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"Ben, it's okay if we let Ethan back. I don't feel like he's a threat to me."
Ben shakes his head no.
"I'm sorry Gianna, but I have strict orders to keep him away. There are two police officers stationed outside your door as well."
"Ben—" I'm cut off as Ethan starts yelling again.
"I'm not a fucking threat to her. You assholes should be going after the fucker that is." Now I really want to see him. What the hell is he talking about? I move to get out of bed, and the door swings open as Vivi comes rushing in.
"Gigi, you're awake. How are you feeling?" What the hell? How did Vivian get here so quickly? I only left Florida yesterday. I'm about to respond and start asking questions, but Elio sits up and wraps his arms around me. I immediately hug him back. He's holding onto me as if his life depends on it. Vivi sits on the edge of the bed, and her eyes look glassy like she's about to cry.
"What's wrong Vivi? What's going on?" I watch as she diverts her gaze and swallows hard.
"Gigi, I got here as soon as I could. Mason booked me a redeye ticket on the first plane home."
"Wait, what do you mean a redeye ticket?" I quickly look over at the window, and it's clearly still daytime.
"Gigi, you passed out. You've been in here for 24hrs. When I got in this morning, you still hadn't woken up. When Mason told me about your dad and then your mom, I knew I had to get back as soon as possible."
"What the hell? I've been out for 24hrs! What do you mean what happened with my mom?"
My comment must have affected Elio because he pulls back to look at me before saying, "Mom's dead, Gigi. You're all I have left." His eyes immediately fill with tears, and he puts his head back on my chest. I realize my parents were shitty, but losing them is traumatic through the eyes of a nine-year-old who doesn't know any different. I'm sure he's sitting here thinking of all the worst-case scenarios of what might happen to him now that he doesn't have a mom or a dad.
"Don't worry, Lo. I'm never going to leave you. I promise, we're going to have the best life. Do you hear me? We're going to get through this. I'll figure it out. I'm going to take care of you. No one will take you away from me."
I gently rub my hand up and down his back, letting him cry on my chest, when the door to the room barges open. Immediately, Ben tackles Ethan to the floor as two officers follow suit into the room. I can't take any more fighting or gun violence. I've lost two parents in the past 48hrs, and I'm not about to subject Elio to any more savagery.
"I swear to God, if you assholes don't get your shit together this instant, Ethan will be the least of your worries." Surprisingly, that got everyone's attention.
"Ben, you are an armed security detail assigned to protect me. Do you not feel you can still do that job with Ethan in the room?" His eyebrows pinch together in question like my comment doesn't make any sense, so I say, "Ethan wants to see me. I want to see him. If he tries to harm me, you are armed."
Ben nods and climbs off Ethan's back so he can stand. Ethan chimes in, "Thanks, Sis!"
"Ethan, just because I'm letting you in doesn't mean I trust you. Ben is not leaving the room, and if you piss me off, I will not hesitate to have you thrown out."
His posture slightly deflates before he says, "I thought we hugged it out back at the apartment before the shit hit the fan."
I know his comment isn't meant to be funny, but I can't help it. I burst out into a fit of laughter. It's the most absurd thing I've heard.
"Yes, I'm sure when August gets back, he'll see it that way."
Ethan's body goes completely rigid, along with everyone else in the room, and panic sets in. I assumed, like Vivian, he must have stepped out, but I should've known better. August would never do that. He would never leave my side. My heart immediately drops into my stomach as I climb out of bed and cry out. "Where is he?"
Vivian is immediately at my side to steady me and close the back of my hospital gown. "Gigi, he just got out of surgery. He took a bullet to his abdomen and—" She doesn't get to finish the sentence before I start heading toward the door and down the hallway, destination unknown.
Everyone is hot on my heels when I turn around and point at Vivian and say, "Take me to him now Vi."
Her eyes search mine, pleading with me to stop my crusade, and that’s when I see it. Her eyes focus on something over my shoulder, and I immediately follow her gaze. When I turn around, I see Augustus Branson charging down the hallway.
“You little slut, if my son dies because he got mixed up with some low-life piece of trash looking to trap him—" He doesn’t finish the sentence before Ethan steps out from behind me and punches him square in the jaw. Augustus stumbles back in shock before saying, “You’re no better than her. You’ll end up like your father, broke and in jail, mark my words. Stay away from my family or—"
Ethan cuts him off again, "Or what, Augustus? That piece of trash you're referencing has more money than both of us combined, so you better choose your next words carefully."
I couldn’t care less about this entire confrontation. While Augustus's words sting, I learned long ago that words mean nothing. His words are vile, but I've heard worse, and I'm not giving him the power to hurt me. Quickly, I step around both of them while they're distracted and take off down the hall in the direction that Augustus came from. When I reach the end of the hall, I briefly catch a woman resembling August's mom entering a room. While I’ve never met her in person, there are family portraits from every generation displayed in the front lobby of Reds. Miranda has an unmistakable silver birthmark that runs through her long brown hair. Without pause, I follow her in.
"Gianna, you can't be in here. Please leave. Can't you see you've already done enough? Do you really think this is what he wanted? That this is what he signed up for when he met you? God willing, he'll see his mistake as soon as he wakes."
Now those words, those words cut deep because she's right. August is in here because of me, but I'll be damned if I leave his side.
