80 | I Come Back Stronger Than A 90's Trend
Ew, needles!
And tubes!
And the smell of medicine!
Yuck!
The immense amount of light prickled my eyes. I thought my head hurt. But it didn't. Nothing hurt. I felt numb with the amount of painkillers in my body.
"Hey, sweetie. I'm Martha." A middle aged nurse smiled at me. "How are you feeling?"
"Ugh! Like I could use some ice cream." I mumbled lowly, not strong enough to speak normally just yet.
"I could sneak in some." She laughed. "But god help me if Dr Holtz caught me."
I looked around, my eyes searching for a certain someone although I knew he wouldn't be in here.
"I know who you're looking for." Martha said teasingly. "I'll call him in."
She left the room and two seconds which felt like years passed in the most painful manner as I impatiently awaited him.
The door opened, and there he was in a white shirt looking like an angel but with swollen eyes. I swear I could die any moment now.
Our gazed stayed intact as he closed the door softly, leaning against it like there was no strength left in him. His face was devoid of any expressions. He stayed right there near the door, blankly staring at me as if he was afraid that I'll disappear if he moved.
"Hey, Grayson." I smiled weakly.
"I half expected you to say I come back stronger than a 90's trend." He stated in all seriousness.
"Nope."
"Oh." He pinched the bridge of his nose as if deep in thought. "Not even honey I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time?"
"Nope."
"You surprise me, Miss Andress."
"I was going to climb on this bed and sing My Tears Ricochet."
"Just shut up." He frowned, trudging his way up to me and settled down on the stool. "Don't think you'll get away with this, Vittoria."
"I'm sorry." I whispered.
He slowly lifted my hand and placed it in his, the warmth of his touch spreading through my body. The beeping sound coming from the monitor caused him to divert his eyes to the screen and the infamous Rafael Grayson smirk was back.
"Wow." He chuckled. "I didn't know I could do such things to your heart, señorita?"
"Rafael!" I yelled, embarrassed.
That erupted a new round of laughter from him and hell, it worked better than these meds to heal me.
His thumb brushed over my fingers. That's when I felt it.
If my heart rate was fast before, it was racing now. That machine would break any moment.
"Oh my god, Rafael!" I gasped, seeing the ring on my finger.
"Mhm." He brought my hand up to his lips. "So the thing is," He scratched his neck sheepishly. "Last time I tried 'asking' you. Such a foolish move, isn't it? I never learn. Stupid Rafael." He rolled his eyes.
My eyes watered and I tried speaking but was too overwhelmed to do so.
"And hence I decided, I would play safe, play wise this time and not risk you even being so much as conscious. I'm not so much of a risk taker. So yeah! Here's what's gonna happen. You'll marry me and we'll have six children and we'll live happily ever after."
"Six?!" I yelled, half laughing, half crying.
He furrowed his brows. "Don't get so greedy now, love. We wouldn't be able to handle more than six Vittorias." He feigned dread.
My frail hand gripped him tighter. That moment I needed nothing more than just him by my side. I suddenly felt so grateful to have someone love me like that. Everything that happened in the past disappeared. Now onwards it was just him and me.
"Oh, Vittoria." He sighed, bending down to press his lips over my forehead and letting them linger there for a fairly long second. I felt a hot tear roll down my neck.
"I love you, Vittoria." He said, stroking my cheek with the back of his hand. "I was so afraid I'd never get to say that to you again."
His words sounded unclear from crying. It broke my heart. "I love you more."
Just then, my mind went back to what happened earlier. My breathing got faster and an abiding fear laced my heart.
"Rafael! How's Toby?" I panted, struggling to breathe. "H-he was stabbed-"
"Toby is okay. Please calm down Vittoria. Relax. Just breathe." He said urgently, looking terrified.
"You're not lying, are you?"
"No I'm not. He's okay. Everyone is okay."
I felt like I could breathe again. "How long have I been out?"
"Two days." He replied.
Holy fuck! Two days!
Which meant today was apparently their wedding day. Camila's birthday!
Camila! That bitch!
"Raf-"
The soft knocking on the door interrupted me. Martha walked in holding a tray. "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to leave, dear. She needs to rest."
His face dropped but he didn't protest.
"No wait, I need to tell you something."
"It can wait, Vittoria."
"No it can't."
"No arguments. It's time for your medicines." Martha said in a strict tone.
Rafael cast me a sorrowful look before moving out, not wanting to leave. I didn't want him to either.
"You're a very strong girl, Vittoria." Martha helped me up in a sitting position and handed me a glass of water. "And lucky." She added after a while. "He did didn't leave even for a second."
"He was here for two days straight?" I exclaimed, my action causing the bullet wound to hurt a little. The painkillers' effect was slowly receding.
I felt so guilty for causing Rafael so much pain. He wasn't taking care of himself. He looked so exhausted and wrecked.
All of it because of that disgusting excuse for a human.
•••••••
"Harri boy. Finally!"
He closed the distance, smiling down at me. "How are you, princess?"
"I've been better."
