Love Again ✔

25. Guilt

Maddox:

Watching my Rose run so desperately away from me is the worst type of torture I ever thought I'd have to endure. It feels like I'm stuck in my own personal hell, seeing the one person I never wanted to cause pain looking at me like she doesn't know how badly I'm about to hurt her.

But seeing my angel's gray eyes roll to the back of her head as she collapses against me is a sight now carved into my brain and into my heart with a sharp edged dagger.

And knowing that I caused this makes it so fucking worse. I caused her this pain, this terror. I've hurt my angel, and I will never forgive myself for that.

"No, no, no!" I urgently pat her face. "Baby, open your eyes."

I need her to get up, to yell at me, to scream and argue that this is all my fault, my doing. But she doesn't move.

"Goddammit, Rose, come on! I'm so sorry, baby. Please, just open your eyes." I beg, shaking her unmoving body. She's too pale and too still in my arms and I blink the tears out of my eyes so I can focus. "Angel, please. I'm so fucking sorry. I'll take you away from here, I fucking swear, Rose. Just open your eyes. Just look at me, baby."

She doesn't listen and my heart is in a million fucking pieces because I failed her. I failed my angel. I broke my promise, because I put her in danger, and risked her wellbeing. I should've fucking known better, but I didn't and now she's unconscious because she couldn't take it anymore. The stress, the anxiety, the fear. I've seen how they've been eating at her bit by bit through the day, and I didn't put an end to it when I fucking should've.

"Someone get my car keys!" I shout to my family who are all watching silently as I carry my angel in my arms and head to my car. "I'm taking her to the hospital."

"I'll drive. Let's go." Tyler hops in the driver seat with my keys in hand, and I adjust Rose's body over my lap in the backseat.

"We'll be right behind you, son." My father announces as Ma hurriedly puts on her coat, but I don't care. I just need to get her to the hospital so they can tell me she's alright. I need her to wake up so I can apologize and beg for forgiveness, because I'm the fucking worst boyfriend on the planet.

Sofia suddenly shoves her way out of the house and runs to me with glossy eyes. "I'm so sorry, Theo. I swear I only got mad for like a second, because Anna was crying and--"

"Enough." I bit out, because I'm so fucking angry. I know this is no one's fault but mine, but I didn't think that leaving her for two damn minutes alone with my family would end like this. They scared her so much that she fucking ran out of the house, because she believed the streets were safer. That's how fucking terrified she was, and I was in the goddamn bathroom. "All I care about right now is taking her to the hospital."

"She'll be okay, Theo." Mark says from beside the car with a grounded voice. "Charlotte and I will be right behind you too."

I wipe the tears off my face with my free hand, the other holding my angel's body against my own, but the tears just keep coming.

Tyler looks as worried as I am as he quickly starts the car and drives.

"I'm so fucking sorry, Theo." He starts nervously, his voice full of sadness, guilt and worry. "You left her with me for three fucking minutes and I couldn't keep her safe, I couldn't keep her from panicking. Anna just came at us so suddenly and I thought she was going to hug me but she wrapped her arms around Rose instead and---"

"It's not your fault." I interrupt his apology, my voice shaking as I caress Rose's cheek softly. "It was my job to keep her safe, not anyone else's. And I failed. I should've never brought here, Tyler. I don't know what I was fucking thinking."