AUTHOR’S POV
BEFORE SUNSET, SYDNEY’S head injury was catered to, and her head was wrapped in a bandaid. She’d been lucky Doctor Natasha was still on duty when she arrived since the other doctors were adamant about attending to her.
The morning sun ray found its way through her closed eyelids causing her to stir and turn till her eyes were open.
Yawning and wincing at the same time, Sydney sat up sorely. She glanced at Ethan who was sleeping in the hospital chair next to her bed. Relief washed over her knowing he didn’t run away.
The ward door opened, and Sofia walked in; when she saw Sydney conscious, she heaved a sigh of relief.
” Thank God, you are awake,” Sofia said softly, so Ethan wouldn’t wake up.
A grim smile tugged her succulent lips as she sat beside Sydney.
She had seen the news before Ethan called. She had been to Sydney’s house quite a few times after Avery moved in. It made her shrivel knowing Mr. Reed would cheat on his wife and not just with any woman, with her best friend.
What did Avery have that Sydney didn’t? Sydney was the most endearing and undaunted woman Sofia knew.
Her ability to hide her pains and handle things with dexterity perplexed Sofia greatly. Sofia felt a twinge of guilt that she wasn’t able to expose Avery on time.
She couldn’t hold her tears.
” I’m sorry Sydney. You don’t deserve any of this.”
” Sof- Sofia, what are you doing?” Sydney asked in shock.
She tried to move but pain struck her body immensely.
” You are a good woman, Sydney; you don’t deserve to suffer this way. If only I had done something earlier when I found out Avery was up to no good.”
Sydney cut in abruptly with a slight grimace. ” Don’t blame yourself. You warned me, but I was too pig-ignorant to listen.”
Sofia held Sydney’s hand affectionately. Sydney was like an older sister to her. She treated her like she was her own blood, and it hurt Sofia to see her this way.
“Even though Sydney, I could have tried-”
” Sofia, that’s enough; if you blame yourself again, I’ll get mad at you.”
” But Mrs. Reed-”
” Please, Sofia, stop; I don’t want to think about any of that. It doesn’t bother me anymore.” Sydney half-lied.
No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she felt hurt seeing Avery and Gavin together.
By the time the nurses came to check up on Sydney and left, Ethan was awake and next to his mother. Sydney was happy he finally stopped giving her the cold shoulder. He kept on saying he was sorry till Sydney managed to push the topic from her and into a lighter conversation.
Sydney asked him about school as she ran her hand through his curly hair.
” School is boring; everyone is just a pretender. I know they only talk to me because of who Daddy is, if I was some regular kid, no one would talk to me.” Ethan said frowning.
Sydney smiled meekly. ” Why would you say that? Kelly wasn’t your friend because of who your Daddy is.”
Ethan protested, ” That’s Kelly, she’s different. No one is like her and no one ever will. School makes me sick; sometimes I wish I was a wretched kid like Gorge Albert; at least he has real friends.”
If it was possible to disappear from the world for a day, Sydney would gladly take up the opportunity.
She understood Ethan clearly, she had been in the limelight all her life. Fake life. Fake friends. No one to fully trust. It ruined her beyond repair.
She thought maybe Ethan and Emily would like being in Gabriel’s house. No, they would love it! At least Emily would have something more interesting to look at than a two-hundred-page book.
But, she feared Ethan wouldn’t understand.
Sofia came into the ward with a plastic bag of takeouts when Sydney was playing hand games with Ethan. She couldn’t help but smile seeing them all jovial and giddy.
Her smile flattened when she said, ” Uh, Ethan, I forgot to get water. Could you fill the jug with some? The dispenser is down the hallway, take a right turn and then a left.”
When Sydney looked at Sofia, Sofia gave her a coded look, meaning she wanted to talk to her in private.
” But the jug is already filled with water,” Ethan said, frowning.
” Ethan, do as she says.”
” But mom, we are-”
” Ethan please, I don’t have the energy to shout.”
Ethan looked between Sofia and Sydney before walking out with risen anger.
Sofia sighed and quickly went to Sydney now with a worried expression.
” What’s it Sofia?”
” I’m sorry, Sydney, but your husband, Mr. Reed, is here.”
Sydney’s heart picked pace instantly. Gavin? What was he doing here? Did he come to check up on her? Did he care? No, he didn’t. The devil she had seen in his eyes the previous night made her know, he had lost all form of love towards her.
Her heart shattered at the thought but she kept an unfazed expression.
Gathering her wits, she spoke, ” So, why are you apologizing?”
Sofia hesitated. ” I called Blake a few hours before we arrived at the hospital; I was confused; I didn’t know what to do. I’m not good at handling emergencies on my own.”
