The Reason

Chapter Twenty One

Rex...

"Come on, mate...let's get you to the hospital." Aidan pats me on the back with a knowing smile. He's my best mate, so he knows exactly where I need to be right now. No questions asked, he just knows.

"How is she?" My voice sounds rough, overwrought. Intense questioning by the police, a night in the cells and worrying myself sick over Angel is taking its weary toll on me.

"Angel is stable, she had a good night apparently."

As I slowly get into the car, my aching head hangs low with an aggravated sigh. "I should have been with her." I talk with a carefully controlled tone because my anger is still festering away inside of me.

Placing both his hands on the steering wheel, Aidan turns his head to look at me before starting up the car. "Angel is going to be alright, Rex." He isn't smiling but there's hope warmly sitting in his narrowed blue eyes.

Sighing again, my unsure reply quickly follows. "I hope so." I have so much restrained anger still within me. I am angry at myself for so many things. I should have known what my father was doing. I should have stopped it before it even began. I should have just let the police come and arrest his pathetic ass, rather than beating him to pulp. That was what I should have done, but my fury wanted him carried out of Angel's. My fury had me claiming that I had acted in self defence. My fury was very wrong. It cost me being with Angel when she needed me the most. Once again, I have let her down. "Has she woken up at all?" My sad question fills the space in the quiet car.

Shaking his head sadly, Aidan answers me. "Not really. She's out of it. The doctors wanted to keep her heavily sedated because they were worried about the swellings on her nose and forehead. They gave her a CT scan and said that her nose is broken and that she has some frontal lobe swelling to her brain."

His words make my stomach harden with fear. "Jesus, Aidan." My anger is resurfacing as I rub both my palms on my cheeks. "But she's stable, right?"

Aidan nods, turning the ignition. "She's in safe hands. The doctors are taking good care of her and her family are with her." Concentrating on his driving, he cautiously continues. "You should know, Rex... everyone knows the truth." For just a split second, my friend shoots me a worried look before focusing back on the road ahead of him.

My shoulders drop and my lips press tight with disappointment. "How?" I guess I always knew that the truth wouldn't forever remain buried, but I'd like to know who dug it back up.

"Faith."

Staring out the window, relief rolls over in my stomach. I thought it may have been my mother who had decided to tell everyone. "I thought it was my mum." I admit out loud.

Aidan is quick to explain. "Faith was in a right state. When her parents arrived, they were obviously asking some very awkward questions. It was a good job you called us because I think Faith would have fell apart if she had been on her own until her family arrived. Angela looked after her until they did."

Thankful to both Angela and Aidan, I tell him just how grateful I really am. "It means a lot that you were both there for Angel and Faith when I couldn't be." Regret weighs heavily down on me. I have fucked up so much in so many ways.

My friend exhales a noisy breath. "I just wish you had told me the truth, mate. I knew that something bad must have been going on for your mum not to be coming to your wedding. Why did you let us think that it was because she couldn't forgive Angel for walking out on you?" Again, Aidan shoots me a quick and concerned look.