Finally Grounded (Sequel To The One Who Grounds Me)

Chapter Sixty

Tristan

168 Hours Later

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The persistence beeping of the heart monitor echoed in the dingy room. Sitting here, staring at her pale face breaks my heart every minute. There was nothing I could do for her.

My eyes drifted to her baby bump. I heard the room door, open and closed. Carolyn breezed into the room, with Nathaniel on her tail. Rubbing Tiana's knuckles, I met their disapproving glare.

"Tristan, you've been holed up in here for days." Carolyn said.

Instead of answering her, i turned my attention to Tiana.

Carolyn sat down on the edge of the bed. She touched my arm, with a defeated look. "Tristan.... you haven't eaten in days. You need to eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

"That's the same thing, you said yesterday and the day before that!" Nathaniel snapped at me.

Lifting her hand, to my mouth I pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

The door squeaked, once again. Frowning, my head whipped around, a shell shocked Cathy was leaning against the door. With her hands fisted at her side.

Tears were leaking down her cheeks. She staggered towards the bed. Her kneecap touched the cold linoleum tiles. With quivering hands, she clutched Tiana's hand.

Martha bursts into the room. "Cathy."

"I didn't mean to.... I didn't mean to do it!" She cried.

At the sound of that. I tensed.

"I only told him to..... to..... aim at Tristan! I never thought Tiana would be the one lying here.... I never thought she would jump infront of the Tristan!"

My blood ran cold.

"Cathy are you saying, what i think you're saying?" Martha stuttered in shock.

Cathy shook her head, vigorously. "I only wanted him out of the picture! I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't mean for this to happen!" She sobbed.

Standing up abruptly, I approached Cathy. Grabbing her by the collar, I hoisted her up, forcefully.

She stared at me, disdainfully.

"You.... you...." I couldn't even get my words out. I slammed her against the wall.

Cathy's nails dug into my flesh. "Let me go!" She hissed at me.

"How could you?"

"I did this for Tiana's own protection. I never knew it would come to this!" She yelled in my face. The stench of vodka wafted up to my nose. "Those bullets were meant for you! But instead the dumb bitch jumped in the way."

"That dumb bitch is lying in an hospital bed because of you!" I cried.

Her eyes brimmed with tears. "Tiana was mine first and you took her away from me! You brainwashed her and turned her into a complete stranger! What happened to her was because of you! If you had just packed your shit and left New York for good, none of this wouldn't be happening! Tiana and I would still be....."

I backhanded her. The smack resounded in the enclosed space of the room. Her head turned to the side at the force.

"How dare you?!" I roared.

Cathy cowered in the corner, all the colour drained from her face. Little drops of blood, dripped from the corner of her mouth.

All i could see when I stared at her, was red.

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