Love You Too: PART TWENTY EIGHT

-TIFFANY-

"Tiffany, if you want to marry him then do. If you don't, then having this baby is a bad idea too. I think you've got two choices: marry Nate and have the child; or tell him no, end your relationship and have an abortion. I know it sounds bad, but by saying no you're basically ending what you have together, and you can't have the child on your own." Mollie explained. Trust her to make this decision ten times harder than it had to be.
"I know, and I understand. But I don't know if I'm ready to settle down. I'm only 17! I haven't even finished school yet, I don't want to be married and with a child for my last year of studying, and then to not attend Columbia."
"I know, but it's decision time. I can't tell you what to do, and I wish I could. I want to make this as easy as possible, but it isn't easy. Go and talk to Nate: he can help and he can help make that decision. And I think you need to go and see him anyway, as he'll want to know whether you're okay"
"You're right, do you know where he is?" I asked Mollie, knowing she's a fountain of knowledge.
"According to Charlie he's gone to your mother's house" Mollie said, with a confused look on her face. "What's that all about?"
"I don't know, but it can't be good. We have to go" I said, running back down the lane towards my childhood home.
"Tiffany, wait up!" Mollie said, sprinting after me.
I was barefoot as I hadn't had time to put any shoes on this morning, so I was feeling the Tarmac in a new light: it was hot under the midday sun, and it stung at my feet a little as I often trod on small stones that were scattered merrily on the sidewalk. There were very few leaves that had floated onto the ground over the past few days, and had dried out in the sun as they made a satisfying crunching noise under foot. As soon as the white palace was insight, I sped up even more, my feet slapping against the sidewalk, causing a slight pain. I barely felt it though, as I knew the pain I must be putting Nate through must be much much worse.
I thrust the front door open, and saw the carnage in front of me. Pieces of equipment were scattered all around the floor, and all around was a small trail of blood. There was no sign of anyone here, but I could sense a presence in the house. I knew my mother was out, and as I took two steps back out of the door, I saw Victoria, hobbling down the stairs, a gash on her leg. I stormed forward before she stopped and put her hand out in front of her.
"No, please. I'm going back to Texas, don't worry. You won't hear from me or Isabelle again. I'm sorry" she said, heading out through the door. She called back to me, explaining that the cut wasn't Nate's fault, she was running to get her laptop to post something else when she'd tripped. And with that, she disappeared down the road, meeting Mollie, and bowing her head down to her.
I then realised that I hadn't seen Nate. Where was he? From upstairs I heard a faint cry, and I immediately saw the trail of blood continuing up the first set of stairs. I couldn't help but cry out, realising that that blood was from Nate, not Victoria's wound as that wasn't bleeding that badly.
"Nate?" I shouted, running up the stairs, being careful not to tread on any of the blood. I didn't want to worry him, as I knew I would if I had blood on my bare feet.
I reached the top of the stairs, which seemed to be like Mount Everest to my injured feet.
I rounded the corner, and started to peer into every room until I reached one of the many guest rooms. It was clearly where Victoria had been staying, as there was a lot of her style of dresses cluttered around the place.
I poked my head around the door and I saw him, lying limp on the floor, limbs twisted into various contortions.
"Nate!" I cried, rushing over to him and crouching down alongside his damaged body. I looked at his face, which was heavily bruised. He may have broken his nose, as there was blood pouring from it and it was black and blue. His whole face was dappled with violet bruises, some larger than others, but they were all pretty gruesome. His eye was black, and swollen around the edges. It was closed, and the only responsive part of his face was his other eye, which looked terrified until I appeared alongside him, when it was filled with relief.
"Baby, I'm so sorry. For everything. This is all my fault, and I'm so sorry I left you just now. I love you" I said, breaking down into tears. Seeing my beautiful boyfriend's face all battered was too painful.
"Rather me than you" he said, weakly, groaning afterwards as he tried to sit up.
"Shhhh, stay there. Where else does it hurt?" I said, beginning to stroke his hair.
"My ribs, and my arm" he said, looking down at his left arm, which was more contorted than any of the others. I ran my finger lightly along its bruised exterior, feeling his muscles totally stationary, and all the hairs on his arms laying flat. I then pulled up his shirt so I could look at his ribs. I braced myself, knowing that this wasn't going to be a pretty sight.
And indeed it wasn't, they were a multitude of colours, mainly blue and purple, and they were visibly cracked. I winced slightly, another tear forming in my eye.
"Please don't cry" he said, his voice deep and crackly "It's killing me that I can't comfort you"
"I can't help it. You're hurt, and I hate not knowing what to do"
"Now you know how I felt when you were in a coma" he said, closing his eyes and taking a large rasping breath in.
"Don't you dare close your eyes, Nate!" I said, stroking his hair again, and pulling his shirt back down as gently as possible.
"I'm just trying to not see you cry" he said, opening both eyes again, to reveal the bloodshot black eye for the first time. "My eye hurts so much, but you still look absolutely beautiful" he said, raising his right arm as far as he could onto my knee before resting it there.
"Yes" I said, putting my hand on his.
"What do you mean?" he said, his breathing becoming more and more rasping.
"Yes, I will marry you. And yes I will have a child with you"
He smiled, straining all the bruises on his face to show his appreciation for what I'd just said.
"Now, I'd better call an ambulance, i can't let our baby be born with a battered up father" I said, pulling out my phone and dialling 911, not removing my hand from his at any point.
"I love you" he said, as he closed his eyes once again.
"Please get here quickly" I said to the telephone operator, looking at Nate and a lump forming in my throat. "Please please please be alright, I'll never leave you again" I said to him, lifting his head so I was cradling him. "Please."