𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕟

Chapter 20 : Lara

"Alex, c'mon, wake up."

Tyler's voice shakes me out of sleep as his hand gently shakes my shoulder. My eyes flutter open, briefly blinded by the harsh hospital lights overhead. The constant beeping and the hurried footsteps of doctors moving quickly through the chaos pull me back to full consciousness. I blink up at Tyler, still groggy.

"We just got back. Went home to shower, eat, and grab some clothes. I brought this with me." Tyler gestures toward the right side of the couch, and I follow his motion, spotting my guitar resting there.

Tyler shrugs, offering a soft smile. "Figured it would help pass the time." When he looks at me, his expression is a little sad, and I stand on unsteady legs, gripping his arm gently. "Thank you," I whisper, the gratitude heavy in my voice.

Tyler pats my back twice before pulling away, rubbing his eyes, and I can’t help but smile a little at his exhaustion.

"I told you to stop doing that. You’ll mess up your eye one day," a new voice cuts through.

We both turn to find Dexter approaching, his tone scolding but playful.

"Sorry, Dex. I forget sometimes. I’m tired," Tyler pouts, but his hand drops to his side after realizing his mistake. He looks up at Dexter with a sheepish expression. Dexter just raises an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes.

"I figured you would be," Dexter says, his voice softening. "I’ve secured two rooms for you all, one for Kin and Luca, and the other is for you, Alex, and Ivy."

"Rooms? How long is Mason staying here exactly?" I ask, confusion clouding my thoughts.

"I don't know. At least a week. I figured you’d want to be here, but I know you all need rest. Can't spend all your time in the waiting room, right?"

"Thank you, Dex. I think we all need some rest. It's almost dinner time anyway. We should go unpack."

"Go to the receptionist. She has the room numbers ready. I already spoke to her, so you're all set." Dexter smiles before turning away, heading back to his patient.

Tyler nods once at Dexter, then heads off to find the rooms. Dexter sits down next to me, moving my guitar gently onto the floor before turning to face me.

"I need to talk to you, Alex," he says softly, his voice serious.

I sigh and lean my head back against the wall, closing my eyes. "Hit me with it, Dex."

“There’s a reason Ivy knows so much about Mason’s condition," he begins slowly.

"Let me guess... his name is Tristan, and he’s a psychopath?" I try to lighten the mood with a half-hearted chuckle, but there’s no humor in it. Just frustration at having to think about the bastard again.

Dexter swallows, his eyes hardening. "He aimed for the face," he murmurs.

That pulls me up straight. My throat goes dry, and I can’t even bring myself to look him in the eye. My gaze drops to the ground.

"If I remember correctly," Dexter continues, "the story is that she went home later than planned. He delivered the first blow before her second foot was even in the house. She never told me exactly how it happened, but apparently, he kicked her in the chest when she fell." Dexter pauses, sniffing, and I can’t look at him, my heart tight with guilt and disbelief.

"I remember Tristan calling me that night," Dexter continues, his voice bitter, "telling me Ivy had fallen down the stairs, that he was bringing her to me. I believed him. Took her in. Once she was stable, I told him he could see her. A few minutes later, I joined them, and when I asked Ivy what happened, she gave me the same lie about the stairs."