Shout outs to: @Concha06, @natashamfleming, and @RoyalGal0113
Seriously, Your comments are so freaking awesome. like, the most epic I had ever received on this story.
Chapter 22: Lost
Seeing Katherine laying on the hospital bed, her eyelids shut tightly, it makes me want to crawl in a goddamn hole and kill myself. I am the reason she had a coma; another mental breakdown. I am the reason she's having to deal with a shrink when she has told everyone enough times that she didn't want to.
She said my name like a prayer. Her chapped lips bled as they stretched and her rough voice clear as day. Her red hair lost its fiery glow, skin almost translucent. She looks so.... lifeless.
I look up to her family, shame clear in my eyes. The triplets looked like they were ready to murder me. Their jaws and fists are clenched tightly, standing protectively beside Katherine's bed. John looks at me impassively, his hand still holding Katherine's bony fingers, while Caroline looks so heartbroken and desperate. But they all seemed to wear shock in their eyes when Katherine spoke. The psychiatrist stands and moves aside awkwardly.
"I will be outside if any of you still needs me." she dismissed herself. When she closed the door, I turn back to Katherine. Her eyes seemed to be studying me as she frowned.
"You look awful." Katherine rasps out.
I look down at my shoes and shuffle my feet. I haven't had a good night's sleep since the day Katherine was admitted to the hospital. It was all a chaos then, until now. The black eye the triplets gave me that very same day as I finished with telling them what happened seemed fine now, though I had Bonnie put some Concealer on the yellowing bruise. I knew I deserved it and more. I wish I had more, but it will never amount to the emotional pain I caused Katherine.
Cole turns his head slowly to his sister and makes a noise of disbelief. "Oh, so now you talk to him, the one that landed you in a coma, but not us your family?! Unbelievable, Katherine! Simply unbelievable."
I frown. Katherine didn't talk?
Katherine sighs delicately and flashes a look of irritation at him, "Cole, I don't need this right now."
Collin and Connor held their brother back just as Cole opened his mouth to retort. John puts a restraining hand on Cole and shakes his head. "They need to talk. Let us give them some privacy."
The rest of the Ambers nod reluctantly. I feel myself tense as they walk in front of me. John gave me a hopeful look. "I give you one chance to prove yourself again, son. One. After that, I'll let my boys beat you to a pulp."
I nod stiffly, and turn to look at all of them. "I am so sorry for all of this."
Caroline hugs me tenderly, "We all know it was inevitable. You're the first person Katherine let in in her life after that tragedy, and hopefully, you can get her to believe in herself again. My daughter is having trouble in finding herself. Help her, Eric. Help my poor Katherine." she whispers in my ear.
My throat becomes thick as hot tears prick my eyes. I kiss Katherine's mother on her temple and promised her I would do everything in my power.
The triplets were the last to leave us, giving me warning glares that simply meant I was a dead man if I hurt their little sister again. I took a calming breath as I walk towards the bed. I sit beside her and hesitate on touching her hand. When she didn't recoil, I grasped it firmly in between both of mine. It was cold and so small.
"Eric, don't be so hard on yourself." she whispers weakly that I barely heard it.
I wipe the tears flowing from my eyes with the back of my hand. "I'm so sorry, Katherine. So sorry. I don't know if I can even forgive myself."
