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Liv
Sparrowsflitfrombranchtobranchinthetreeoutsidemyhospitalroomwindow.It’sjustpastsunrise.IfellasleepcurledupagainstLuke,butIwasalonewhenIwokeup.Tryingtosleephereisdifficult.There’salwayssomeonecomingandgoing,andevenwhenIclosemyeyes,allIcanseeisDylan’sproneform,bloodpoolingoutfromunderneathhim.Ihearheavybootsonthelinoleumapproaching.ThecurtainslidesopenandstillIstareatthebirds.
“Livvie,” my dad says and tears well. I turn to him and he’s there, wrapping me up in his comforting arms. I sob into his chest. “You’re ok, my sweet girl,” he whispers into my hair.
Movement on the other side of the bed catches my attention, and I find John watching us. His eyes creased and worried. I grab his forearm and pull him into our hug. He wraps both of us up in his enormous arms, and I sob some more. We’re interrupted by a nurse a few minutes later and she gives me the Tylenol I asked for. I’m sore all over. But it could have been so much worse.
I take the pills and John takes the empty water cup from me. “How are you feeling, honey?” Dad asks.
I shrug and wince. The cut above my breast needed a few stitches. “I’ve had better days.”
His mouth quirks up in a smirk. “Smart ass.”
He pulls up a chair and sits next to me, holding my hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I sigh and look at John. He was there when the police took my statement. “John can give you the cliff notes. Any word on Dylan?”
John shakes his head. “He’s still in surgery.”
I gaze at our joined hands for a second before I face my dad. “This isn’t Luke’s fault.”
He frowns. “Livvie…”
“He’s already beating himself up about what happened. I don’t need you guys laying on the accusations. The one’s to blame for this are dead."
My dad sighs and runs a hand through his hair that’s grown longer than I’m used to. “This wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t dating.”
“That was my choice. I knew the risks.”
His lips press together. “It doesn’t matter. Your safety was his responsibility, and he blew it.”
“No. He saved me from something outside of his control. Luke killed my attacker. He saved my life.”
“Maybe we should table this for when she’s not in a hospital bed,” John says from his chair by the window.
Dad sighs and nods at him.
A heavy silence falls over the room, and I relax onto the pillow. Fighting for your life is exhausting. Brando never covered the aftermath in training. The next thing I know, the doctor is in the room speaking with my dad.
“Physically, she’ll make a full recovery. Her injuries are superficial. No internal damage,” the doctor says.
“My son says she wasn’t raped?” He’s blunt, but that’s my dad. All business when things get serious.
“There was no evidence of penetration. But they violated her. It will take her mind time to heal from the trauma. She seems strong and has a solid support system crowding the waiting room.”
He sighs and crosses his arms. The doctor looks over at me and smiles. “Hello Liv. How are you feeling?”
I sit up and my dad adjusts the pillows behind me. “I’m ok. When can I go home?”
“As soon as we finish the paperwork. You’ll need to stop by the pharmacy for after care supplies. But you’ll recover in no time."
“Thank you doctor.”
She says goodbye to us and the nurse comes in a few minutes later. “We’re processing your discharge paperwork, so you’ll be ready to go soon,” she says as she removes my IV.
I reach over and grab the clothes Vera brought earlier. On weak legs, I make it to the bathroom on my own under my dad’s watchful eye. I shut the door and stare at myself in the mirror. I’ve aged a decade. My hair still has remnants of blood in it, but I do my best to ignore it. I use the restroom and wash my hands.
After I pull on the soft yoga bra, my head pops through the LA t-shirt and I pull on the leggings. The nurse discharges me when I return to the room, and I follow Dad to the lobby. My eyes go straight to Luke and I hate the strain I see in his gaze. I haven’t seen the guys yet, so they stand the instant they see me. Jordy approaches me first. His left eye is swollen shut and there are stitches along his hairline.
