Page 117 of Bound Bride
He doesn't speak like he hates me, which is odd because I can't imagine him harboring any other feelings for me. Not anymore.
Lifting the cup to my lips, I focus on the cool water as it washes over my dry tongue and soothes the scratchy burning in my throat.
A few mouthfuls later, I lower it and finally look back at Kon.
He's still watching me with that same burning intensity and he leans forward slightly.
"The baby is okay too," he says.
I freeze and the machine next to me audibly betrays the lurch in my heart. Kon glances at it and then back to me.
"You…" I cough softly. "You know about the baby?"
"Yes," Kon replies. "I do."
"Oh."
Oh?
That's really all I can say?
Far too many questions rush up at once, but Kon seems one step ahead of me as he continues to speak.
"You do not need to worry about your family. Your mother is recovering well. It seems Mathew was keeping her sedated, but my team has given her a thorough examination, and she is doing well. As is your sister. She has spent the past week bending over backward to apologize to Calvin."
My heart lurches once more. "Calvin's alive?!"
"Yes. It was touch-and-go for a while, but he is alive and recovering well. I believe he wishes to speak to you when you are up for it."
"Oh that's… thank god." Relief comes with a sudden wave of exhaustion as I take in everything Kon is telling me. Two bullets that somehow didn't kill me, a family that's alive and recovering, and Calvin is alive.
If this is a dream, then it's a really good dream.
"Did Calvin… tell you about the baby?" Between Calvin and Mathew knowing, I pray the information came from someone trustworthy.
"Yes," Kon replies softly. "He told me. As for Mathew… you do not need to fear him any longer. He is dead."
The word somehow echoes louder than anything else Kon has told me, and I stare at him with wide eyes. "Dead?"
"Your sister grappled the gun from him after you were shot and she killed him. I shot him too in the interest of sparing her the knowledge that she killed someone, but I thought you would prefer to know the truth. I have assigned her a therapist as well to deal with not only that, but everything else."
This makes no sense. Why is Kon doing all of this? By rights, he should have left me to die in that house and cursed my entire family along with me.
"Why?" I croak out as tired tears leak into my eyes. "I don't understand."
Kon's brow pinches. "I thought it would be kinder on your sister if she believed I killed him."
"No, not that." Shaking my head, I briefly close my eyes but I don't have the energy to wipe the tears away. "Why am I here? Why did you save me? Why didn't you just let me die where I belonged?"
Kon's frown deepens and suddenly his hand covers mine. "You did not belong there."
"Yes I did! After everything I did to you, how can you even stand to be near me? I lied about everything just to save my family and it barely even worked. And in the end, they suffered anyway because I fell in love with you and I didn't want to hurt you. How can you even stand to touch me?" I pull my hand away as a weak sob lifts through my chest. "You should hate me, no matter how sorry I am. I lied to you every day and you were only ever kind to me. I took advantage of you?—"
"Stop," Kon says gently.
"I took advantage and hurt you. I hurt everyone because I wasn't fast enough but even that is fucked because being faster would have meant doing something so horrific to you that?—"
"Stop," Kon repeats and he moves up my bed, retaking my hand in his. "Rose. Darling. Take a breath for me."
