Two days later Deb found herself, lying in a hospital bed. She blinked, then closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, and everything around her became clearer, she saw Mike, sitting in the chair اگلے to the bed.
She noticed he held a book in his hand. She realized what book it was. She would recognize it anywhere.
“No” she groaned desperately, and Mike’s eyes flew open. Deb’s hand reached out, and he wrongfully thought she was reaching out to him, so he took it.
“Hey” he کہا softly, and he stood, leaning over her. “Take it easy, okay. You’ve been through a lot”
“Mike, what are you-” she paused to keep her emotions in check. “What are آپ doing with that?” She nodded at the sketchbook.
Mike glanced at it.
“Your sister gave it to me” he said, slowly. “Your sister Annabel. I’m glad she did. It’s, eh, quite revealing”
Deb turned her head away, so Mike wouldn’t see the tears streaming over her cheeks.
“Did آپ really think I was going to hate آپ for that? How is any of this,” he held the book up, “your fault? Those people are to blame, every single one of them. They just stood سے طرف کی and did nothing”
He put the book down, and sighed. “He did it again, didn’t he? He hurt you”
Deb turned her head back, and nodded.
“We got him” Mike tried to reassure her. “He’s going to jail for the rest of his life”
Deb sat up a little, and dried her eyes.
“What happened to Beth? Did she talk to you? She escaped, آپ know? They were going to hurt her, but she got away. Is she alright?” Deb asked hopeful. “She must think I’m mad, but I’m not. She has to know that”
Mike shook his head in disbelief. “How can آپ not be mad at her? She betrayed you. She did this to you”
“She only did it, because she was promised she would be released” Deb tried to defend her sister.
“And that makes it okay?”
“No!” Deb exclaimed. “But آپ don’t know what’s it like, back there, Mike. They say things. Things that shouldn’t make any sense, but they keep saying them, until آپ believe it. Beth was twelve when I left her, and Dale took advantage of her. I left her in a world, where she had no one, where everyone only cared for Dale’s best interests. She was told ,time and again, I wouldn’t come back. And it was true. Even though I had every intention to, I never actually did go back. I was always too busy. Truth is, I was a coward, so if anyone should be mad it’s her and,” she swallowed, and blinked, because new tears made their appearance, “everything that’s happened to me since then, I’ve deserved”
“Don’t آپ say that!” Mike exclaimed shocked. “Don’t آپ even think that, آپ hear me?” He cupped her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs. “Deb, آپ are سے طرف کی far the most extraordinary woman I have ever met. I don’t care how many scars آپ have inside یا out, آپ are beautiful to me”
He leaned forward, until his lips touched hers. They stayed there for a second. Then Deb wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him back.
She noticed he held a book in his hand. She realized what book it was. She would recognize it anywhere.
“No” she groaned desperately, and Mike’s eyes flew open. Deb’s hand reached out, and he wrongfully thought she was reaching out to him, so he took it.
“Hey” he کہا softly, and he stood, leaning over her. “Take it easy, okay. You’ve been through a lot”
“Mike, what are you-” she paused to keep her emotions in check. “What are آپ doing with that?” She nodded at the sketchbook.
Mike glanced at it.
“Your sister gave it to me” he said, slowly. “Your sister Annabel. I’m glad she did. It’s, eh, quite revealing”
Deb turned her head away, so Mike wouldn’t see the tears streaming over her cheeks.
“Did آپ really think I was going to hate آپ for that? How is any of this,” he held the book up, “your fault? Those people are to blame, every single one of them. They just stood سے طرف کی and did nothing”
He put the book down, and sighed. “He did it again, didn’t he? He hurt you”
Deb turned her head back, and nodded.
“We got him” Mike tried to reassure her. “He’s going to jail for the rest of his life”
Deb sat up a little, and dried her eyes.
“What happened to Beth? Did she talk to you? She escaped, آپ know? They were going to hurt her, but she got away. Is she alright?” Deb asked hopeful. “She must think I’m mad, but I’m not. She has to know that”
Mike shook his head in disbelief. “How can آپ not be mad at her? She betrayed you. She did this to you”
“She only did it, because she was promised she would be released” Deb tried to defend her sister.
“And that makes it okay?”
“No!” Deb exclaimed. “But آپ don’t know what’s it like, back there, Mike. They say things. Things that shouldn’t make any sense, but they keep saying them, until آپ believe it. Beth was twelve when I left her, and Dale took advantage of her. I left her in a world, where she had no one, where everyone only cared for Dale’s best interests. She was told ,time and again, I wouldn’t come back. And it was true. Even though I had every intention to, I never actually did go back. I was always too busy. Truth is, I was a coward, so if anyone should be mad it’s her and,” she swallowed, and blinked, because new tears made their appearance, “everything that’s happened to me since then, I’ve deserved”
“Don’t آپ say that!” Mike exclaimed shocked. “Don’t آپ even think that, آپ hear me?” He cupped her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs. “Deb, آپ are سے طرف کی far the most extraordinary woman I have ever met. I don’t care how many scars آپ have inside یا out, آپ are beautiful to me”
He leaned forward, until his lips touched hers. They stayed there for a second. Then Deb wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him back.