Fight With Me

Chapter 14

Lizzie's POV

I stayed up all night worrying about Josie. I knew I needed to apologize to her to get my sister back as soon as possible. After showering and putting on a comfy, casual outfit, I did my hair and headed to Hope's room.

I knocked on the door, but I didn't hear anything until Hope yelled, "WHOEVER YOU ARE, GO AWAY!"

I hesitated, afraid that if they knew it was me, they wouldn't open the door. After a few more knocks, the door finally swung open, and to my surprise, it was Josie. Before she could close it again, I looked at her with pleading eyes, and she let me in.

When I saw Hope, I scowled but quickly changed it to a smile before anyone noticed. Hope stood next to Josie, growling protectively. Josie grabbed her hand, and Hope immediately calmed down. I tried not to show my jealousy over their connection and stood there silently until Josie spoke up.

I was shocked by the confidence Josie radiated, but I knew I had to get on with what I needed to say. "Yesterday, I acted horribly. I was just jealous about the amount of time you two were spending together."

Josie looked me in the eye before saying the one thing I hoped she wouldn't. "Are you sure it has nothing to do with you not taking your meds?"

I glanced at Hope, silently asking if I could talk to Josie alone. Josie caught on because she told me, "Anything you want to say to me, you can say to Hope."

Taking a deep breath, I realized there was no way I could escape this. "No, I haven't been taking my meds, but if that's what it takes for us to get back to normal, I will."

"I don't want you to do this for me; you need to do this for yourself," she replied, her voice steady.

"I'm not just doing this for you," I lied. "I need to get back to normal to be happier."

This time, Hope spoke up. "Lizzie, the three of us need to talk to your dad and figure out a plan."

I wanted to tell her to stay out of our family business, but somehow I ended up in my dad's office with my sister and the Tribrid.

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Alarics POV

I was working on some reports when I heard knocking on the door. "Come in," I called.

To my surprise, it was my daughters with Hope. Immediately concerned, I shot up from my seat. "What's wrong?" I asked, my voice laced with worry.

Seeing their sad faces, I gestured for them to sit down. As they did, I noticed two things: Hope and Josie wouldn't separate from each other—Josie even sat in Hope's lap. They sat as far from Lizzie as possible, which worried me even more until Josie finally spoke up, surprising me with her sudden confidence.

"Okay, so last night, Lizzie burst through the door yelling and had an episode that knocked us into the wall. Hope ended up with glass in her knee."

I looked at Lizzie for her side of the story. "Lizzie, is this true?" I asked.

She looked down shamefully before nodding.

I sighed, trying to keep my disappointment in check. "What happened? I thought your meds were helping."

She didn't say anything, and once again, Josie stepped in. "She hasn't been taking her meds, Dad."

I turned to Lizzie, my expression serious. "Elizabeth, your mother and I thought we could trust you to take your meds."

"Dad, I'm sorry."

"Save it. When's the last time you took your meds?" I asked.

"I took them the day we got kidnapped, but before that, I hadn't taken them since Mom left."