"Dad?" I choked out, shifting beneath him, trying to lift him somehow, to make the blood stop, to fix it. "You're gonna be okay. I-I'll call someone. I'll get help. Just... just stay with me—"
I couldn't believe those words were coming out of my mouth.
The man I wanted dead so bad was someone I was begging to stay alive now.
"Aria," he rasped.
I froze.
His voice was broken. Weak. But still… his.
"I'm… sorry." A pause. A tremble in his fingers against mine. "For everything."
My breath hitched.
"No don't say anything yet." I pleaded. I don't know why but it felt like this would be our last conversation.
"I'm sorry I scared you and Olivia..." He coughed, making a wheezing sound as he tried to breathe. "I did what I had to do or he would have gone after you both himself."
My heart sunk deeper inside as I heard his words. It was getting harder to breathe.
"No dad... Please just stop talking... Stop explaining."
But he didn't listen.
