26. One Less
26
One Less
N O matter how hard she tried or how exhausted she was, Roselin didn’t seem able to fall asleep. She crawled deeper into Ryu’s shirt, squeezing her eyes shut. The scent of Ryu taunted her, reminding her how she abandoned him for days while he was stuck in the hospital all alone. She was a terrible person, but she intended to mend it. She was determined to fix everything.
A deep sigh pushed past her lips. Roselin threw her blankets off with a groan. Fuck this. It was late at night, but she didn’t care. If she wanted to see Ryu now, she was going to see Ryu. She put on her pants, shoes, and jacket and snuck out of the quiet house.
The cold night greeted her. Fog floated around the buildings, covering the city in a blanket of mist. She dug her hands into her jacket’s pockets, hoping for some heat. Her muscles protested with each step. They were pushed through a lot the past few days. Besides, her body preferred the warmth of the bed over the chilly outside at the moment.
She jerked her head at every minuscule sound and dived into the shadows when a siren disturbed the silent streets. Her trembling fingers raked through her hair.
“Pull yourself together, Rose,” she said under her breath.
A car honked behind her, making her jump in her place, startled. Roselin’s heart leapt out of her chest. A sigh of relief left her lips as the Driver rolled down the window, signalling her to get in.
Did they not sleep? To be fair, neither was she.
The Driver held open the door. Part of her wondered how much they hated following her around, but mostly, she was glad they were there to have her back. Even if they were only doing it for a paycheck. Grateful, she stepped in. The car warmed her icy fingers. It was cold for this time of the year, and normally she liked it. It kept her mind clear, but not tonight.
The Driver showed his phone to her, and she wished she knew sign language. ‘Where to?’ was written in the note app. He didn’t even question why she was out so late.
“To Ryu, please,” she answered.
The corner of the Driver’s mouth curved ever so slightly in a pleased smile as he drove away. The closer they got to the hospital, the more her nerves ate her up inside. What if Ryu didn’t want to see her? She wouldn’t wish to see herself right now. Shit, it was the middle of the night. Ryu should probably be asleep. After all, he was still recovering.
Another siren sounded in the distance. Her stomach turned, and Roselin swallowed the bile at the back of her throat. She tried to slow down her breathing. What if they found out it was she who hit Gale, and they arrested her? At least she’d see Ryu one more time. Could he protect her? Was that naive to think?
The car stopped in front of the hospital entrance, and Roselin stared out the window. The words of Hugo echoed through her mind. ‘ Don’t tell Ryu ’, but Ryu seemed to have a way to read her like an open book sometimes. He’d sense something was up. Perhaps this was a stupid idea.
Ready to turn to the Driver and tell him to take her home, she noticed the amount of police officers.
Yep, this was definitely a dumb plan, but the Driver opened the door for her, and reluctantly, she stepped out. With her trembling hands deep in her pockets, Roselin kept her head down as she walked past the police officers. She sensed the eyes of the Driver on her. Watching her as if she planned to do something foolish he needed to prevent… or he was looking out for her.
The Driver sat down in one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs, leaving her to do whatever she decided to do here in the dead of night. The blinds to Ryu’s room were closed. Roselin paced through the hallway, building up the courage to go in.
Why was she so nervous? Ryu shouldn’t see her like this. Cold sweat beaded up on her, and the urge to throw up again came back. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.
“Miss, can I help you?” a nurse asked.
Roselin’s gaze shot up, meeting the nurse’s kind smile. “I… um. Could you tell me how Ryu Botan is doing?”
“And you are?”
“I’m his… I’m Roselin Bessette.”
The nurse’s smile widened. “Miss Bessette, Ryu told us all about you.”
“He did?”
“Yes. Mister Botan called you his keeper of ethics,” the nurse said, and Roselin’s face fell. She didn’t deserve the name. Never had. “Mister Botan has been doing good, but he’s been cranky. He’s eager to return home to you. I hope you feel better?” Her brows furrowed together, looking Roselin up and down.
Roselin nodded as she seemed unable to answer the nurse. She put her arms around herself, fighting back the tears. “Could I go in?”
“It’s a bit late—” the nurse glanced at the clock, worried. “And a strange day, but it will be good for him,” the nurse said, more to herself than to Roselin.
The nurse had no idea how strange the day had been.
The nurse gave her a kind smile. “I think he’s still awake. Mister Botan is a night owl. But make sure he gets his rest.”
Of course he was, she thought.
Roselin knocked and opened the door. Ryu looked up as she stepped further into the room, stopping just out of Ryu’s reach. She hid her trembling hand behind her cast wrist. Books were piled on the nightstand.
A light twinkled in Ryu’s eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching up into a big grin. “My darling Rose. I thought my keeper of ethics had abandoned me.”
The blood drained from her face. A pain shot through her heart, and she clenched her hands together. He didn’t even know she wasn’t deserving of the title. Every memory of Ryu asking her to trust him flashed through her worried mind.
“Maybe you should learn to trust,” she said. Her lips turned into a smile, but she couldn’t feel it. She hugged herself again with one arm. Her nails dug into her skin, leaving crescent moons behind.
The twinkle in Ryu’s eyes dulled. “Rose,” Ryu reached to her, and her gaze drifted off as she stared at the white wall.
She worked her lips between her teeth. “It was my turn to be a coward.” The confession rushed out of her.
“You’re many things, Rose, but a coward isn’t one of them.”
Her hands fell to her side. She bit the inside of her cheek until the metallic taste of blood touched her tongue.
