Chapter 44 Matilda
Forty Four
Matilda
Agentle beeping kept trying to drag me out of my dream—or was it a nightmare? Flashes of Henry smiling, laughing with me in the car filled my mind, but then came flashes of smashed glass, the sound of screeching tires, and crunching metal consuming my happy dreams.
“Please wake up, sunshine.” The words played like a mantra in my dreamlike state.
Then the beep, beep, beep started again.
Is that rain? The tapping of what sounds like rain on a tin can keeps drumming away.
I can hear people talk, is that Henry? Why is he crying?
Please wake up sunshine, don’t leave me.
I want to call to him but I can’t speak. I can’t move. Through the haze, I heard a different voice.
“Matilda, sweetie, can you hear me?”
Bright lights burned as I tried to open my eyes to the sound of my mum’s voice. My throat was so dry—God, why couldn’t I swallow?
“Water,” I managed in a husky whisper, and a second later, a straw touched my lips. It hurt to swallow, but the coldness of the water was like heaven.
“What happened?” I croaked after a beat. My eyes finally adjusted. Plain white walls. White ceiling. I was on a bed, a papery-looking curtain surrounding my cubicle. A hospital?!
My mind spiraled as memories tumbled back—the car, Henry, the rain, the other vehicle swerving into our lane—and then everything going very, very dark.
My gaze dropped to the cast wrapped around my left arm, and as my breath quickened, a sudden burning ache flared in my ribs.
I must have winced, because my mother, father, and sister were instantly at my bedside, telling me not to move.
“Slowly, sweetheart. You were in a bad car accident,” Mum said softly, brushing my hair back behind my ear.
“Henry?!” I barked, realising for the first time through the fog in my head that he wasn’t there. Panic surged. Was he in another bed? Was he badly injured? Was he—no. I couldn’t finish that thought. He had to be okay.
I turned to Rachel, and she looked furious. Mum and Dad, on the other hand, looked… sad. What the hell was going on?
“He’s not here, darling,” Mum said in that overly gentle voice you use when you’re trying to soothe a child.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know all the details, but the police said that the driver of your vehicle stayed on scene. He had some bad injuries but declined to come to the hospital. The officer said that since he wasn’t the cause of the accident, they just took his statement and let him go.”
“How long ago was that?”
“About six hours. They’ve had you on strong painkillers that kept you pretty out of it.”
“Six hours?! Then where is he? Has anyone checked on him? What if he’s really hurt somewhere?” My pulse spiked as I tried to push myself up, but the searing pain in my ribs forced me back down. Rachel grabbed my hand.
“He’s okay, Matty. I spoke to Jas. He’s at hers.” Her tone was clipped, sharp.
“What? Why is he there?” I asked, though dread already prickled up my spine.
“Because he’s a cowardly piece of shit who left you alone in the ambulance and hasn’t even bothered to show his face here to see if you’re alright.” Rachel’s voice cracked with rage, every word a dagger.
“Rachel!” Mum snapped, silencing her, though the fire still burned in her eyes.
“That doesn’t make sense,” I whispered. “He wouldn’t leave me. Something must be wrong. Have you spoken to him yourself?”
“No. I’ve spoken to Jas. He won’t talk to me. She just said he’s pretty shaken up or something.” Rachel’s expression made it clear she couldn’t care less if he was shaken—after all, he wasn’t the one lying broken in a hospital bed.
And part of me got it. I was hurt, I was broken. But still… something wasn’t adding up. I knew how Henry felt. I knew what he said, not just in words but in actions. To leave me now—after this—it didn’t make sense.
But my head hurt too much. The pain, the drugs, the fear in my parents’ faces, and the weight of Rachel’s words pressed down until the dam cracked. Tears blurred my vision and spilled hot and helpless down my cheeks.
I wanted to be angry. I wanted to throw something against the wall. I wanted to go to Jas’s and demand answers. But I couldn’t. I was too heartbroken, too weak.
He left me. Henry left me.
And right now, I had never felt more broken.