Chapter 18

ROSE

The first thing I felt was the pain.

A dull, throbbing ache pulsing at the side of my head. Slow at first, then sharp enough to make me groan. I tried to move but my body felt heavy, like someone had poured concrete over me while I slept.

“Where… am I?” I murmured.

Something kept beeping beside me. It sounded so soft and soothing.

My eyes fluttered open, but everything was too bright. White ceiling. White curtains. White walls.

For a moment, I thought I’d died and heaven had terrible interior design.

Then came the smell… Sanitizer. Clean, sterile...that smell that i hated most.

I blinked again.

Definitely not heaven.

I'm in the hospital

The realization hit me, and with it came a rush of panic. “What happened? Why am I here?”

I tried to sit up, but a sharp sting shot through my skull.

“Ow—damn,” I hissed, pressing my palm lightly to my bandaged head.

My head was bandaged. Why the hell was my head in a bandage?

Memory trickled in slowly… like a broken faucet. The phone call with Elodie when she told me she left Albania and was currently in America. We were laughing. She was teasing me. I was crying. And after that—

The kitchen. The pot. Fire. Smoke. My hands flailing like an idiot.

Everything went black.

My chest tightened.

Does anyone know I'm here? And I finally remembered that the cook was home when the incident happened.

The door clicked.

I turned my head weakly and saw a woman in a white coat walk in, holding a tablet.

“Ah. You’re awake,” she said with the calm voice of someone who sees people rise from near-death daily. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a truck… Did I?” I croaked.

She chuckled softly. “Not quite. You were caught in a minor kitchen explosion. You’re very lucky.”

“Minor?”

I saw flames like I summoned Satan himself. If that was minor, I don’t want to see major.

Before I could respond, another voice burst in.

“Rose!”

I didn’t even have time to turn before someone threw themselves at me.

“Elodie?” I blinked in disbelief as her familiar scent filled my space.

Her hair brushed my face as she held onto me like I was going to disappear. “You idiot,” she muttered, voice trembling. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

I would’ve hugged her back if I had the strength. “You… actually came?”

She pulled back and sniffed dramatically. “I told you I’m in America. Surprise, I arrived early. And apparently just in time to surprise you after the call when you almost killed yourself.”

“Best welcome party ever,” I whispered dryly.

Before she could punch me, another voice spoke from the doorway.

“My baby…”

My mom.

Her eyes were red and puffy, arms wrapped around her purse like she was afraid to let go of something else. She didn’t throw herself at me like Elodie but the way she looked at me was worse. It screamed ‘almost lost you.’

“Mom,” I breathed.

She walked over and brushed my hair carefully like I was made of glass. “You scared me.”

“I scared myself too,” I admitted.

The doctor cleared her throat gently. “Let her rest. She has a mild concussion and second-degree burns on her hand, but no internal damage. She’ll need to stay for monitoring.”

“Can I go home tomorrow?” I asked immediately.

“No,” all three of them said in perfect synchronization.

Wow. Betrayal.

Elodie crossed her arms. “You stay here. We just got reunited and I refuse to let you die again.”

“I didn’t die the first time—”

“You looked dead.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

My mom wiped her eyes again. “Please just stay put.”

I let my head fall back onto the pillow. Exhaustion was creeping back in, dragging me down.

“…Where’s Derek?” I asked quietly before I could stop myself.

Elodie and Mom exchanged a look.

“He knows,” Mom said softly. “He’s… on his way.”

My heart did a weird flip.

The beeping beside me didn’t change but everything inside me did.

“Would you like us to leave? At least that would make you rest better. Talking won't help you.” My mom suggested and I stared at her and smiled.

"Mom, you worry too much. Stay with me please. I'm afraid I might die if I close my eyes.” I joked but the look on their faces tells me they don't like it.

" Don't talk like that…" Elodie said and drifted off when Derek walked in.

He didn't even knock.

I was about sitting straight up when Jennifer, Avery and Lauren walked in too.

I gripped the hospital bed with my right hand. I never thought they would come.

Why did they come?

They were all standing and no one, literally no one said anything. I looked and Derek and his face was hard as stone.

“How do you feel?" Avery asked and Derek nodded at her while she half smiled.

“I'm good… I guess.” It came out like a whisper.

The tension in the room made my skin crawl. I don't know why but for some odd reasons, Elodie was staring daggers at Jennifer.

And my mom, she kept looking at Lauren, Oscar's mom like she knows her somewhere.

“Jen. I'm so sorry about what happened. I hope your head doesn't hurt badly?” Jennifer asked and my eyes flew up to her.

What the hell is she trying to do acting like a good person?

“My head hurts." I replied curtly and looked away after giving her a disgusting look.

"Uhm, I think we would all leave you and Derek to be.” Elodie said, breaking the silence and looking at everyone, quietly signaling for them to leave the room.

Jennifer was hesitant at first but she left. Lauren shot me one last glance and walked out too.

My mom, Avery and Elodie left the same time and I was left with just Derek in the room.

“Your family brings so much awkwardness." I laid

back in the bed and looked up at the drip that was making a quiet thudding sound.

"Coming from you?” He raised a brow at me and walked towards the bed.