Chapter 27 - Better
“Alex sweetheart,” Nia said as she took a seat beside me near Crimson’s hospital bed. “You’ve been sitting here in the same position all night. You need to eat something and get some rest before you end up in the hospital as well.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsI0Tiuw7Ql
“I’m not hungry,” I replied monotonously. “Or tired.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsPT8TSHSF
“You’ve been here for over eight hours, you need to at least nibble on something.” She wrapped a comforting arm around my shoulder as she held a granola bar near my mouth. “Please, just eat. I’m sure Crimson would want you to eat.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yyk46jbLW
At the mention of Crimson’s name, my heart ached even more than it already was and I felt a fresh batch of tears forming in my eyes.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Xg6hN3oBb
“This is all my fault Nia.” I cried as I sobbed in her arms. “This is the second time in a month that Crimson is in a hospital bed because of my stupidity.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qx3hLBFcr
“Second time?” She questioned as she rubbed my back. “What do mean second time?”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemqVLMjwHP
“We got into a car accident about two weeks ago.” I sniffled. “We were having a really heated argument and I got mad and wanted to go home, but he wouldn’t take me, so I yanked on the wheel which caused us to run into a tree. He protected my body with his and took most of the damage.” 882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTukiXge4y
Instead of being angry like I thought she would be, her soft hand was gently stroking my head as I cried into her chest. Her arms around me felt so warm and comforting. I felt safe. I felt assured. What was she doing to me? I’ve never felt emotions likes these except for when I was with Crimson and Arty, but it feels different somehow with Nia. It felt...motherly. Was this a mother’s comfort? Was this what I was missing all those times when I needed solace from my mother?882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzftZ6Q2mmu
Nia continued to hold me in her arms and eventually, my sobs had ceased to soft sniffled. “Thank you.” I said gratefully. “I really needed that hug.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCvIkXkUyo
“Anytime sweetie.” She said. “Contrary to what the world may think of you and what you think of yourself, I believe that you’re a good person Alex.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuA396Gudaw
My face morphed into surprised as I pulled away from the hug to stare at her in disbelief. “I caused your son to have an IED episode and I caused him nearly lose his life in a car crash. You should be hating and cursing at me! Not hugging me! I know that you’ve seen the news reports with me. I’m a terrible person, they show how terrible I am all the time! How can you possibly think that I am a good person? I’ve done nothing to convince you that I am!”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2PYNwdRFU
She sighed as meek smile formed on her face. “Maybe I should rephrase my statement. What I meant was, I believe that you are truly a good person. But because of the media always portraying you as negative, you’ve convinced yourself that that’s what you are. A negative person. So you respond in a negative way to social situations because it’s the only way you know how to. You’ve never been taught how to be positive. And I bet those parents of yours never even attempted to teach you.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjZK3VMJcA
My eyes widened even more. How did she know about my parents? “How did you-”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8tf63i9sG
“Crimson told me everything,” She said. “About how they’re not what they appear to be on camera and about how they’ve mistreated you and siblings since birth. It’s no one’s fault but theirs why you’re the way you are. And to be honest, this entire ordeal with Crimson is their fault. If they had been proper and loving parents, this probably wouldn’t have never happened.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleUdnTQH7w
A lot of things would’ve never happened if my parents actually loved me. My life would’ve been completely different. But even so, most of the blame still falls on me. I am sixteen, nearly seventeen years old. I should be able to control my temper and tongue when it is called for. I shouldn’t be as impulsive as I am. I shouldn’t be as rude, or selfish, or demanding, or bitchy!882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FZ1NaMGgF
“I still have to take responsibility for this Nia,” I wiped my tears as I stood from the chairs. “I know that the media is outside the hospital, waiting on me to comment on is this incident, aren’t they?”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdja39nPpyZ
She sighed deeply. “They’ve been out there for hours. News stations are reporting on it. They’re apparently questioning whether it’s safe to have an IED as a royal guard for a princess.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5gRDg0OAO
Thankfully, everyone at the scene had been so enamored by an unconscious Crimson, that they didn’t really pay attention to me for the first few minutes and that gave me enough time to cover the bruises that Crimson had inflicted on me with Apricot’s scarf. It would’ve been very bad if someone had seen them.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZL1AtwfmEd
“Has their been any statement from the palace?” I questioned. I wonder if Robert knew Crimson was an IED?882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrF91tWezXc
“Not yet,” she shook her head. “But it’s bound to happen soon.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ohnO9Jdaq
I sighed as I pushed my greasy, tangled curls out my face. I couldn’t even run my fingers through them without inflicting pain on my scalp. “I’ll go make a statement to the press. Hopefully that will keep them away for a while.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqnW8WxhR7
