Chapter 158 – Nathan
–CHRISTY’S POV–
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The beeping was the first thing I noticed. Soft, steady, annoying. It tugged me awake like someone was tapping on my skull over and over again.
Then the pain followed. A dull, pounding ache at the back of my head that throbbed with every heartbeat. I tried to move and instantly regretted it. My whole body felt like it had been slammed into a wall. Which might have actually happened. Yeah. Pretty much.
I opened my eyes slowly, squinting against the bright lights. above me.
A hospital. I was in a hospital.
Why would they make hospital rooms so damn bright? Weren’t patients supposed to rest?
I looked down at my arms. Tubes. IVs. I looked around. Machines. Monitors. A cup of water with a straw.
What the hell had even happened?
Last thing I remembered, I was at prom. Sad that Nathan never asked me out. And then–
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Chapter 158 – Nathan
My heart raced.
The girls‘ washroom. The sound of a gun outside. Sheila. Warner. And Blake.
He looked like a monster.
I’d hidden behind Lia like a child.
My head had hit something hard. Darkness followed.
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I blinked fast, trying to get rid of the sudden rush of nausea that came with it.
Lia.
Where was she?
gone
She’d been there. Blake had shoved me out of the way and after her. Taken her. And I’d just passed out like some useless extra in a horror movie.
“Lia,” I whispered, my voice barely a sound. My throat felt like it glass was lodged into it.
I tried to sit up again. Still a bad idea. The room spun and I sank back against the pillow, breathing slow.
That’s when I noticed I wasn’t alone.
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Chapter 158 – Nathan
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There was someone on the sofa in the corner. Curled up in a hoodie, long legs bent awkwardly to fit on the cushions, messy hair covering most of his face.
I stared for a few seconds, totally unsure I was seeing right.
Maybe I’d finally gone mad. Maybe I was hallucinating about the most incredible guy in the world. Maybe my heart simply wished to see him there, so it decided to imagine him.
Nathan?
I stared for a while, waiting for my vision to clear. For his face to change and turn into my brother’s. Maybe even my dad’s. But it didn’t happen.
It was Nathan. Nathan King. Captain of the soccer team. My lab partner for two semesters. My literal crush since ninth grade. The same guy who always treated me like a bro.
And now he was sleeping on a sofa in my hospital room like this was totally normal?
H
He shifted a little, his hoodie sliding down. Then he stretched and blinked awake, rubbing his face. His eyes met mine and he sal up fast.
“You’re awake,” he said, standing and walking over to my bed. “Oh thank God. Are you okay? Do you know where you are?”
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Chapter 158 – Nathan
“Hospital,” I croaked. “Why are you here?”
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He smiled, a little sheepishly. “Zane brought you to the gym. Said he found you unconscious near the washroom.”
It was inside the washroom, but yeah, minor details.
I blinked. “Prom?”
“Yeah. You were out cold, and he just carried you in like it was nothing. People freaked out. Some girl called an ambulance. Then he… left.”
Of course he did. He had to go after her.
Nathan held out the water for me. I took it and sipped slowly, my hands still shaking. It helped a little, but my throat still felt weird.
“I stayed with you ‘til they moved you here,” he said quietly. “Didn’t want you to be alone.”
I stared at him, completely confused. “But… you could’ve just called my dad and left. Why didn’t you?”
He stared at me, and for a moment, I thought his gaze softened. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. And your dad would be busy gelling medicines and stuff, so I thought I might just… stay.”
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Chapter 158 – Nathan
I couldn’t form words.
That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me.
Okay, maybe not. But it was Nathan freaking King! I was allowed to freak out.
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He rubbed the back of his neck, like he was almost embarrassed. “I was worried. You looked really bad, Christy. I didn’t want you to wake up alone. And also…”
He hesitated, his expression shifting.
“Also what?” I asked.
Say it, Nathan. You’ve been in love with me forever. You want to marry me. You want to make me yours.
He looked around like he wasn’t sure if it was safe to say whatever he was about to.
I held my breath in anticipation.
“When Zane brought you in… he looked weird.”
Now I froze.
“Weird? How?”
Nathan leaned closer. “His eyes. I swear to god, they turned
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Chapter 158 – Nathan
About Lia.
Blake had taken her.
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I was sure Zane wouldn’t let her get hurt, but what if he was too late?
What if something had happened?
Nathan sat down beside me, watching me closely.
“I think we should report it,” he said. “Whatever’s going on with Zane, people need to know. He could be dangerous.”
Ah, crap.
Now how the hell do I convince him not to?
