Chad stirred slowly as pain pulled him awake. His chest felt heavy, tight, like someone had tied a rope around him. He groaned and tried to move, but his body refused.
"Chad," Venita whispered.
His eyes opened properly then when he heard her voice.
Venita sat beside the bed, her fingers wrapped around his hand like she was afraid he might disappear. Her eyes were swollen and red. Tear tracks stained her cheeks.
"Where's Jax?" Chad asked, his voice rough and dry as his eyes settled on with you
Venita sniffed. "He was with you for a long time. He just stepped out to freshen up in his bedroom."
Chad shut his eyes and breathed out slowly. "Is he… still very upset?"
Venita nodded. Her lips trembled. "He said when you recover, he wants us both out of his house."
Chad swallowed hard. His grip tightened weakly around her fingers. "We should have trusted him more," he said quietly. "We messed up. We shouldn't have done that to Mari. I messed up."
