Christmas with the Gerard's

8

16 days till Christmas 

Yesterday went by in a blur.  

After showing Phoebe all the texts, I have been receiving from that unknown number, she went mental at me. She shouted and shouted until I had to shout at her to shup up. I didn’t need her calling me irresponsible for not telling someone about the threatening texts before. I knew I had been stupid, but I didn’t want to bring my problems to my family, I thought I was protecting them, instead, my bad judgement had put my brother in hospital.  

As I sat by his bed side, where he lay, covered in bruises, wires and tubes poking in and out of his face and torso, I wiped my silent tears away.  

“I’m so sorry T, this is all my fault. “I sighed and squeezed his hand in hopes he would squeeze it back, but Theo was in a medical induced coma. The damage to his face and skull were greater than what the paramedics had thought at the scene, when he arrived yesterday, doctors ran mri’s and cat scans and all sorts of tests. Theo had a small bleed in the brain, from the blunt trauma wound he received to the back of his head. The doctors operated on him and stopped the bleed fast enough to stop any permanent damage, but his body was working too hard to recover, putting strain on his heart and brain, so an induced coma, gave his brain and heart a rest. They plan to wake him up in a week’s time. They say that should be enough time for his body to recover. The internal bleeding on his abdominal cavity was also easy to stop with key hole surgery, and his shoulder was indeed dislocated, the doctors had no trouble popping that back in. I leaned my head on the bed, his hand firmly clasped in mine next to my cheek, and sobbed silently, I must have dozed off, because when I opened my eyes, I could hear a soft whispering voice, I stayed very still, listening in. Colton’s voice was a soft whisper, like he was scared to let it out. Tears pooled in my eyes at his words. 

“I'm so sorry mate, if I hadn’t left you there alone none of this would have happened. It should be me in this bed, not you. I was the one who hit that piece of s**t, yet you are the one paying for it. “He blames himself. But in truth it really is all my fault. He beat Tomas up because of me. I slowly lifted my head up and watches as his eyes narrow on me. “How long have you been awake Cordelia?” He asks wiping his cheek. He never ever calls me Cordelia. Not even when he caught me smoking at fourteen. 

“It’s not your fault Col.” I whisper. He looks at me and crosses his arms over his chest, his arms bulge out of the tight black cotton t shirt he is wearing. My gaze traces the inky tendrils of his tattoo that peaks from the hem of his sleeve. His eyes follow mine and he pulls his sleeve down, I look up at him and press my lips together in a firm line. Why is he hiding it from me? It’s not like I didn’t see it when he was topless in my kitchen. Although, I didn’t really pay much attention to it then. He clears his throat and I blush.  

“It is my fault. If I wasn’t in such a rush to get ready to go pick you up, I wouldn’t have left him alone, if I was with him, I could have helped him escape.” His voice is full of pain and regret. Tears slowly fall down my cheeks and I wipe them away furiously. “It’s not your fault, it’s mine.” I shout angrily at him. I stand abruptly and drop Theo’s limp hand on his bed carelessly. I fish my phone from my bag and hand it to Colton. 

“It’s all my fault. Here. Read these!!” I throw my phone onto his lap and run out of the room. Not once looking back. I need a coffee but I have left my bag in Theo’s room. I end up sitting on the cold floor of the corridor outside the neo natal unit, staring out the window, watching the rain drops race down the glass. They fall as hard as my tears and slide as slow as them too. 

*Colton POV* 

I am left stunned by her confession. What could possibly make her think this is her fault? It’s my fault, I beat that low life up, I made sure to put a target on my back and to get his revenge, he went for Theo. My best mate, I look at him, laying in motionless in his hospital gown, he would hate it, it’s loose and ugly, and Theo is a man who likes to dress nicely, I smile softly at that thought, when D’s phone vibrates in my lap. I pick it up unsure of whether I should read the text she just received or not, but she gave it to me to read something. I pick up her phone and unlock it, silly girl doesn’t have a password or code on it?! The texts are already open to an unknown sender. I scroll through them, my stomach sinking further and further as I read them. Who the f**k has been texting her these? These started the week before she came back home. Can it be related to her homecoming? Is it someone from here? An ex-boyfriend maybe? That's stupid, her only boyfriend was Tomas, and he didn’t have her number before Monday night. Who else could benefit from trying to scare her away from home? I grunt in frustration as I read the incoming text. It’s from her friend Phoebe. 

*Hey Delia. How is he? Colton said he was heading up there to see him and I know you didn’t want to cross paths with him, hope this doesn’t come too late. Love you. *  

Why would she want to avoid me? s**t, she heard me telling Theo about meeting her. Maybe she thinks I regret asking her out. I don’t, I just regret leaving Theo alone three f*****g hours before my lunch with her. I could have waited, I didn’t really need to go change, I know D would have appreciated me in my black suit, white shirt and black tie. I left because I was nervous. I mean, how do you tell the girl that grew up being called ‘Little Sister’ that you have a crush on her? The doors creaks open slowly and Delia walks in, her face red a blotchy from the tears and I immediately rush to her side, I wrap my arms around her small frame and her head nestles sweetly under my chin, her face buried between my pecs, she sniffles and hiccups and I squeeze her a bit harder. I softly kiss the top of her head and inhale her smell, her hair smells of coconut, I never liked the smell of coconut until now. I rest my cheek on the top of her head and she pats my back, I chuckle and squeeze her harder into me, she slaps my back harder and I hear a muffled “Can’t... Fucking... Breathe...Let me go!” So, I loosen my hold and she leans backward, her head raised so she can look me in the eyes, a sad smile is on her beautiful lips and I can’t help but lick mine. Her eyes follow my tongue and hers darts out her mouth and copies my movements. She gasps when my arm wraps around her waist, pulling her body closer to mine, while my hand reaches for the back of her back, holding her firm. I lean my head down and her eyes widen “Col... What are you doing?” She whispers and I silence her by pressing my lips to hers. Slowly at first, and then I nip on her bottom lip, but she doesn’t gasp. Instead, she bites my bottom lip and when I gasp, she pushes me away. I let her go, my arms feeling cold without her body trapped by them. She just stands there looking at me. Not a word is said for what seems like hours. I open my mouth to say sorry but the voice we hear isn't mine.  

“Get a room you pervs!” We both turn and watch as Theo tries to sit up, coughing. The door swings open at that moment and Sally, Theo’s ex walks in.  

“Theo baby, you’re awake.” She exclaims as she walks to his bed side. I look her up and down and notice what I think Delia has also noticed judging by the loud gasp I just heard from her.  

“Sally?”  Theo asks, his voice croaky “What are you doing here?” He coughs again and Delia rushes to his bedside opposite Sally and gets him a glass of water. “Slowly” She whispers to him as she raises the plastic cup to his lips. He swallows the water slowly, his Adam's apple bopping with the movement. He looks at Sally, confusion marring his face. She giggles and rubs her protruding stomach.  

“You’re going to be a daddy, I had to come see if you were alive or not! You ain’t leaving me with a child on my own with no job!”