He looked behind occasionally throwing anxious looks at the door. "Your brothers have asked me to call them as soon as we were allowed to visit you again but I've sneaked my way in because I know they'll eat up all the time and I won't be able to see you again."
"You did the right thing." I giggled.
"You scared us all, Vittoria." The mischievous spark in his bluish grey eyes died. My smile faded. The happy aura vanished. A pensive silence took over the air around us and just when he opened his mouth to speak, the door opened with a massive propulsion.
And Camila stormed in.
"I need you to leave, ma'am." Harri tried his best to keep his calm.
"Out." She awarded him nothing more than a flick of her fingers, making my blood boil.
Where's there scalpel? Her throat is right here.
"I think I was quite audible, Harrison."
"I've got orders to stay here. I'm not leaving." He said with finality.
"Happy birthday, Camila." I smiled in the most sickeningly sweet manner. I bet no fucking one had wished her yet.
I woke up on her birthday! Just the kind of gift she wanted.
"Harrison! Leave!" She ignored my comment.
He simply shot her a nonchalant look, clearly conveying his answer.
"Why are you here, Camila?" I seethed. "To finish a half left job?"
The obstinate arrogance shifted to a tremor carrying fear which was so evident in her eyes. She cast a quivering look at Harri behind her, quickly gesturing me a shh.
"How long will you hide your real self, Camila?"
She abruptly bent down. "Imagine what will happen if the twins knew it was Rafael who killed their parents. Will destroy their relationship forever, don't you think?" She whispered menacingly.
She did not just say that.
"You know what to do, Vittoria." A sly smile plastered over her unnatural face.
"So you're gonna break all levels, aren't you?" I whispered back, making sure Harri didn't hear us.
I gave in. Winning against her wasn't more important than them.
"I won't be surprised if you pulled off one of the plugs or poisoned my meds."
The darkness in her forest eyes increased tenfold. "You have no idea how much I want you dead." Then suddenly, those very same eyes softened, looking far away. "But I won't repeat them same mistake again. I can't hurt him like this. He was devastated." She mumbled, not sure she was talking to me or herself.
Now She cares about Rafael? Pathetic!
"Camila?" Oliver's startled eyes switched between us and then directed towards Harri who shrugged lightly, shaking his head. "Leave before Mason sees you here. I won't be able to save you everytime." He said, pitching his concerned eyes out at the corridor.
"I- I just wanted to see my sister, Oliver. I'm sorry I'd forgotten you see me as a monster. I'll leave."
Harri scoffed, rolling his eyes.
Oliver shut his eyes for a brief moment, feeling frustrated. "I'm sorry I didn't mean it that way. I just don't want any more problems." He sighed.
"Got it. I'm gone." She pushed open the door, then stopped and turned back at me as if warning me about the consequences of telling the truth. Satisfied with herself, she left after a second.
"I'll leave you two alone." Harris bowed down slightly and left after passing me an assuring smile.
"Muffin." Oliver placed my hand between both of his own. "I was so scared, sweetheart." His voice broke and then he couldn't speak anything at all.
I felt a pain, more severe than the bullet wound seeing him like that. I was swamped by the feeling of gratefulness for having such people who were scared of losing me. I mattered to them as much as they did to me.
I felt like I'd won at life. I didn't need anything else. I had what only the most lucky of all had— good people.
"Oliver." I sighed. "How long do I have to stay here?"
"At least a week more. You need medical supervision. You kinda..you know..died for a second or so."
"Eek! Really? Wow!"
Honey brown snapped at me in clear distaste. "Wow?"
"I'm sorry." I blurted, mustering the most innocent look.
But hey, you don't die everyday. I ought to find it fascinating.
A few more minutes passed by in pointless chats and convincing Ollie to marry Alli so that we can all marry im wholesale and hence save a lot of money.
But he said he was a rich man.
"In fact, we should even ask Travis and Andrew to join us. Even they're marrying soon." I laughed, thinking how this was going to turn into a marriage season.
Something changed. His short lived relaxed demeanor switched to the normal tensed one.
"What's wrong, Oliver?"
"Nothing." He replied before I even completed. "I'm just a little tired. Haven't really slept for two days."
Something told me it wasn't just that. But I didn't push. He genuinely looked exhausted.
"Aww I'm sorry. Go home and rest. And tell your infuriating bestie to take some rest. Strap him to the bed if necessary."
"I'll make sure he rests. And so should you. Take care. And don't stress yourself out. Get some sleep." He kissed my forehead and got up begrudgingly to leave.
"Hey grandpa!"
"Yes?" He stopped and turned around.
"Once I'm back home, you me and Masey will go shopping."
"Sure thing, muffin."
•••••••
"Bye Martha. Thank you so much for taking care of me."
It was finally the day I was getting my discharge and oh, I could't wait to go home. I had been in here for ten days now and as little Nia told me over face time, the hospital food was ew!
"No problem, dear. It's my job. You take care of yourself alright?" She smiled.
I nodded, thanking god for having her as my assigned nurse. She made my stay here so much tolerable or else I'd have died again of boredom.
"I'm done with the discharge papers. You ready to go?" Mason announced, helping me to get up in spite of me telling him I can do that on my own.