“Are you leaving me?” Ryu asked, his voice not wavering for a second.
Her eyes snapped to him. “No,” she said, shaking her head to give her words more power. “No, I wouldn’t—”
“I would understand, my Rose.”
Her bottom lip trembled, but she pushed back her emotions. “I’m not abandoning you.” She took his hand and sat on the bedside. “I love you.”
His fingers cupped her chin. “Good,” he whispered under his breath. “I’ve been craving you, and I never want to stop craving you.”
This time, her smile reached her entire face and heart. “How are you feeling?” She squeezed his hand.
His warm, gentle fingers stroked her cheek. “You first.”
Too many emotions rushed through her, and she pushed them down. “I’m not the one laying in a hospital bed.”
Something flashed in his eyes. “I thought I would never see you again.”
“Me too…” At least not alive. Her eyebrows drew closer together, her mind wandering to the letter she left for Ryu on the desk. “I wasn’t sure if you would still be awake.” Her gaze dashed through the room, searching for a clock. “It’s quite late.”
“You’re not sleeping either.” Ryu laughed, but the smile quickly disappeared into a frown and a groan.
Roselin shrugged her shoulders. “Couldn’t sleep.”
“Me neither. Something is up, and no one will tell me.” Ryu’s eyes held her captive. “Did you hear anything?” he asked, searching her face. Roselin bit her lips as she shook her head. Ryu softly touches her bottom lip, pushing it out between her teeth. “The detectives investigating Nadia’s murder found something interesting.”
Her body tensed up at hearing Nadia’s name. Roselin shifted in her place, trying to pull herself together.
“They discovered papers of Gale’s involvement in the attack,” Ryu continued.
Her face turned ashen. Her heart seemed to stop as she held her breath. She hung on to Ryu’s every word.
“Mister Russo gave a press conference in the presence of the founders. He told the city his son was part of the Brotherhood and resigned.”
They found Gale guilty ; the words screamed in her mind. Gale’s father, the founders, and the police—they planned to prosecute him. With wide eyes, she stared into the nothingness. The system intended to do something. Gale was going to come before a judge and be held accountable for what he did to Nadia and the people on the tram. Gale would’ve been punished by the law—oh God…
The door opened, and Nick came in. She didn’t even realise he was at the hospital too. A tired sigh left Ryu’s lips as he pushed his fingers against his temples. Nick wore different clothes and shoes than a few hours ago, although it was hard to tell when they all had similar suits, like a uniform.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I heard you were still awake. There’s news I thought you would want to know,” Nick said as he shared a look with Roselin. She averted her eyes, her fingers clenching Ryu’s bedsheet.
Was Nick going to rat her out?
Ryu frowned at her, but didn’t comment on it. “What is it?” Ryu asked. His hand reached for Roselin’s, but she jumped up from the bed.
Real smooth, Roselin, real smooth.
“Gale has been killed in a hit and run. He was in a coma, but they pulled the plug. The doctors just pronounced him dead,” Nick said. “The car was found but burned out.”
Ryu’s eyebrows knit together as her stomach knotted. “Was this before or after the announcement?” Ryu asked, but Nick didn’t answer, and Roselin fought her sudden dizziness. “Before or after?” Ryu repeated sternly.
“Does it matter?” Nick replied, his eyes burning into her back.
“It matters if I say so.” Ryu sat straighter up in bed.
Nick looked at his feet before he straightened his posture and met Ryu’s glare. “Before, but it gave more evidence against him.”
“What are you not telling me?” Ryu glared at Nick, his eyes piercing him like knives.
Roselin chewed the inside of her cheek. Nick wouldn’t lie for her. He made that clear before.
“It was Nadia’s car. Rumour has it Nadia’s spirit sought revenge.”
Ryu’s eyes snapped to her. “Please leave us,” Ryu ordered. Roselin spun around, ready to scurry away, but he grabbed her arm. “Not you.” He turned his attention to Nick. “Tell Hugo to contact Mister Visser.”
“His brother’s funeral is today,” Roselin spoke softly, but no one was listening.
“I’ll inform him, sir.” Nick bowed his head and closed the door.
A gasp escaped her lips. She covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m sorry,” she whispered behind her fingers. Ryu’s eyes burned into hers, shattering her carefully crafted wall into a million pieces.
“The news said it was someone else. They weren’t going to do anything like you always say. They weren’t—” but they did. The justice system planned to take action this time.
“Rose—”
“Nadia… you… it’s all my fault.” Nadia’s lifeless eyes, the blood, and her stiff body; it flashed before her. Roselin’s limbs shook uncontrollably.
“No, Rose.” Ryu reached for her, but she stepped away.
“You told me. You did. I spared Gale’s life, making his actions my responsibility.” Her breath caught in her throat. So many dead, wounded, and hurt because of her. “My responsibility,” she whispered through her tears again.
Ryu’s face fell, his eyes filled with pain. “I didn’t mean it. I—”
“Yes, you did.” Her head bobbed up and down, nodding, emphasising her point. Tears blurred her vision. Ryu did. He told her. He warned her. And she listened.
“My beautiful Rose.” He held out his hand. “My keeper of ethics,” Ryu cooed, and a sob pushed with force past her lips. She clasped his hand and let him pull her onto the bed and into his embrace.
If one person killed a murderer, the number stayed the same. If a person killed two, the number lowered.
“Tell me what you have done, Rose. Tell me everything. I promise it will be alright.”
“I fixed it.” Her fingers wrapped around Ryu’s shirt. “I made the number go down.”