Post by Robb (Owner) on Nov 22, 2024 15:39:44 GMT -8
The hospital room felt colder than Gavin expected. Maybe it was the hum of the machines, the sterile white walls, or the way his stomach twisted into knots the second he stepped through the door. His breath caught when he saw her—Sophie. His little sister. She looked so small in that hospital bed, so fragile, even though he knew she was anything but.
For a moment, he stood frozen, his hand gripping the doorframe like it might hold him steady. He hadn’t realized how much seeing her like this would hit him. The bandage on her forehead, the bruising around her temple—it made his chest ache. That was his fault. His stomach churned, guilt clawing at his insides.
She turned her head toward him, her tired eyes locking onto his. Despite everything, she gave him a faint, weary smile.
“Hey, Gav,” she said softly, her voice hoarse but warm. “Took you long enough.”
Her words pulled a breathy, almost broken laugh from him as he finally stepped inside. “Yeah, well… had to argue my way past your guard dog out there.” He stopped at the foot of her bed, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. “Lukas really doesn’t want me here.”
Sophie’s smile faded slightly, and she looked down at the blanket draped over her. “I told him to let you in. You’re my brother, Gavin.”
He nodded, his jaw tightening. “Yeah. And that used to mean something to him.”
The silence that followed felt like it stretched forever. Gavin swallowed hard and finally stepped closer, pulling the chair Lukas had been sitting in earlier closer to the bed. He sat down heavily, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together.
“You look like shit,” he said, his voice cracking slightly despite the attempt at humor.
Sophie rolled her eyes, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “Pot, meet kettle.”
He huffed out a breath, shaking his head. “Yeah, guess I deserve that.”
For a moment, the room was quiet except for the steady beeping of the heart monitor. Gavin’s leg bounced nervously, his hands fidgeting as he tried to find the right words. When he finally spoke, his voice was raw, unsteady.
“Soph, I…” He hesitated, his throat tightening. “I’m sorry. For all of it. For the chair, for you getting hurt, for the mess this turned into. I never meant for any of this to happen. You have to know that.”
“I know, Gavin,” she said softly, her voice steady but tired. “It was an accident.”
“But it doesn’t matter, does it?” He looked at her, his eyes glistening. “Because you’re still lying here, hurt, and Lukas…” He paused, shaking his head. “Lukas is ready to burn everything down over it. Over me. And maybe… maybe I am too.”
Her eyes widened slightly, her lips parting as if to speak, but he cut her off. “I don’t know if I can fix this, Soph. I don’t know if I even want to. The things he’s said, the things he’s done…” His voice cracked, and he looked away, his hands trembling. “We’ve been best friends since we were kids. I thought there was nothing that could break that. But now? I don’t know.”
Sophie reached out, her hand brushing against his. He looked down at it, his throat tightening even more. “Gav…”
“I get it if you take his side,” he said quickly, his voice sharp with emotion. “He’s your husband. He’s supposed to be your person. I get that. And I won’t hold it against you. But I can’t sit here and promise you that I’m not going to go after him. I can’t make that promise, Sophie. Not after—” His voice broke completely, and he dropped his head into his hands, rubbing at his face like he could erase the tears forming there.
“Not after he left me there,” he continued, his voice muffled but full of pain. “Not after he took you and left me like I didn’t matter. Like I was nothing.”
Tears slipped down Sophie’s face, and she tightened her grip on his hand, though it still felt weak. “Gav, you’re not nothing. You never were. You’re my brother. And I know Lukas hurt you, but… you both hurt each other.”
“I didn’t mean to!” he snapped, his voice cracking with frustration before softening again. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Soph. You have to believe me. I’d never—God, I’d never…”
“I know,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I know, Gavin. I believe you.”
He finally lifted his head to look at her, his face streaked with tears. “I just… I don’t know how to do this. How to fix it. Or if it even can be fixed.”
Sophie squeezed his hand again, her own tears falling freely now. “We’ll figure it out,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “One way or another. But Gavin… don’t let this destroy you. Please. You’ve been through too much. Don’t let this break you.”
He let out a shaky breath, nodding as he wiped at his face. “I’ll try. For you, Soph. I’ll try.”
“I love you, Gav,” she said softly. “No matter what.”
“I love you too,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “More than anything. I’m so sorry you’re caught in the middle of this.”
She gave him a faint smile through her tears. “I’ll survive. I always do. I’m your sister, after all.”
