Our Toxic Love

Chapter Seventeen

*Ethan's POV*

I'm on my way to visit Sasha and my dad in the hospital.

It's about a month since I've last seen them and, truth be told, I really don't want to go. But Sasha's been asking about me a lot lately and I can't avoid her forever.

I'm told that my little sister's in room 522, fifth floor.

When I walk in, I see her on the hospital bed with tubes connected to her arms. Her face is not as swollen as it was the last time I saw her. Instead, it's pale and holds very few healed scratches. I notice that her hair is much thinner and brittle.

My heart aches at the sight of her like this.

Despite how much pain she must feel right now, Sasha smiles at the sight of me. I smile back weakly, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"How're you feeling, Sushi?" I ask her.

"I'm tired," she responds.

"Maybe you should get some sleep?"

"What's leukemia?"

My heart sinks.

"It's nothing, Sushi."

"The doctor and mommy were talking about me and leukemia."

I silently curse the doctor for talking about that when Sasha was within earshot.

"It's probably just a country or something," I try to lie.

"They said I'm sick too," she goes on. "Why am I sick, Eethy?"

I shake my head. "I don't know. It's just a really small sickness, it's nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I lie.

My throat feels dry as she looks slightly relieved. Within minutes, Sasha's already asleep. I watch her drift off to her subconscious world away from this cruel one. I really wish there's something I can do. Anything.

I leave the room quietly to go check on my dad on the floor above.

He looks a little better than Sasha though he's still wounded.

"Hello, son," he says, sitting up.

I say nothing. I really don't know what to say anyway.

"Are you severely injured?" I ask him.

"I just broke my arm," he gestures to his bandaged arm. "It needs surgery."

"Right," I nod.

We sit there in silence, none of us finding the right thing to say.

"Couldn't you have driven slower?" I ask him. I can't help it.

He frowns. "What?"

"The car accident could've affected Sasha and made the whole cancer thing worse. It made her weaker."

"Son, I don't-"

"You had your five year old daughter in the car for Christ's sake! You should've been more careful!"

"I know but I-"

"And now you almost got the two of you killed!"

"Would you listen to me?" He snaps. "Ethan, there was a drunk driver on the road and two other cars were racing. Sasha kept telling me that she felt really tired and she had a fever and she was sweating. I got worried. When she started coughing, I turned to make sure she's still safely buckled up but the cars crashed into me."

I hesitate. "You should know better than to take your eyes off the road."

"If you're just here to tell me off, Ethan, then I suggest you leave."

"You're kicking me out?" I gape.

"I already feel guilty enough and you're just making things worse. Leave, Ethan."

"Fine," I snap.

I leave the room, slamming the door behind me.

*Ariana's POV*

I sit on the grass next to my mother's grave and stare at the name on the gravestone. Diana Evan Dales.

I didn't even have time to get to know her before she died and that makes it all-the-more painful.

I start to wonder how my life would've been different if she was still alive. My dad wouldn't have hated me for so long, that's for sure. Maybe she would've banned me from going to Matt's party, stopping all this from happening to me.

I imagine our Sunday mornings with the three of us eating toast and scrambled eggs, laughing at old memories. Maybe I would've had some brothers or sisters.

All my thoughts seem so distant as I sit there, hoping for things that would never come true.