This is a sequel to the book- To Capture A Heart.
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Veronica had it all and then, in just a matter of a few days, she lost it all.
The tension is at an all-time high and shocking secrets are revealed. Old bonds are broken and replaced with new...
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Broken arm, a few fractured ribs, a concussion, brain swelling and internal bleeding– these were the few words I had heard the doctor rattle off, last night, before I ran away from him, towards the nearest waste bin and had puked my guts out.
I had been so fucking embarrassed of myself. But the doctor had just given me a kind sympathetic smile, and told me he had watched people have the same reaction a lot of times. Because of my quick lie of being Neil's sister and his only blood relative in town for the time being, they had taken pity on me and had let me stay past the visiting hours.
When the doctor had asked me if I wanted to see him, I was quick to say yes, but as we got closer to the room, the sick urge to back out and run away from all of this had gotten stronger. It was easily one of the scariest thing I had ever been through.
"Are you coming?" The doctor had asked me and only then had I realized that I had stopped walking.
"Um, I-I need a minute." I tried to smile, but failed.
Julian was by my side in a second. "Are you okay?"
I nodded, but couldn't speak a word.
"Take your time." The doctor had told something to Julian, before leaving us there after shooting another sympathetic smile my way. I hated being weak. Hated being scared of the unknown.
So I took a deep breath and started walking towards the room my best friend was in. My head scrambling for a foothold on composure. My heart searching for bravery, but I had found neither.
How I had managed to not break down when I first laid my eyes on him last night was still a mystery to me. Blood loss had left his skin sallow, but the slowly forming bruises and gashes had tinted it with shades of scarlet and sick purples. He had tubes coming out of his mouth and nose, an IV attached to his hand.
It was a sight I'd never forget in my life.
At some point, I had sent Julian away to freshen up. With his mom admitted in the same hospital, he had his own share of problems to deal with. He had reluctantly left me alone, promising to come back soon.
It was almost seven in the morning now, and I hadn't slept a wink. I was too busy watching Neil like a hawk. Too scared to leave him alone.
The chair I was sitting in was hideously uncomfortable. It was too soft in the back, too firm in the bottom. One of its legs had a strange wobble and it never sat perfectly on the ground. This chair belonged in an interrogation room, not at a hospital bedside.
But I hadn't moved.
"Hey." I pulled the chair closer to Neil and held his hand softly. It was cold and still. So still.
If he recovered from this– when he recovered from this – he wouldn't be able to play football for a really long time. He'd have to quit the team and give up all his dreams of landing any scholarship. There would be permanent scars over his body, and for someone who spent more time than necessary admiring his naked torso in the mirror, it would be an utter nightmare for Neil.