That pulled a soft, watery laugh from him, and for the first time since walking into the room, the tension in his chest eased just a little. They weren’t okay—not yet. But they were still standing. And for now, that had to be enough.
For a moment, he stood frozen, his hand gripping the doorframe like it might hold him steady. He hadn’t realized how much seeing her like this would hit him. The bandage on her forehead, the bruising around her temple—it made his chest ache. That was his fault. His stomach churned, guilt clawing at his insides.
She turned her head toward him, her tired eyes locking onto his. Despite everything, she gave him a faint, weary smile.
“Hey, Gav,” she said softly, her voice hoarse but warm. “Took you long enough.”
Her words pulled a breathy, almost broken laugh from him as he finally stepped inside. “Yeah, well… had to argue my way past your guard dog out there.” He stopped at the foot of her bed, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. “Lukas really doesn’t want me here.”
Sophie’s smile faded slightly, and she looked down at the blanket draped over her. “I told him to let you in. You’re my brother, Gavin.”
He nodded, his jaw tightening. “Yeah. And that used to mean something to him.”
The silence that followed felt like it stretched forever. Gavin swallowed hard and finally stepped closer, pulling the chair Lukas had been sitting in earlier closer to the bed. He sat down heavily, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together.
“You look like shit,” he said, his voice cracking slightly despite the attempt at humor.
Sophie rolled her eyes, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “Pot, meet kettle.”
He huffed out a breath, shaking his head. “Yeah, guess I deserve that.”
For a moment, the room was quiet except for the steady beeping of the heart monitor. Gavin’s leg bounced nervously, his hands fidgeting as he tried to find the right words. When he finally spoke, his voice was raw, unsteady.
“Soph, I…” He hesitated, his throat tightening. “I’m sorry. For all of it. For the chair, for you getting hurt, for the mess this turned into. I never meant for any of this to happen. You have to know that.”
“I know, Gavin,” she said softly, her voice steady but tired. “It was an accident.”
“But it doesn’t matter, does it?” He looked at her, his eyes glistening. “Because you’re still lying here, hurt, and Lukas…” He paused, shaking his head. “Lukas is ready to burn everything down over it. Over me. And maybe… maybe I am too.”
Her eyes widened slightly, her lips parting as if to speak, but he cut her off. “I don’t know if I can fix this, Soph. I don’t know if I even want to. The things he’s said, the things he’s done…” His voice cracked, and he looked away, his hands trembling. “We’ve been best friends since we were kids. I thought there was nothing that could break that. But now? I don’t know.”
Sophie reached out, her hand brushing against his. He looked down at it, his throat tightening even more. “Gav…”
“I get it if you take his side,” he said quickly, his voice sharp with emotion. “He’s your husband. He’s supposed to be your person. I get that. And I won’t hold it against you. But I can’t sit here and promise you that I’m not going to go after him. I can’t make that promise, Sophie. Not after—” His voice broke completely, and he dropped his head into his hands, rubbing at his face like he could erase the tears forming there.
“Not after he left me there,” he continued, his voice muffled but full of pain. “Not after he took you and left me like I didn’t matter. Like I was nothing.”
Tears slipped down Sophie’s face, and she tightened her grip on his hand, though it still felt weak. “Gav, you’re not nothing. You never were. You’re my brother. And I know Lukas hurt you, but… you both hurt each other.”
“I didn’t mean to!” he snapped, his voice cracking with frustration before softening again. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Soph. You have to believe me. I’d never—God, I’d never…”
“I know,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I know, Gavin. I believe you.”
He finally lifted his head to look at her, his face streaked with tears. “I just… I don’t know how to do this. How to fix it. Or if it even can be fixed.”
Sophie squeezed his hand again, her own tears falling freely now. “We’ll figure it out,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “One way or another. But Gavin… don’t let this destroy you. Please. You’ve been through too much. Don’t let this break you.”
He let out a shaky breath, nodding as he wiped at his face. “I’ll try. For you, Soph. I’ll try.”
“I love you, Gav,” she said softly. “No matter what.”
“I love you too,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “More than anything. I’m so sorry you’re caught in the middle of this.”
She gave him a faint smile through her tears. “I’ll survive. I always do. I’m your sister, after all.”
That pulled a soft, watery laugh from him, and for the first time since walking into the room, the tension in his chest eased just a little. They weren’t okay—not yet. But they were still standing. And for now, that had to be enough.