Recovery / / h.s

Chapter Forty-Eight.

Bad was an understatement. Lily's condition was horrid. It was so hard to look at her, with her hallowed out face and way too prominent cheek bones. Heavy purple bags hung under her eyes, and her way too blue eyes just didn't seem all that blue anymore.

The only time she ever really looked like herself was when she smiled. She always seemed to be smiling, but some part of me just knew it was for show. The other part of me just felt so guilty. How could I hear her laughter everyday and just be so unhappy? If she could put on a brave face every single fucking day, then why was I having such a hard time doing the same thing? Her laughter was the only thing that was getting me through the day.

Most of her laughter came from the people around her, and I was grateful that she had people in her life that could make her laugh at a time like this. Amelia was always there, she never left Lillian's side unless she was at school or visiting hours were over. I really disliked her, but she was a good support system for Lillian.

When Amelia wasn't here, Louis was. I still despised him, but he seemed to make Lillian happy. If I relished to much on that fact, though, the jealousy would drive me insane. I tried not to think about it too much. Sometimes Louis and Amelia came at the same time. Talk about being annoyed to extremes, really, but there was nothing I could do.

"That did not happen," Lillian scoffed and rolled her eyes with a smile. Louis was telling yet another one of his ridiculous soccer stories and I wanted to stab myself.

"Did too!" Louis argued like a child. "Slid right through his legs to get the goal."

"That's the most ridiculous thing-" she tried to say, but stopped talking when there was a quiet tap on the open door.

It was the same girl from Thanksgiving, Lillian's step sister. She was bundled up in a red coat, evidence of snow on her shoulders. Her dark hair was shorter, it was to her shoulders now instead of falling freely down her back and her cheeks were a bright pink color from the cold.

She stood in the doorway for a moment, her confused eyes darting back and forth from Lily to Louis. Then she looked at me as if to say really? And all I could do was shrug.

"Hey Ariana," Lily smiled warmly. "What are you doing here?"

Ariana scoffed before crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the doorway. "My only little sister is in the hospital. What do you mean what am I doing here?"

Lily pursed her lips together. "I told Dad to tell you not to come."

"He did," she shrugged before running a hand through her shiny hair. "But since when do I listen to Robert?"

Even I smiled at that one. "Since when does anyone listen to Robert?"

They smiled at each other for a minute, from opposite ends of the room. If Ariana was worried or even the tiniest bit afraid, she sure as hell wasn't showing it. I watched as Ariana crossed the room and crawled into the hospital bed with Lily.

She kissed Lily's forehead a few times. "I've missed you, little sis," Ariana laughed. "Robert and my mother should be here soon."

Louis and I looked at each other, both of us with raised eyebrows. This would be interesting.

We chatted about Ariana for awhile: how she was doing, how her boyfriend, Lucas, was doing, and about her school. She asked Lily a few questions about the hospital and stuff, and Lily sugar coated the situation so much that you'd think the hospital was a resort. The only person that actually tried to include Louis was Lily, and that made me smile.

"So Harry," Ariana started. "Lily told me you went back to London?"

"Yeah," I nodded slowly. "It was refreshing. "