"And where exactly are you headed to? Surely not to pick a fight with whoever hit your brother... right?"
I felt my face heat up from the accurate accusation and shook my head slowly.
"N-No-"
"Your first words to me are lies?" He clicked his tongue...
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An annoying beeping sound that was all too familiar filled my ears. I'm in the hospital again.
I didn't die.
I opened my eyes to see an unfamiliar man talking with my brother and Willow. Willow was smiling at Stefan as he hugged her close to his side, laughing quietly at something the strange man spoke about. A breathing mask was on my face and my chest hurt. Breathing was difficult, my chest felt like bricks were laying on top of it and my eyes felt heavy.
I reached up to remove the mask off so I could speak up without the sound being muffled, "S-Stef?"
His eyes snapped towards me and he rushed to my side of the bed, crouching down to get eye-level, "Sammie, you're okay. What do you remember?" I sat up a bit, putting my mask back on so I could breathe in deeply again before taking it off, "I was... I was drowning." He nodded and combed his fingers through my hair, "Yeah, you were. How are you feeling?"
"I want Matteo," I whispered because it hurt my chest to talk. Stefan frowned slightly, "I know you do... I'm sorry."
"My chest... it hurts," I said out of breath as Stefan nodded and put my mask around my mouth for a few seconds, allowing me to breathe properly. I closed my eyes, focusing on my breaths as Willow walked around to the side of the bed where Stefan was. She smiled with tears in her eyes, "It's not cancer. It's infectious mastitis, all I needed was antibiotics."
A big smile graced my face as I coughed roughly, moving the mask again, "I'm so happy for you."
I wish I could express my happiness more, but it hurts to even breathe properly. She smiled holding my hand, "I'm sorry that Matteo isn't here. But we'd like you to officially meet somebody." My eyebrows furrowed as she nodded her head at the strange man and he walked towards the empty side of my bed.
"Sammie, this is Ezra Fortgang. He's the one who saved you from drowning," Stefan introduced us and I looked over at the man who had a slight smile on his face.
He was handsome. His face was rugged with a tamed beard, brown curly hair that was currently touseled around his face. He was a sharp man and by the way he stood by my bed, I knew he was someone who was taken seriously. He couldn't be any older than thirty, maybe younger. He smiled at me and his white teeth shone my way, but he was no Matteo. No matter how handsome another man is, he'll never beat my Matteo.
And strangely, I feel a sense of anger towards my savior for saving me. Why couldn't he have just left me be? Why couldn't he have just let me drown? Why couldn't he have just left me alone and minded his own freaking business? Now I'm alive and I have to deal with the numbness and aching hole that Matteo left in my heart.
"Hi," I said before moving the mask back to breathe in deeply. He nodded his head at me, "I just wanted to stick around and see if you were going to be okay. Is there anything you need? Anything at all?" I shook my head and took a few seconds once again before removing the mask, "I'm alive so I think that's good enough, right?"
Everyone chuckled but me and he studied my face for a minute before Stefan cleared his throat, "Willow is going to take the boys home and I'll bring you some clothes. You have to stay overnight for close observation of your lungs, but you should be good to go by tomorrow."
I nodded and leaned into him as he bent down to kiss my forehead. He watched Ezra with a hard glance, "Visiting hours are over soon. You may have saved her life but you're still a stranger and I don't know you well enough to leave you in here."
A look of realization slapped him in the face and he nodded, backing away from my bed, "Oh, for sure, man. I apologize, I'll come back tomorrow or something."
Stefan nodded, "Yeah. Goodnight." Ezra waved and left the room as I chuckled painfully at my brother, "You intimidate people. You scared him off."
"I didn't like the way he was looking at you," he huffed as Willow giggled, "He was looking at her like he just saved a stranger's life and is scared for her. You're too overprotective."
He rolled his eyes, "No, he was looking at her like she was raw meat and he was a starving lion. I know how a man thinks and he needs to get the hell over himself if he thinks he has a chance with my sister-"
"Stef, Matteo left me. I won't be emotionally available for a long time if I ever am," I said quietly, picking at my fingers and he frowned, "Matteo won't be gone forever. He'll come back for you."
"Yeah, sure," I said, biting back tears, and Willow frowned, "I'll be downstairs getting Benny and Gino ready to go. They'll come see you again when you're awake."
"Okay, goodnight, love you," I said before breathing in the mask again and Stefan nodded, "Please be careful, I love you- ope..."
Willow stunned in her spot and my eyes widened as the mask helped me breathe. I watched the awkward situation and held back a laugh as she looked at him crazily. Stefan's lips were pursed and his fingers were fidgeting at his sides like he's always done whenever he's in an awkward situation and doesn't know how to get out of it. Willow looked at him and he lifted his hands. Before I could tell him not to do what he was about to do, he did it anyway.
He finger-gunned her. He gave her the freaking finger guns.
"Yep, bye now," he said before running out of the room, leaving her in here with me, shocked at what just happened.
