Chapter 130

Third Person

Clara is wide awake. She is simply pretending to be asleep while the room erupts into chaos from around her, just as she wanted it to. She has to stop herself from smiling as her parents dig into Stella, ripping her to shreds for being a bad sister while she lays asleep in bed.

The only thing that really shocks Clara is when Stella immediately calls out her plan, knowing that this is all one big charade in order to guilt trip the people in her life. This is a targeted attack aimed at Stella's head, that much is true, and it is a way for Clara to get her Adrian back into her life after they parted ways.

When Adrian's voice comes into the picture, Clara immediately began to feel better, knowing that the man will give her all of the attention that she needs. When Adrian does not show concern for her, instead of showing his worry for Stella, who had just entered the room, Clara gets annoyed, hating just how easy it is for Stella to steal the caring Adrian away from her.

Clara listens as her parents continue to insult Stella, even as Adrian pulls her away to speak in private. Clara opens up, just one eye ever so slightly, looking at the room. Her mother cries in her father's arms, their bodies turned away from her, and Stella and Adrian do not pay any attention to her.

Clara is fed up. This time is supposed to be about her and nobody else! Claire closes her eyes and her face scrunches up.

Suddenly, she throws her eyes open and sits up in bed, loud and agonizing gasp for air leaving her lips. The entirety of the room turns to look at her, their eyes, shocked and wide from her sudden consciousness.

Claire's eyes moved to Adrian and Stella, jealousy bubbling inside of her chest at the sight of them being close together. This time is supposed to be about her and her alone, not them in there, expired relationship that once haunted her every waking thought.

The blonde woman points at Stella, her eyes narrowing in a sharp glare, tears well in her eyes before they begin to roll down her cheeks, sobs, beginning to overtake her body as her arm trembles from weakness. Stella glances up at Adrian, who matches her gaze, and it only angers Clara more.

“Why is she here?!” Clara screeches, her finger remaining aimed at Stella. “She is the reason why I wanted to die! It is her fault that I am so sad every single day! She has taken everything away from me!”

Stella does not react. She simply crosses her arms over her chest and stares at Clara with one perked up eyebrow. Stella does not feed into Clara's dramatics and flair. It only frustrates Clara even more.

“It was you and Adrian's relationship that pushed me to this point! You knew that he was mine before I was put into a coma and you took him from me! I hate you, Stella!” Clara screams at the top of her lungs, her face turning into a bright red color.

Stella is unfazed. She glances at Adrian with a sigh and shakes her head, nails digging into the skin of her arm.

“I am not going to deal with this shit,” Stella says to herself, turning around, “I left this family because of Clara and her dramatics. If you all can’t see that, then do not call me ever again.”

And with that, Stella exits the hospital room leaving Clara, her parents, and Adrian behind. Adrian moves to follow after her but Clara turns her attention towards him, her tears growing tenfold, pretending like the pain from swallowing a whole bottle of painkillers is hurting her.

“Adrian! Please! Please don’t leave me,” Clara begs. “I can’t lose another person!”

“Lose?” Adrian scoffs, earning a sharp glare from her parents.

Clara’s mother immediately takes her place at her side, taking Clara’s hand into her own as she weeps and thanks whatever otherworldly power. That is out there for allowing Clara to wake up and be alive once again. Clara, though, does not take her eyes off of Adrian.

“Get off of me, mom!” Clara yanks her hand away from her mother. She glares at her, her vision blurred from the tears. “I want to be alone with Adrian! Leave us alone!”

“But Clara,” her father speaks up but is quickly stopped when her mother takes his hand, immediately obeying Clara’s demand.

“We will be right outside, okay honey? Just yell for us if you need anything,” her mother says between cries, clinging onto her husband as they exit the room.

Adrian tries to follow but the door is closed in his face, trapping him inside of the hospital room. He slowly turns around and looks at Clara, who has her arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed at him.

“I can’t believe you made me do something like this, Adrian,” Clara begins, “can’t you see that this is all for you?”

“I never wanted you to hurt yourself, Clara,” Adrian lets out a quiet sigh, feeling the weight of the world fall onto his shoulders.

He crosses the room and sits down in the seat beside her bed. Clara reaches out for his hand and takes it. Adrian does not fight back, looking at the white sheets of the bed.

Clara knows that her plan is working. She knows that any minute now, Adrian will give into her needs, that he will try his best to make up for his time away from her. She gently rubs his hand, comforting him despite her being the one who needs to be comforted, and stares at him through glossy eyes.

“I love you, Adrian,” Clara admits, sniffling as she looks down at their connected hands. “I only ever wanted to be with you. Ever since we were kids, I knew that you were the one for me. And to think that we almost made it…”

Adrian does not respond. He watches Clara with a close eye, unsure if this is just another trick. His mind is running a mile a minute, going through every single possibility that this is just another lie that Clara is feeding to him.

Adrian just hates how easily he is willing to believe in her lies. He thought Clara was incapable of change but here she is, vulnerable and afraid, opening up her heart and soul to him.

“You have broken my heart one too many times, Adrian. I don’t know if I can ever forgive you for this,” Clara finally looks up, her blue eyes meeting Adrian’s green ones.

“I’m sorry,” Adrian swallows the lump in his throat.

Clara has to hide the smile that threatens to form on her face. Pure joy that her Adrian is finally coming back to her, that the spell Stella had cast on him is finally washing away.

“What can I do to make it up to you, Clara?” Adria follows up, scooting closer to the bed.

“Well,” Clara dramatically cries, looking away for a moment before turning back to him, “we can always do what we planned to do once you and Stella got divorced. We can get married.”