Sweet Champagne// Anthony Reeves

Chapter 16

   My eyes shot open and I freaked out a little when I didn't realize where I was. After looking around for awhile I realized I was at... aunt Lydias house? 

  I only ever come here if someone's hurt or if i'm hur...wtf happened?

  I felt wetness on my hand and looked over to see Anthony holding my hand tightly in his but, his face was also pressed up against our hands, if that makes sense. Must've been his tears, which also freaked me out. I squeezed his hand tightly. His head shot up and he looked at me in shock "what happened" I asked him and he didn't even respond he kinda just cried? It wasn't like a sob it was more like tears spilling out.

 I quickly sat up and wiped his face. "Don't cry this is normal for me" I tell him and he shakes his head. "This shouldn't be normal i'm never letting you get hurt again" and I laughed. I know I shouldn't have laughed but it was so cute. "Babe don't cry" I tell him wiping his face still laughing. I didn't even care about the pet name at this point like whatever he's babe now.

 "By the way..." I start and I take a deep breath "I love you too?" I question and his eyes widen. "You heard all that??" He asks and I'm relieved. "Oh thank god I thought it was a dream" I tell him laying back down.  BASICALLY, While I was out, I heard a bunch of stuff about him being sorry and loving me and all that and I couldn't tell if I was dreaming or not? So I just took the risk and said I love you back. Thank god I did.

   Ant grabbed my hand "Ash, I meant everything I said, what I didn't mean is what I said before I left" he told me and I took a deep breath again. "We both said some things we didn't mean" I told him referring to the whole 'no feelings here' moment. "What I said..." I started "...was a complete lie".

   I smiled and so did he. "I'm sorry..." was all he said "why'd you jump in front of me" he asked me. I laughed at the dumb question. "He was about to shoot you, I didn't have a gun, you didn't have a gun, only Leila did and If I had said anything to her, he would've heard and shot you right away, I wasn't gonna let him shoot you" I explained. "Better me than you..." He whispered and I grabbed his face making him look up at me. "Never say that, that's not true" I said sternly.

  "Ah Ash!" My aunt Lydia said as she came in. Basically, my aunt Lydia was like a doctor, surgeon, nurse, chiropractor EVERYTHING? There were lots of people in the gang like her. Her house was basically my hospital cause i'm not tryna go to a real hospital and catch a case ya feel? 

 "So i'm guessing I got shot" I tell her not remembering the Bullet actually hitting me. "yes Ash, be careful moving around" she told me and I looked down to see lots of gauze and stuff wrapped around my waist. "Your mom and dad and friends are all downstairs" she told me relieving me.

 "Do you want me to call them up or-" she asked "I can just go down there" Anthony gave me this look of like 'oh hell no' and I gave him this look of like bruh I can still walk "Are you sure Natasha?" She asked and I nodded "ok well here, i'll give you some more painkillers, just take these when it gets too much ok?" She tells me and I nod again. "No strenuous activity, no running, no stressing yourself out, no sexual activity" she told me, making both me and Anthony very uncomfortable. 

 "I want pizza" I said drowsily. "Soup" she says and I look at her like bruh really. "What you SHOULD be eating is soup, no burgers no pizza nothing like that, it'll hurt to swallow" she told me and I nodded kinda annoyed but whatever. "Can I go see them now?" I ask referring to my family and everyone else downstairs. My aunt nodded and Anthony grabbed me and lifted me up. "i'm sure I can walk Ant" I tell him but he doesn't listen at all and continues to carry me down.

"Natasha.." My mom says running over to me, causing everyone else to look in my direction. Both my parents and Anthonys parents run over to me. Everyone hugs me gently, sure to not hurt me. Leila comes after them and then Anthonys friend Chase. "Asha..I...i'm sorry" he told me and I looked up at him "for what?" I ask "i'm the one who told Anthony about the job and-" I stopped him before he could say anything "don't even apologize i'm just glad you guys are alive" I say hugging Chase and then the rest of them one by one.

  "Yeah but you took a bullet to make that happen" Chase tells me looking down at his feet "Worth it" I say smiling and sitting down on the couch gently. Everyone goes silent after that "i'm sorry for going.." Anthony starts again. "You shouldn't have went" his father tells him and I jump In before the conversation goes any further. "Everyone needs to stop apologizing, this was nobodies fault" I explain. "As bad as this sounds...this is how our lives go, this is normal for us" I tell them and everyone has semi sad/disappointed expressions but also understanding of what i'm telling them. "The only thing that matters, is that we're all alive and this..." I say pointing to my waist "it'll heal" I say casually.

 "We're stronger than everyone else" I tell them and they all smile.