"V, you have to stay calm," Izzy says, keeping her tone even. Calm?
Something is wrong. I can feel it.
I inhale a shaky breath and give a weak attempt at a nod in conditional agreement. Izzy turns her chin to Ander's mom, signaling her to take the lead, which she does.
"We are sure he's safe, Via. I know that's what you're worried about." She nods reassuringly. "He did come back to check on you a bit ago; all of the guys are out looking for him now—"
I cut her off before she could continue. The words spew out of my mouth as fast as they form in my mind.
"What?"
I shake my head, trying to understand. If Ander came back, something had to cause him to leave, and alone? If everyone is looking for him, that means he's alone.
He's in danger.
"What made him leave? If he had returned and left, and now no one knows where he is, something must have happened. I know him." I gulp audibly. "What happened?" My voice shakes in unison with my limbs.
Everyone's eyes flash to one another across the room as if questioning who would be the one to tell me.
Izzy takes the lead and, in true Izzy fashion, breaks it to me honestly, which I appreciate.
"Liam is a dick, that's what happened. The slimeball motherfucker snuck in while he knew Ander was out and left a threat. Remember the creepy flowers and notes you've been getting, and you assumed they were 'gestures' from Clark? It's been Liam all along. Ander came back to find some here left for both of you. He pieced it all together and then lost his absolute shit. Now the loose cannon is out searching for Liam by himself." She speaks so fast, leaving no room for the others to object to her laying it all out there for me.
Once Izzy finishes, Dessa quickly interjects, just as the panic starts to creep into my heart.
"They're going to find him, V. He will be just fine."
My heart is racing to the soundtrack of the most vicious metal album you could think of.
"I-I. . . " I shout as I start ripping at the wires and machines attached to me, pulling them off of me. The machine behind me starts to hiss as frantically as my heart pumps erratically.
"V! Damnit!" Abbie growls, "You have to stay calm!"
"Calm?" I whisper-shout through the tears.
"How the hell can any of you expect me to be calm? Come on! Be realistic! Look at me!"
My voice is now at a full-blown shout, rebelling against their protest.
"I was the bait! Liam didn't want to kill me; he wanted Ander! Now Ander is going after him, setting himself out on a silver platter! I can't let it happen! I won't!" My words are choppy, barely audible. The sobs rack my body as I stand to my feet, and pain shoots through every fiber of my being, but I refuse to stop.
"I need a phone!" I demand as I start pulling off the hospital gown and frantically pull my clothes over myself, with the helpof Izzy and Dessa, who have officially given in and will no longer fight me.
Mrs. Kristen goes to state her protest, but she takes a long look at me with our eyes locked and then nods, handing me her phone.
"He isn't answering any calls or texts. It started going straight to voicemail about a half hour ago."
I release a scream, rattling my bones as it escapes, releasing every ounce of bottled-up frustration I've harbored. It doesn't help. The worries, fear, pain, and sadness are all still there.
This is why I left him, why I pulled away, and why I stayed away.
Not for me, for him.
How selfish am I? I knew better than to allow him back into this chaos. He doesn't deserve this bullshit life that I'm stuck muddling through. He doesn't have to be stuck, and that's all he will ever be with me as long as Liam is alive.
Stuck.
Even after everything Liam has put me through, I've never wished death on him or anyone, for that matter. At this very second, I hope Ander finds him first. He deserves exactly what he has coming for him. What does that mean for Ander? What does that mean for our future?His future? This whole shithole situation is fucked, and I can't breathe.
