The Silent One ✔

Chapter Forty-Five

I slowly open my eyes.

"Welcome back" he smiles as standing beside the bed.

"What-" I start as finding tubes attached to my body, some of which were attached to a blood bag.

"You're in the hospital" Raff tells me "you have suffered severe blood loss and dehydration...we have given you stitches across your abdomen and a cold compress for your broken ribs"

"Stitches across my abdomen?" I blink in confusion.

"You don't remember?" Raff raises a brow.

"No" I shake my head "what day is it?"

"Wednesday" he informs "you were stabbed at some point in the last four days"

"Ahh! Let me outta here!"

"Shut up!"

"Jake...with a switchblade" I struggle to speak "where is everybody?"

"They're outside," Raff answers, "do you want me to get them?"

"Please" I nod weakly.

"Eva" Jenny cries as they all enter the room "thank god you're okay"

"You scared the shit outta me" Chris struggles to smile as hugging me.

He looks terrified yet relieved.

Tears roll down my cheeks for the first time in four years.

I half smile before kissing Chris's lips. "I love all of you"

At that moment Sam, Ned, Blake, Chris, Jason, and Jenny all hug me.

***

"I guess that I have some explaining to do huh?" I struggle to say as I sit in my hospital bed.

He glances at me from the door, with an understanding look. "Your brother and aunt filled me in," Chris admits as entering the room.

I assumed as much. I was missing for days, aunt Laura and my brother had to tell them something. My only regret is that they didn't hear it from me.

How people find out is supposed to be my choice. Maybe other people feel comfortable with talking about their past and disorders, but I sure as hell am not.

People look at you differently. They treat you as though you are fragile and can't handle things like the rest of the world. I guess that's why I didn't want my friends to know about my PTSD or that I had a rough childhood.

The fact that I was in prison is something that I wanted to conceal for as long as possible. Simply because I didn't want to be treated differently. Maybe they deserved to know that I have a record, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

I nod slowly "What did they tell you?"

"They told me about your dad...Sam...and Juvy" he raises a brow.

Chris already kinda knew about Sam before the incident. Jason must have filled him in about the rest.

My days in prison is something that only I can explain. My brother and aunt had no right to tell him or anybody for that matter. I can understand why they felt they had to. I just wish it could have come from me.

"Juvy" I nod slowly "I don't know what they told you-"

"They told me that you stole liquor... Got off without any consequences... Then six months later stole a car and assaulted a cop...spent the last two years in a juvenile delinquent centre" Chris folds his arms.

"You need to understand-" I look down.

It wasn't as simple as that. So much went into that day, that no one can possibly understand.

"You had a gun pointed at a cop...you were going to end his life" Chris raises his voice.

I grit my teeth "It wasn't like that"

No one knows what it was like. Jason and aunt Laura have only heard stories. I've never told anyone what really happened that day.

"I don't want to fight with you" he sighs as sitting on my bed beside me "I just got you back"

"No" I shake my head "you need to understand"

"Eva-"

"When I was sixteen...." I start "I was unhappy and needed to get outta town...Sam and I had gotten into a fight so I was angry and not thinking...I stole a car...a cop began chasing me all the way to an abandoned warehouse...I was hiding behind a stack of tires when he grabbed me....he was trying to handcuff me and in the process, I took his gun from his belt...I didn't shoot him"

"But you were going to?" Chris sighs.

"At first yeah....but then I began thinking about my brother who I would never see again...the cop began speaking...he told me that by killing him that I would ruin my life...he had a wife and kids...by killing him I would be responsible for those kids growing up without their father...and for what reason? Because I'm an emotional wreck?"

"Eva-"

"You can trust me around your daughter Chris," I assure, "I'm not dangerous... I'm just an idiot and I've paid for what I've done! Yes, it was me who wanted to put a bullet in that mother fuckers skull two years ago but it was also me who had to lay in a cell every single night with people who could potentially rape or murder me-"

"Stop talking" he begs as we sit shoulder to shoulder.

"Chris please let me finish" I beg.

I have to make him understand that I'm not a bad person. He can trust me.

"You were just stabbed...you're weak-" he reminds me.

"Let me finish" I firm my gaze "everybody had always told me that my father is responsible for who I had became...I've just spent days in a van with him and Trisha's ex....my father has been on the straight and narrow all my life till now...the truth is that I've done this to myself...no one else is to blame...two years in jail wakes you up....I'm not going back to the person that I once was"

"I'm not worried that you will" Chris admits.

"I'm not dangerous, you can trust me" I assure.

He then holds my chin with his fingertips "I trust you, Eva... I love you"

Hearing those words still, make me feel unsettled. A big part of me wants Chris's trust and love, then a small part me is wondering how could he possibly want somebody like me.

I've never said those three words to him before. After all, we're not even official yet.

I half smile, "so does this make us official yet?"

He laughs as pulling me to chest. "Yeah, this makes us official"