“Are you crazy?” he yelled at her.
She didn’t stop kicking, trying to set herself free. “Let go of me!”
Melissa and Jessica stepped out into the hallway and called the nurses, screaming about a lunatic who had choked me. I just hoped the security would come soon and take Natalie away, who completely lost it, screaming obscenities at all of us.
“You’re all so wrong! She doesn’t deserve to live!”
The nurses rushed in as Mateo fought to keep Natalie in place, followed by the security guys. They grabbed a hold of her, mentioning that the police were already on their way, and dragged her out of the room.
I gripped the edge of my bed and placed my hand over my sore neck, my adrenaline fading and giving space to intense pain in all parts of my body. The nurse leaned toward me and inspected my neck.
“The doctor will come to check for injuries any minute. Do you have difficulty breathing?”
I drew a deep breath and exhaled it. “No. But my neck feels sore.”
She nodded. “Make sure you mention that to the doctor. You should rest now and try to move as little as possible.” She placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head. “It’s unbelievable that this went down in a hospital—of all places! Anyway, the police officers should arrive soon.” She looked at my friends. “I think they will need your statements too.”
“That’s not a problem,” Mateo said.
I sighed when the nurse left my room, done in. “Thank you,” I said to Mateo, unbelievably grateful to him and also ashamed because he had to witness this craziness.
“When I saw her choking you, I thought it was too late.” He placed his hand on my shoulder with a gentle smile. “But you’re okay now, and that’s all that matters.”
Jessica moved to the other side of my bed and hugged me, careful not to hurt me. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Melissa stopped next to Jessica and took my hand. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay. All thanks to you guys.”
“I couldn’t even imagine Natalie would be this crazy,” Jessica said. “I knew she was bad, but this? Trying to kill you? That’s sick. She’s as crazy as Josh!”
“Why did she do this?” Melissa asked me.
I told them what happened with Josh and mentioned it was Natalie who had conspired with him to kill me as a part of her revenge. I had to tell Melissa and Mateo about Kayden and my role in the car accident, so they could understand the whole story. They were shocked, to say the least.
I still couldn’t come to terms that Josh had tried to kill me and Hayden, but to see Natalie come here, of all places, was even more difficult to grasp. It was outrageous.
Jessica was particularly surprised by Hayden’s role on Saturday evening, wondering what had made him come to my rescue. I couldn’t tell her the real reason, though; not when Mateo was here.
And Mateo... Oh, I felt awful that he had to witness and hear all of that. We hadn’t even had our first kiss, but here he was—staying by my side despite all the mess that was my life.
What was he thinking about me now? Did he regret coming here?
I wouldn’t blame him. My difficult past wasn’t something I should’ve bothered him with.
It didn’t take long for the doctor to arrive. He assured me the injury to my neck wouldn’t leave long-term consequences and left us to talk with the police officers, who had come in the meantime and took our statements. I hated that I had to go through this ordeal again and involve my friends, but at least Natalie would get punished for all the things she’d done.
The officers went on their way, and the atmosphere in the room became somewhat lighter. Jessica had already picked up Mateo’s bouquet from the floor and put the flowers in the vase the nurse had brought her.
“I hope you like it,” Mateo said, and tears welled in my eyes. The bouquet was huge, filled with various beautiful flowers of different colors, small wooden decorations, and glittery dust sprinkled all over it. It was one of the prettiest flower arrangements I’d ever seen.
This was the first time I’d ever received flowers, and even if they had been the simplest flowers put together without any arrangement at all, I would’ve loved it. I was touched.
I looked at my new friends, and my heart inflated with happiness. I’d gained so much in such a short time. Just one month ago, I didn’t have anyone, but now I had Jessica, Melissa, and Mateo. They were here, and they cared about me.
That was some progress, right? No matter how long this would last or wherever we were going to be tomorrow, all that mattered was here and now, and having them here was more than enough for me.
“I’m sorry for worrying you,” I told them.
“Come on, girl! What are friends for?” Melissa said. “I promise we’ll throw a party when you get out of the hospital. Just you wait. Things will be amazing when I organize them, just like me.” She winked at me, and I laughed, wondering how I could’ve misjudged her so much in the beginning. She was one of the best people I’d ever met.
The morning flew by with them. At noon, Melissa had to go to work, and Jessica decided to leave with her.
“How about you?” Melissa asked Mateo, who didn’t stand up from his chair next to my bed.
“I’ll stay here for a little while.” He smirked at me. “If that’s okay with you.” We all grew quiet, and I could feel my cheeks heating. I would stay all alone with Mateo...
“Of course. I...” I swallowed, willing myself to say how I really felt. “I’d like that.”
Melissa exchanged a knowing look with Jessica, and I already knew they would press me for details later. They waved at us and scurried out of the room, leaving us in sudden silence. I cleared my throat.
“Once again, thank you for helping me. You were always nice to me, and that means a lot.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I would do it again, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, okay?” He winked at me. “How do you feel?”
“I’m okay. I’m still a bit shocked, I think. I experienced first-hand how twisted Natalie is a long time ago, but I never thought she would come here and actually attempt to kill me... It feels weird saying someone tried to kill me... Anyway, I’m fine now.”
To my surprise, he took my hand and cradled it between his own, and my eyes fell on his hands. I followed the lines of his fingers, strong knuckles, and prominent veins that went up and under the sleeves of his shirt, and I couldn’t help but compare them to Hayden’s. Hayden had long and straight fingers, while Mateo had short fingers with small bulges in the mid section. Hayden’s palm was long, while Mateo’s resembled a square.
I continued to compare, and then I realized I should stop doing that. Hayden should stay in the past, but I was still letting him come into my present. I had to live in this moment. Mateo deserved more than this.
“Sarah, you’re definitely something else. You survived two murder attempts, and you’re still positive. You’re amazing.” I didn’t know how to respond to that, embarrassment coloring my cheeks. “From the first moment I saw you, something pulled me to you. You were so shy and quiet, which was refreshing.”
I bit into my lip, unsure if I liked what he’d just said. “Refreshing?”