Page 91 of Tell Me Everything
And Frank went on his way. There was no trace of fatherly love in his eyes, nor the slightest hint of regret. We stood at a crossroads, and I hoped that from here on, our paths would finally part. I took a deep breath.This is going to hurt. He grabbed me by the throat, tightening his grip. Mom was distraught, and I gave her a look that I wanted to reassure her.Please do what you have to do.Mom quietly left the room. Now all I could do was hope thatI had enough time left. I could hardly breathe. My lungs burned more and more. I wanted to scream with all the air I had left, but my windpipe was being crushed. No one would hear me, like the mute girl from my past. My head started spinning.Hold on, Lena. New voices approached, but the sound was already fading, as was my father's angry face. Black spots blurred my vision as my mother entered the room, followed by my neighbour and his son. They came straight for my father, but I never saw them arrive. Unconsciousness had already swallowed me.
Chapter 30
Alex
Alex had been trying to reach Elena for hours, to no avail. In the car, her gaze had been sad but determined. That night, she had made an important choice, one that concerned them both. But more than anything, a choice that would define her future. She had kissed him. A kiss that felt like goodbye. Knowing it might be the last time drove him mad. Alex tried to call her again and again. He knew she was ignoring him. Elena had her phone with her; her Spotify was on. For over an hour, she'd been listening to the same song over and over. When he saw that it wasTo my youth, Alex knew something was up. She always listened to it when she felt like her world was falling apart. He let his head fall back on his pillow. The pillowcase still smelled like the cherry blossom perfume she loved to wear.
From the start, Elena had made it clear that she had a choice to make: fight to move on and be with him, or stay stuck in the life she'd led so far. Why did everything have to be so complicated? He wanted to be with her, no matter what her choice was. Even if she decided not to fight. Things were never that simple. Not for Elena. She found it important to get through this stage of her life before starting another. And now that she'd moved in one direction, Alex knew he'd lost her. All his fears had come true. Elena had decided to move on without him, leaving him alone and miserable. But he didn't know how to give up. After all they'd been through together, he didn't want to. Even if he had to fight or get down on his knees to convince her to stay, he wouldn't let her go without doing everything he could. So Alex kept calling, expecting to hear her voicemail again. Against all odds, she picked up.
“Hello?”
It wasn't Elena, but Maura.
“It's Alex. Is Lena there?”
“Yes.”
“Can I talk to her?”
“Not right now, I’m afraid.”
Alex heard her breath tremble, as if she were searching for words. The silence felt endless.
“I'll give you the address of the hospital. Come and see us whenever you like.”
Without giving him time to reply, she hung up. For a while, Alex remained inanimate, unable to react.The hospital. Elena was in the hospital? What could have happened in such a short time? They'd only seen each other a few hours ago. The worst possible scenarios ran through his mind. He grabbed his keys and dashed down the stairs.
“Where are you running to?”
Lexi poked her head out of the kitchen and frowned. As always, she knew something was wrong. Alex couldn't pretend when it came to Elena.
“What's wrong?”
“Lena is in the hospital.”
“Why?”
He felt so powerless. “I don't know.”
His mother quickly embraced him. “Drive carefully.”
Arriving at the hospital, Alex bumped into Maura near the elevators. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Dark circles dug the skin under her eyes. She looked ten years older overnight.
“When I told you to come, I didn't mean right now.”
Elena's mother beckoned him to follow her to the cafeteria. At first, he walked in silence, expecting Maura to explain, but like her daughter, she was the type to lose herself in her thoughts to the point of forgetting the world around her. Alex jumpedfrom one foot to the other. He wanted to run and join Elena, but Maura was taking her time. Long seconds passed before she realized Alex's agitation. Maura smiled sadly.
“There's no point in hurrying. She's unconscious.”
His anxiety rose a notch. How bad had the evening gone?
“What happened?”
“I don't know.”
Tears glistened in her blue eyes. She who was always so stoic was on the verge of collapse. Maura put down her cup of coffee; her hands were shaking too much.
“In the middle of the night, Elena turned the radio in her brother's room up to maximum. Frank and I went to see what was going on, and she started provoking him,” she explained, running a hand through her auburn hair. “It was as if she wanted him to attack. I thought he was going to kill her. Why would she do such a thing?”
