Chapter 4

Theo got up and walked over, his tone cool and cutting.

"Throwing a tantrum so bad that you tossed your ring? Sounds like you've been holding a grudge against Ellery for a while now, and you're just using this as an excuse to blow up. Or maybe you've already got someone else, and our little game gave you the perfect out."

He was not even finished before Ellery cut him off.

Theo pursed his lips in annoyance, as if to say this was hardly the first time he had run his mouth like that. I knew it was not.

In the handful of occasions we had met over the years, he always found a way to take shots at me. When I visited Ellery's family during the holidays, he deliberately picked apart every gift I brought, calling them cheap and embarrassing. He kept trying to turn her family against me.

When I was down with a stomach infection and asked Ellery not to go out, he called and made snide remarks about me controlling her freedom.

Not once, in any of those moments, did Ellery ever speak up for me. She always said Theo was just a kid who did not know when to stop and loved to joke around. She said I should be the bigger person and let it go. She seemed to have completely forgotten that Theo and I were the same age.

Only now did Ellery finally step in to shut him down. She had finally heard how ugly his words really were. However, I no longer needed it. I no longer cared.

I walked past Ellery and stopped in front of Theo, my voice calm. "Theo, I've honestly never understood what I've done to make you go after me like this."

As I spoke, I slowly raised my hand to brush a stray hair off my shirt. Theo lurched sideways and crumpled to the ground.

Before I could even process what happened, Ellery rushed over and shoved me hard. The force sent me stumbling backward, and my abdomen slammed into a sharp edge of a table. I crumpled to the floor as a searing pain tore through my stomach. Every ounce of strength left my body.

The group closed ranks in front of Theo. Ellery stared down at me, her eyes full of disappointment and her voice ice-cold.

"Theo told me before that you were always picking on him, and I only half believed it. Now, you tried to slap him right in front of me. Reid, you've disappointed me."

Tears spilled from my eyes again. I could not tell if it was because of the pain tearing through my body or because I had been wrongly accused yet again.

"Ellery, take me to the hospital... My stomach..."

Everyone saw the color drain from my face and my features twisting in agony. Their expressions shifted.

"Something's seriously wrong with him. We should get him to a hospital—"

Before they could even finish speaking, Theo jumped out and crouched down in front of me, his face scrunching into a wounded look. "I know you can't stand me, but faking stomach pain just to scare everyone? Are you seriously trying to guilt Ellery's friends into feeling sorry for you?"

The concern on Ellery's face curdled into humiliation. "Reid, enough! How did you become this shameless? Making a fool of both of us in front of all these people, huh?!"

The pain was blurring my vision. I did not have the strength to get up on my own. "I'm not faking... It really hurts... Ellery... please..."

She took a step back, pulling away from my outstretched hand. The others exchanged uneasy glances, then one by one, they followed the two of them out.

…

By the time I opened my eyes again, I was already in the hospital.

The nurse handed me the medical report, and that was how I learned I had suffered a severe gastric hemorrhage. If the movers had not come back upstairs and found me when they did, I could very well have bled out internally and died.

It was only then that I realized my face was already soaked with tears.

I did not know how much time had passed before the sound of my phone pulled me back. I tapped the cracked screen and found a string of messages from Ellery.

[Where'd you go?]

[Still mad?]

[Theo says he doesn't blame you anymore. He understands you only did those things because you love me too much.]

[Come home. Didn't you say you wanted to talk about where we should go for engagement photos? I'm free tonight to figure it out.]

[Ignoring me now? Giving me the silent treatment? Real classy, Reid.]

[Still not answering? Then don't bother coming back. Ever.]

[I already cleaned the ring and put it back in the box. If you can't swallow your pride and face me tonight, you can come back tomorrow during the day.]

I picked up my phone, took a photo of the medical report, and hit send.