His Dangerous Ways✔️

Chap. 45 The Truth

IMPORTANT: Hey y'all, I published my first book! It's called "The Broken Vow of Silence" And it's a supernatural/ romance book that I've been working so hard on! If you want to check it out, go on amazon and look up "The Broken How of Silence" or check the first link in my bio! Y'all it's so exciting and I hope you guys love it as much as I do!

The next chapter of this book is also already up on Inkitt so check it out if you wanna (use the Inkitt link in my bio!!)

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Cat's POV

Pain. A white hot burning sensation moving throughout my body even before I could pry open my heavy eyes. I wanted to scream and cry because of the intensity it was coursing through me, but my body felt so heavy that I couldn't even open my mouth. It was a struggle to even open my eyes, but when I did, bright lights instantly flooded into my eyes, causing my head to ache and my eyes to instantly shut. After a few more moments, I slowly peeled them back open and took in my surroundings. I instantly recognized where I was: a hospital room. Panic welled up in my chest as I fruitlessly searched my memory for why I was here, but I came up dry.

I felt my heart rate increase as I looked around, unfamiliar and scared. But all those emotions faded once my eyes landed on River. His eyes were closed and his chest was rising and falling in a steady pattern letting me know that he was sleeping. And his hand was holding mine. "R...River," I called, my voice hoarse and uncomfortable as it travelled up my throat. I tried to muster as much strength as I could to squeeze his hand. I needed him to calm me down and make me feel safer. "R...River, p-please."

Relief moved through me as he stirred before his eyes slowly peeled open revealing his beautiful brown eyes. He sat up and looked around before his eyes landed on me. "C-Cat?" he softly asked, disbelief saturating his voice. "Is it really you or am I dreaming again?" He looked down at our intertwined hands and smiled. "Baby girl, I'm so sorry," he breathed as he got up and gently wrapped his arms around me in a firm hug. I didn't have enough strength in me to hug him back. "I missed you so much. I was so scared and afraid and...thank God you're okay. I love you so much, Caterina Hardwick. Just please don't leave me again." By the time he was done, he was crying. My heart ached for him and the fact that he was hurting, but I was still full of so many questions with one in particular sticking out more than the rest: what had happened to me?

He looked down at me with pure love in his eyes before he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead and let it linger for a while before he pulled away again and pressed the "call nurse" button on my bed. "I'm so proud of you, baby girl," he said barely above a whisper. "You're so strong, far stronger than the rest of us. I love you."

"I love you too, River," I hoarsely made out. "But what happened? How long have I been out?"

His eyebrows drew together in confusion. "You don't remember?"

I shook my head.

His jaw clenched as he looked out the dark window of the room. "You got out of surgery four days ago," he lowly said before looking at me once more. "What was the last thing you remember?"

I searched my brain for a few moments before I grasped something. My heart dropped. "Kenny," I whispered as tears welled in my eyes. "H-He's dead because of me."

"What happened to him was not your fault," River said as he firmly held my hand. "He was one of them, remember? He was-"

"He was my friend, River. He's the one who was helping me escape that night and I...I'd promised him I'd help him make it out." My voice was shaking by the end and tears were streaming down my face.