Then There Was You

Chapter 17: Whispers in the Courtyard

Lilah

"The surgery was a success. Theo's stable and resting as we speak."

   I jolted awake as my mind registered the words just spoken. Glancing around, my gaze fell on Dr. Sawyer, who stood just five feet away, surrounded by the Robensons. I got up as quickly as I could, wincing quietly as my tense muscles screamed for me to slow down. You'd think that, in the twenty-first century, hospital chairs would have a sleep mode we could switch them to. But no, I might as well have rested on the floor.

My body ached as I approached the group while they fired away their questions.

"When can we see him?" Mrs. Robenson asked, her eyebrows knitted together in worry as she clutched her crucifix.

"Right now, he's still out of it. But you're welcome to move to his room. Although, since it's well past visiting hours, only one of you can stay with him. Preferably a parent," Dr. Sawyer said and shot an apologetic glance at Josh.

Everyone let out a deep breath just then, and Dr. Sawyer raised his shoulders in an apologetic shrug. "Sorry. Hospital policy."

The Robensons nodded understandingly. I tried my best to hide my disappointment, almost blending with the walls as I observed the family discussing what to do.

"I could stay, and you can come back during visiting hours," Mrs. Robenson told her husband after a while.

Mr. Robenson nodded and then looked at me. He gave me a reassuring smile as he said, "We have to get you home, Lilah," his gaze hesitantly shifting to his son.

Seconds passed, and the two men seemed to have reached an understanding when Josh stepped forward. "I can drop her off. You stay here," he said as he reached into his father's flannel shirt pocket for the keys.

Mr. Robenson gave him an appreciative smile before pulling him into a hug.

   I smiled to myself, watching them. I was glad Josh could be here this time around. He and Theo weren't so different before. He acted like a slightly older version of his younger brother. I hadn't realized how much the accident had changed him until I saw Josh again. It was like looking into a portal at the young man Theo would have been, if only...

I shook my head, trying to rid my mind of the thoughts. Not here. Not now! I internally screamed.

"Thank you for always being there for him."

My gaze shot up from the ground to see Mr. Robenson approaching me with wide arms.

   Before I could react, I was wrapped in his embrace, enveloped with guilt. I shouldn't even be here. If I had any dignity, I would stop all this senseless praise. But how would I do that? Wouldn't it only hurt them worse to know that all along they'd been praising the villain of this tragic story?

As tears burned behind my eyelids, I willed my stiff arms to return his hug.

When we pulled away, I plastered on a forced smile. I could pretend for a little longer.

   Josh dropped me off home just as the sky became bright outside. Rubbing my eyes as I pushed open my bedroom door, I eyed my bed with longing. A nap would be perfect right now, but I couldn't risk it. Resting one's eyes never works as intended. I opted for a cold shower instead. While the water woke me up, my mind drifted to Theo. Hopefully, after school, I'd get to see him.

Until this morning, I hadn't realized how much I'd become attached to our new routines. The ride to school was painfully long and lonely without him and his sarcastic quips.

When I got to school, I went to sit in the courtyard, hoping to finish the homework due today.

I usually wasn't the kind to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help overhearing some of the chatter going on around me.

As I focused on a group of girls a few feet away, my jaw clenched as one of them said, "It's embarrassing! Like, my cousin's a nurse, right? And she says once you're paralyzed, you're a baby all over again. Like, you need help wiping your ass and everything. The moment she told me that, I couldn't see him the same anymore."

The girls around her hummed sagely as if just blessed with some rare wisdom.

"What does she even see in him? I get it, he's cute, but like..." one of them said after a long silence.

My back straightened, feeling their eyes on me now.

"Some girls don't mind wearing the pants," said the first girl.

   Just then, I shot them a look. They didn't even have the decency to look away. Even less surprising was seeing Skylar cackling like a drunk hyena with her arm wrapped around Caleb. My jaw tightened at the smug look on his face. What did he have to be proud of? I wondered what everyone would say if they knew what really happened that night. He wouldn't be so smug then.

Yes, what would they think? whispered the voice in my head.

It sounded eerily similar to Caleb's, which only fueled my anger further.

I was stuck with a secret I should've spilled a long time ago. Maybe they were right to mock me.

   For most of the day, I simply bit my tongue, occasionally finding solace in music during the classes where we were allowed the use of our phones. Discreetly, I fixed the screen as I read a message from Josh. A smile spread over my face as I took in the picture he sent me of a sleepy Theo. One hand shielded most of his face from the camera's light, but it managed to shine in those blue eyes. His lips were curved up in that lazy smile of his, the look making my heart swell.

I quickly thanked Josh and continued working on homework. I would go straight to the hospital after school, so I used this free time to get started on my assignments.

   As I read through the question in my textbook, something poked me right on my left cheek. My head shot up, and I waved my hand around, seeking the culprit. My gaze fell on a ball of paper on the ground, and I sighed in annoyance. Looking up, I noticed Clover craning her neck back to look at me.

"You okay?" she mouthed, and I simply nodded.

   She smiled and got back to work. I was about to do the same when I felt the peculiar feeling of eyes on me. Lo and behold, it was Caleb, again. This time, I didn't give him the time of day. Stretching in my seat, I focused back on my task. For the next fifteen minutes, my attention was on completing as much as I could before the final bell announced the end of the school day. The whole time, I knew he was watching me.

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