked, tossing his cards on the bed.
"Don't say that," Lila whispered, her eyes on the ground.
"It's true," Anthony snapped, and the blonde winced.
"Well, you could at least act like it isn't."
"Why should I?"
He could tell she was starting to get upset, but he didn't care. A part of him wanted her to snap back at him, because he knew she'd say something to make him feel worse. He didn't know why, but he just wanted to fight.
"I'm not just gonna sit here and not talk about her," he continued. "I'm not gonna act like nothing's wrong, when she's not fucking moving, or breathing, or-or anything-"
"Shut up, Anthony." She stood up, threw her cards at him and stomped out, the door slamming behind her.
He didn't watch her leave. Instead, he picked up the cards and threw them across the room. They scattered, and a few landed on the floor. He sighed, and stood up, wincing at the pain shooting through his ankle.
He walked over to where the cards landed, and carefully bent down to pick them up. As he collected them, he heard the door open, and a second later, her mother was by his side, helping him.
"Go sit down, this isn't good for your ankle," Sara instructed, and he didn't argue.
He stood up and hobbled back to his chair, his ankle throbbing. Sara finished picking up the cards, and brought them over to the table. She put the deck down and then sat across from her daughter's boyfriend. Anthony held one of Val's hands, and was playing with her fingers.
"She would've married you, y'know," Sara said, and Anthony's head shot up.
"What?"
"If you didn't...make that mistake, she would have married you," Sara said, a sad smile on her face. "If you stayed together, she would've married you."
He was quiet for a moment, his fingers still playing with hers. "I would've married her too."
Sara nodded, and wiped her eyes. "I know."
They sat in silence, and it was a few minutes before either of them spoke again.
"She would want a summer wedding," he said, and the older woman looked over at him. "She liked summer."
"She does," Sara agreed.
"And, uh...she liked sky blue and light purple," Anthony continued, his eyes glued to their hands. "She'd want to get married on a beach, or at a vineyard."
Sara watched him talk, her heart breaking. The way he talked, it was as if they were planning the wedding, and not discussing it after the fact. She didn't want to correct him, or point out how morbid it was, so she just listened.
"She'd wear a simple dress, nothing too fancy," he rambled.
"She'd be the most beautiful bride," Sara murmured, her gaze on her daughter.
"Yeah, she would," Anthony agreed, and there were tears in his eyes.
Sara smiled, and rested her hand on top of his. "You made her very happy, Anthony."
"He still does, Mama."
Both of their heads shot up and Anthony's eyes met with his girlfriend's dark ones.
🌺 🌊🥂
╰┈➤ ❝ LOTTIE'S NOTES ❞
this shit is so predictable but like random at the same time i can't