"Yep!"
"Bye bye Martha." He waved at the lady and we were out of the hospital in a matter of minutes with Mase and Rafael holding me from both the sides, making me feel more like a prisoner than a recovered patient.
"Might as well pick me up." My eyes did a three sixty degree, muttering the statement under my breath.
Rafael stopped. And so this the comical entourage of the three of us.
"Your wish, my command." He smirked and a very embarasssing sounding screech fell from my lips as the ground below my feet vanished.
"Rafael! Put me down!"
"Nope." He shook his head arrogantly.
"You two are so cringey. I'm gone. Bye." Mason twisted his jaw, pretending to throw up. "I'm not with them." The idiot yelled in the parking lot and ran to his car, attracting more attention towards us like we didn't have enough already.
Every single pair of eyes gawked at us, some giggling while some pointing their fingers at us.
Rafael Grayson was officially the most insane man alive who shouldn't be allowed to roam freely on the streets considering his madness which was a threat to people's lives, especially MINE!
"Rafael! People are watching!"
"Aa they should." Came his scornful reply. "I have a bad habit of showing off my priceless possession that only I can afford."
I kicked my legs in the air, hiding my red turned face into his chest to escape everyone's gazes.
This agonizingly sexy man on the other hand was enjoying my state of embarrassment. "You look like-"
"A tomato's evil twin. I know." I grumbled.
Where's did he park his car? A thousand miles away?
Just when I thought this couldn't get any worse, a horde of paparazzi came runs towards us like they were broke teenagers and we were selling fucking free pizzas.
Rafael tensed. So did I. But I tried to not show it on my face. He put me down and thankfully the car was just at a distance.
But they caught up on us. I could feel my anxiety building as they ambushed us. Rafael hand instantly wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me protectively close to him.
"Mr Grayson, is it true that you've ditched your fiancée again?"
"What was the attack about?"
"What is your relationship with the new model?"
All kinds of questions flew around— right from me being Oliver's sister to me using Liam as a rebound. How I had to bite back the urge to smash their cameras and mic on their face.
"It's okay, relax. Don't listen to them." Rafael whispered, giving my arm a slight squeeze in response to me tightening my grip around his torso.
I tried to ignore it but after a point it became too much. Today was the day I realized that I was the most hated person— a homewrecker who took everything away from her sister.
"Move." Rafael commanded in a threatening tone.
"Do you think you deserve everything you've taken from someone, Vittoria?"
Rafael halted all of a sudden. His abrupt move even got me startled for a second and then, utterly worried. This was about to turn ugly.
"What did you address her as?" Rafael gritted, his tone calm but the threat overtly visible even to their reporter.
She stepped back gulping in fear but didn't go away. A sudden silence dropped around us.
I just witnessed the power of Rafael Grayson.
Did I really mess with this man once upon a time?
His hand unfurled from my shoulder and reached down to interlace it with my fingers, a subtle indication towards the ring on my finger.
"It's soon to be Mrs Grayson and I demand respect for my wife." He stated in a tone that couldn't egress more than some appalled whispers from the flock of reporters.
But all I could focus on was Mrs Grayson.
It did more things than just please my ears with the sound of it. It heaved me a glorious realization of the same mistake I was repeating.
I was again cowering away from the fear of people knowing about us like we did something wrong. And he was still fighting with the world for me. For us.
Alone.
But not anymore.
I stepped forward, looking dead into the reporter's eyes, sweeping a confident gaze steadily into every camera.
"To answer your question, no. I don't deserve anything that belonged to my sister."
"Vittoria." Rafael's fingers brushed lightly over my face, tucking a stay strand of hair behind my ear. "You're not answerable to anyone."
"I'm not. But I want to answer this time." I turned back to face the crowd. "Where was I? Yep, so no, I don't deserve anything that belonged to my someone else. In fact no one does. But these 'things' under scrutiny aren't actually things but people— people who love me and whom I love back with all my heart especially this person right here. And as long as it's about him, then yes I deserve him because no one can love him more than I do."
That was it. Right in the entire world's face.
That's my man. And I'm proud of him.
"Now because you guys have been so good to me, the least I can do for you is give you some content worthy enough to raise your salaries so..."
I pulled Rafael down to my height and kissed him for the entire world to see, flipping the camera my precious middle finger.
Vittoria: You wanted me alive. I'm alive. Now vote and comment please. Thank you.
Mason: *pacing around anxiously*
Liam: Hey bro, what's wrong?
Mason: *dramatic side eye* You're asking me what's wrong? Its just five fucking more chapters remaining and I'm nowhere even close to finding the visitant. Or the second account of this mean author.
Toby: Oh but what about the smart reader @vzellvasz who predicted an account?
Oliver: Unfortunately, that wasn't correct. But that was a very good try.
Rafael: At least give us a sign.
Author: I gave so many signs, so many times.....
Mason: *very close to hitting the author on her skull* Can you stop singing Taylor Swift lines! You're dying to be at the Eras Tour. We get it!!!!!
Rafael: *mumbles to himself* So am I. But the tickets are too expensive.
Everyone: Excuse me, what?????