Sydney looked more confused. She egged Sofia to continue.
” I didn’t have Gabriel’s number, so, I called Blake… He Um… didn’t want to give me Gabriel’s cell number till I told him what happened.”
Sofia fast-forwarded. ” My point is that Gabriel and Blake are coming. I saw them entering the hospital moments ago.”
While Sydney battled with what Sofia had said, Ethan strode through the white-tiled hallway of the hospital with an ugly expression on his face.
He reached the dispenser and began to fill the empty jug with clean ionized water. As he whistled a children’s song he learned from morning mass, his eyes descried a blonde girl in a wheelchair, trying to get out of a ward door but was stuck.
He closed the tap and headed to help her out but a nurse beat him to it.
” Violet, I warned you not to get out of your bed.” The male nurse chided.
The girl looked pale and gaunt almost without life. Ethan felt pity for her, she looked his age.
” I’m tired of sitting in bed all day, when will I be free? I want to return to school.”
” As soon as the cancer leaves you dear. I’m sorry, but we have no choice; it’s for the betterment of your health.” The nurse said wholesomely and wheeled her into the ward.
Her eyes met Ethan’s as she disappeared into the room.
Ethan wondered why children like him got a chance to walk and be healthy while others had to suffer. He was not a good child, he reckoned. He hurt his mother, he made her bleed and cry. He deserved to be the one in that wheelchair.
Children like him deserved to suffer. Suffer. Suffer. Suffer. They deserved to go to hell. Hell. Hell. Hell!
Ethan was too busy daydreaming that he didn’t realize when he walked into a stranger, causing the jug to tumble to the ground and break with a piece slicing his leg.
” I’m sorry, sir. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Ethan apologized quickly stepping away from the tall man.
The man, dressed in clothes that looked like he got them from black Friday sales, looked at Ethan with rage and impatience; when he saw the cut on his leg, his eyes softened.
” You should watch where you walk. That must hurt.”
His voice sounded faintly familiar. Lifting his head, Ethan met the man’s gaze.
Ethan’s gaze turned ferocious instantly. The man his mommy loved was here. He’s the same man that made her happy lately.
Gabriel’s eyes were slightly widened, seeing Sydney’s son. He cleared his dry throat before speaking.
” You’ll get an infection if you don’t get that stitched.” Gabriel made way for the carekeeper to sweep the broken glass.
” I’ll let it bleed.”
Gabriel’s lips curved into a small, surprised smile. Well, isn’t he as stubborn as his mother?
” You are the man that makes my mommy return home late?” Ethan said like he was the parent.
” I’ll answer your question if you follow me to get that stitched.”
Ethan opened his mouth to say something vile but shut it when he realized if he didn’t get treated, Sydney would get worried and start crying again. No, no.
Gabriel went to talk to Gil, who was flirting with a blushing nurse, before hesitantly going to the ward where Ethan was being treated.
The nurse gave Ethan some painkillers and left. Gabriel looked surprised. Kids Ethan’s age would cry an ocean getting a stitch, especially without being given a sedative.
Ethan looked at Gabriel with a scowl.
” You are here to see my mommy, aren’t you?” Ethan asked tightly.
” Yes, I am.”
” Why?”
” She’s unwell and I’m concerned about her.”
” You have no right to be, you aren’t her husband,” Ethan interjected.
” Do I need to be her husband to care about her? I’m concerned because I-”
Ethan was standing now, staring at Gabriel hotly. ” Like her. Covet her.”
Gabriel stared at Ethan, short of words. Where did he get that information from? Have they met before or what?
Nevertheless, Gabriel couldn’t deny it. He thought it was an understatement.
” Your stitch would open if you don’t sit and relax.”
Ethan crossed his arm around his chest. ” You are not my daddy, you won’t tell me what to do. My mommy doesn’t like you, she loves my Daddy, don’t try to brainwash her into liking you.”
” Are you done talking?”
Ethan’s brow furrowed. Wasn’t he going to bark a protest like his Daddy always does?
” Leave my ward,” Ethan ordered.
Gabriel smiled and shook his head. ” I’ll make sure I tell you, Mommy, you cut yourself.”
Ethan seethed. ” She’d get worried! You say you are concerned about her, so why would you want to make her worry?!”
” But, I thought I have no right to be concerned?”
Ethan’s jaw clenched as no words could come out of his mouth again. Gabriel smirked and headed for the door; he stopped midway and looked at Ethan.
” Don’t worry, I care too much about your mother to make her more worried. I won’t be a snitch.”
Not giving Ethan a chance to speak, Gabriel exited the ward, his expression turning bitter.