Not one I believed in.
I hated Matthew freaking Caldwell.
But I loved him a lot more than I hated him right now. I loved him so much it hurt.
I pulled my knees tighter to my chest. I felt foolish. For the first time in a long time, I’d let my guard down. I’d let another person into my life knowing that I’d end up here again. All alone.
Was he thinking about me now?
Was Kennedy?
Did either of them know what my dad had just done?
Did they even care?
And where the hell was I?
I tried to remember what my dad had said to me as I was waking up from surgery. He said he’d take me somewhere safe. But he didn’t understand that he was the one I wanted to get away from. I’d never be safe with him. He’d probably steal my liver next.
And I certainly didn’t want to be here in this white empty room all by myself. With a beeping monitor in the corner, telling me my heart was still working. I didn’t believe it. It couldn’t possibly still be beating.
Maybe this really was all a dream. But I never remembered a dream physically hurting this damned much.
I looked down at the hospital gown I was wearing. I didn’t remember putting it on. Which meant someone else had put it on me. Like I was some doll that could be played with.
Fuck everyone.
I pushed the thin fabric to the side and stared down at a bandage on my stomach. I pulled the fabric back into place. All I was good for was donating organs.
Because I was a liar. A bad friend. A bad fiancée. A bad niece. I felt the tears falling down my cheeks again.
Maybe everyone was right. Maybe I was just like Isabella.
Yeah, I wasn’t sure how the machine in the corner was beeping. Because my heart wasn’t working properly anymore.
I pulled my knees back up to my chest and my left hand caught my eye.No.
My engagement ring was gone.What?I looked around the bed. I pushed the blankets and sheets aside. I moved the pillow. Where was my ring? My heart started beating faster, the monitor in the corner going frantic. This ring meant the world to Matt. I couldn’t lose it. He already hated me. I could beg him for forgiveness for the prank. But he wouldn’t forgive me for this. I tossed the pillow onto the ground. It had to be here somewhere. I shoved the sheets off the bed until it was just me sitting on the mattress surrounded by nothing.
Had Matt been here? Had he taken my ring? I stared at the bare spot on my finger. If he’d been here, I didn’t remember any of it. I knew we’d had a fight. I wished I could take back the damage I’d done. And I knew that wasn’t possible. But I could at least try to fix it.
I just kept staring at the bare spot on my finger. What if Matt didn’t want me to fix it though? What if he didn’t want to be anusanymore? I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks. What if this was the end?
I only had myself to blame. I’d hung out with the Hunter brothers when Matt had specifically told me not to. It didn’t matter that I had good intentions of fixing his friendship with them. I’d hoped for the best, but I should have expected the worst. The worst tended to follow me around like a black cloud. Or else I wouldn’t be sitting in this empty room, on this empty bed, recovering from my dad stealing my fucking kidney.
I was bad luck.
Cursed.
I was a Pruitt.
No.
I was a freaking Sanders. And Sanders didn’t give up. Not like this. Matt would forgive me. He had to. And he’d help keep me safe from my dad. I just needed to figure out a way out of this room. I grimaced as I pulled the IV out of the back of my hand. I climbed off the bed.Ow.I clutched my stomach as I made my way over to the door. But when I tried to turn the knob…it didn’tbudge. He’d locked me in here? What the hell? I had to get out of here. But I didn’t bang on the door. It would just alert everyone.
There was a window in the room. If I could just climb out… I took another step and had to double over from the pain.
Damn it.I couldn’t stay here. I was a sitting duck for whenever my father decided he needed another organ. I took another step forward. It felt like someone was ripping my stomach in two.
