Inevitable Ever After

Part 19

~ ♕ ~

My heart is so overwhelmed I can't keep up. I cry. Laugh through the tears. Hiss with pain after every sob.

There is so much pain.

My eyes are tied to the door of the hospital room. Wishing it to open again. Wishing for Jared to come back in.

He left. He is going home. What if he doesn't come back? Ever again. That is how the fairy tale of the seven raven goes, isn't it? After all the hardships the curse is broken and the brothers return to their family to live happily ever after together.

I am so stupid.

It never mattered if I fought the end of my story. I was always going to lose Jared. Because that's the end of his story.

He is gone.

"Oh, Sweetheart," Juliet says as she gently brushes a warm hand over my back. Her flower scent engulfs me.

Joy takes centre place of my emotions. It is clouded right after.

Amir stands in the corner of the hospital room, still and silent like a statue. He is much taller than I remember and his shoulders are beastly broad. Indeed, a monster of a man. His face is dark and hard, strong jaw in tension. His nose is slightly crooked, like broken in a fist fight and never properly corrected again.

Only the sweater he is wearing doesn't fit the image. It is pastel pink with an odd drawing on it.

"Wow, so I have to almost die to coax you out of your castle," I say before I can hold my tongue.

Juliet solves the embrace to sit back on the bed and look at me. Her dark hair are perfect waves, her brown eyes glitter with unshed tears sticking to long lashes. She gives me a smile with pouting lips. "I'm gonna let this one slide."

I try to look apologetic. I probably don't, so I lower my eyes.

To Juliet's sweater. It is also the pastel pink colour with another strange drawing. Up close, it looks hand knit.

"Darling, why don't you get us some coffee?" Juliet turns to her beast. "I think I saw a vending machine down the corridor."

Amir nods. "Caffee Late extra sweet and one black without sugar," he says with eyes gliding over Juliet and me respectively. She nods, but he hadn't actually asked a question. His tone was firm, certain, without doubts. "Be back in a minute."

As Amir leaves the room my shoulders relax.

"Why can't you just be happy for me?" Juliet shakes her head.

"I haven't even said anything."

"Didn't have to."

I look away.

To the wrong place. The chair Jared sat on stands empty now next to my bed, his absence is jarring. A bunch of black feathers lay on the floor around it. He was worried about me, wasn't he? Really worried. I should have just gone with that mood and pulled him in my bed to hug me. Cuddle me. Comfort me.

Now he never will.

My heart clenches.

Juliet's attention follows mine. "You always said Jared is a creature from hell, but he is actually a pretty sweet guy."

"Yeah."

"And cares about you a lot. He sounded about out of his mind when he called to tell me you had an accident."