“Are sure you?” she asked. “You could wait a little longer before you-”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJGEu4D0uE
“No Nia,” I abruptly cut her off. “The sooner I do this, the better.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgn4OoMEFu1
She stared at me concerned for a few moment before she reluctantly sighed and nodded. “If that’s what you think is best.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRXzeLIyF6
I quickly grabbed my jacked and wrapped in tightly around my body and adjusted my scarf to ensure that their were no visible bruises present before I walked out of Crimson’s hospital room. Every step I took filled y body with more dread.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4lQdVAErC
I didn’t want to do this. I really didn’t want to do this. But I have to. I have to start taking responsibility for my actions. Usually, if something like this happened, I’d make Arty deal with the press and clean up the mess I made because of the selfish and immature person that I was. But not anymore. I know I’ve said this a lot, but I am going to change. I am going to change my ways before they corrupt and make me hurt people I care about any further.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKjjD6HEaL
The giant doors of the hospital exit came in view and the multiple nurses and doctors who were trying to keep the press at bay were surprised and relieved to see my presence. “Thank you for your assistance. But I’ll take it from here.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1buteI0FJd
The slowly moved out of the way and let me walk through to the door. When one reporter caught sight of me, he immediately told the others and they all began moving back, making space for me to stand directly in front of the doors.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRl4Lm6xqR
“PRINCESS ALEXANDRA? DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR ROYAL GUARD WAS AN IED?”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFym65rPoD
“No,” I answered truthfully.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVDf1xHcBH
“WHAT CAUSED HIM TO HAVE AN EPISODE?”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sbFdIy02a
“Stress from a heavy workload.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaeYOzncvr
“IS IT TRUE THAT HE HIT YOU?”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuFJYIUmZ5
“Absolutely not!” I lied flawlessly. “He is a very loyal and respectable guard who would never put his hands on me, no matter the circumstance!”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6vPDMtkqZ
“WILL YOU HAVE HIM REPLACED BECAUSE OF HIS DISORDER?”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBpjl1VS5g
“No,” I replied. “He will remain my Royal Guard as long as I see him fit for the role. And he has been doing an excellent job since he was hired.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8P2xOR1kZa
“DO YOU FEEL ANY BIT THREATENED BY BEING SO CLOSE TO AN IED 24/7?”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiR3xfRq3Rs
“No,” I said simply. “That is all the questions I will answer for now. Please exit the hospital premises or else I will have you forcibly removed by Heartland Police. Thank you!”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrYEOpLldR
Not sparing anyone of them another glance. I turned around and walked back inside the hospital. I could hear them screaming as shouting for me even as I stood in the elevator.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ553WX6Gzmy
God. What am I going to do? I may have soothed the press for now, but now their is Robert who I have to convince. He’s head of security and though he doesn’t have the power to actually fire Crimson, since he didn’t hire him, he can suspend him without pay for up to a year, and that would be very bad for his family!882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7oDRozWZK
“That was quick?” Nia said as I walked back into the room. “How was it?”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBnZDHmI8o
“Short and simple.” I sat down. “I answered everything curtly. I didn’t want to say something that they could use to twist and fabricate to make it seem as if I’d something else.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHUlTyWvT0
“Smart, very smart,” She remarked. “Those reporters will always try to twist around your words.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbsbbN4WHK
“Yeah.” I said. “How’s Crimson doing? When will he wake up?”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcobFkUVtvj
“The doctor says in a few hours.” She rubbed his cold, limp hand. “But he’ll probably have to stay overnight for observation.”882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBcODRwiZy
I bit my lip and I slowly trailed my fingers down his face. Crimson. I’m so sorry for what I did to you. But I promise, here and now that I’m going to change. Not just for us, but for the world.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwPFg8R8RV
I’ll be a be a better girlfriend.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ675NHViLwz
A better friend.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVsr6BlAwq
A better sister.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDBYiXB91p
A better princess.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBU7eQz3nS
A better Alex.882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbz2IEJ8Nu
____________________________________________________________________________________
If any of you are as bad as Alex is, I encourage you to be a better person because no human being should be as bad as Alex, maybe like 20% max but not 100%; that’s very bad.
Birthday’s in two days! Can’t wait XD XD882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0MogUpja1
Keep on Reviewing Beautiful People!882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexcutmfBka
Peace Out!882Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuOv8xpSHc
^_^
