Contrite ✓

Chapter 44.

          harry.

A persistent beeping noise forced its way through my ears. It started out quiet but grew louder and louder each minute. Something was stuck up my nose, keeping me from breathing properly. I could feel panic start developing in my chest and the beeping increased.

The last thing I remembered was a terrible pain in my stomach; agony slowly spreading itself throughout my body.

I remembered the horror in Ella's wide eyes as she stared at me in shock. And I also remembered the red colouring the front of my shirt.

Cole. He wanted to hurt Ella, but stabbed me instead. What had happened after? Was Ella safe? What if she. . .

No, no. I pushed the thought away and tried to take a deep breath but the fucking thing in my nose made it impossible.

Trying to move my arm, I managed to grip whatever it was and pull it out. My movements were slow and lazy and a surge of pain shot from my stomach. I hissed and let my arm fall back on to the bed. The bed. I was resting on a bed and with that knowledge I could suddenly feel a blanket covering my body.

I forced my heavy eyelids up and tried to focus on something. The room was dark, solely lit by a dim lamp standing in a corner. My sight was blurry and I couldn't make out any details around me. I blinked and blinked and slowly things began taking form.

I could make out a white ceiling, light grey walls and a telly mounted on the wall facing the bed. Across the wall to my right was a long, narrow window with the blinds drawn.

I looked down my body and noticed I was dressed in a loose, light blue shirt. A glance to my left revealed the source of the beeping noise; a monitor surveilling my heart rate and pulse.

I was in a hospital.

A rustling sound made me snap my head to the right, my heart thumping fast with unease.

Tears of relief welled up in my eyes as I took in Ella's small body curled up in an uncomfortable looking armchair. She was fast asleep.

She was safe. Cole didn't manage to hurt her. I let out a shaky breath and brushed away a tear that had escaped down my cheek. Somehow she had managed to get me here and I was alive. And she was too.

I let out a creaky laugh but stopped instantly and winced at the pain in the middle of my torso.

Ella stirred at the sound and groaned softly. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at me in disbelief.

"H-Harry?" she said shakily, as if afraid she was imagining me smiling at her.

"Hi, baby," I rasped out. It hurt talking, felt like a thousand nails scratching my throat but I didn't care.

The look of pure joy on Ella's face could make me hold a damn speech.

She untangled herself slowly from the curled up position and carefully made her way over to the bed I was laying on.

Putting a hand against my cheek, tears fell down her face but she smiled big. "I can't believe you're awake. I've been so worried," she whispered.

I chuckled, careful not to use my stomach too much. "I'm sorry. Come here," I said and pulled her onto me.

"Harry—" she protested but I quieted her by pressing my lips to her mouth.

"Shut up, I need to feel you," I mumbled with a smile and trailed my fingers down her arm, making goosebumps rise.

"But what if I'm hurting you?" she said, referring to her body pressed close to mine.

"I don't care," I whispered. "I couldn't possible hurt more than I already did when getting stabbed and waking up thinking I'd lost you."