Chapter 152: Concern
"You woke up, Daniel? For real?" I gasped, covering my mouth, tears just pouring down my face.
As long as he woke up, everything would be chill. The future for Brad and me would be lit.
"Brad, Brad, get over here!" I shouted, buzzing with excitement.
Brad blinked awake, looking all confused for a sec, then his face changed real quick. He jumped up, all nervous. "What's up, Jane?"
My tears must've freaked Brad out. He rushed over with just one shoe on. "Don't worry, I'm here."
"Don't worry" was Brad's go-to line since Daniel's accident.
His face got super serious as he reached for his phone, his hand shaking like crazy.
Oh God, did Brad think Daniel's gone? Was he about to call Hugh and Emma for a final goodbye?
Why else would he be so serious?
My bad, I didn't explain right.
"Brad, Daniel woke up." I pulled Brad to Daniel's bedside.
Brad's hand froze mid-air, his eyes going red as he stared at Daniel.
"He's awake, he's awake, thank God."
He sank down, exhausted, covering his face with his hands, tears of relief slipping through his fingers.
The tension finally snapped, and Brad's tough-guy act started to crumble.
For the first time, I realized Brad was just as vulnerable.
The doc came in to check and said Daniel would be back to normal with some more rest.
Soon, Hugh and Emma showed up. Seeing Daniel awake, they hugged each other and bawled their eyes out.
I also called Ronan and Helen to share the news. They didn't say much, just reminded me to come home soon since we still had to move stuff to the new house.
Turns out, Ronan and Helen decided to sell the house and move to the new place for good.
Helen asked if I had any objections. What could I say? If they had sold it earlier, maybe things wouldn't have gone down like this.
Brad and I stood aside, watching. Brad's eyes were red. He didn't look at me, but his grip on my hand was tight.
"Jane, thank you, thank you." Emma held my other hand, saying thank you over and over. "I've been wrong, I'm sorry. You're a generous kid, please forgive me, okay?"
Her face was sincere, her tear-filled eyes full of guilt and pleading.
I pulled my hand away and moved to Brad's other side, saying coolly, "I'm helping Brad, it has nothing to do with anyone else."
Emma's smile faded fast. I didn't show her any respect, and she awkwardly pulled her hand back, feeling a mix of shame, anger, and helplessness.
It wasn't that I was petty or vengeful, or that I didn't care about Brad's family. But her actions, her curses towards Brad, made me lose all respect and affection for her. My heart turned cold.
Hugh came over, trying to be all nice, "Jane, it was all Emma's fault. She lost it because of Daniel. You're a good kid, don't hold it against her. We'll make it up to you."
I almost laughed out of sheer anger.
They even said the same things.
How did I not see before how narrow-minded this family was?
"Hugh, why didn't you step in that day? If you had said even one word, Emma might not have said such hurtful things. I can't forgive because I can't understand why you treat your sons so differently. Why should Brad sacrifice his happiness just for Daniel? Daniel's situation is his own doing, it has nothing to do with Brad or me. Why blame us? Why should Brad and I pay for Daniel's mistakes? Don't you think that's unfair?"
Hugh didn't expect me to go off like that. He wanted to argue but couldn't find an excuse, his face turning red with frustration.
Daniel woke up, and everyone felt relieved.
That day, Brad took me home. Seeing the mess inside, with packing bags everywhere, he was stunned.
Ronan told him we were selling the house and moving permanently, never coming back.
Brad sat on the couch in silence for a while, then said, "I'm sorry."
Ronan paused, staring at him, and said, "It's not your fault."
Seeing Brad's awkwardness, I pulled him to my room.
He moved the stuff on the couch aside and sat down, regretfully saying, "Do you really have to move?"
"Yeah," I played with Brad's Adam's apple. "Mom said it's a hassle to go back and forth. After that big fight with Emma, it would be awkward to see her again. Moving is for the best."
"What about me? Are you just gonna leave me here?" Brad's face turned red, and his breathing got all rapid.
I poked his lips. "Brad, you must be exhausted. Go home and get some rest."
Brad pulled my playful hands away, his face turning dark. "Don't touch me."
Only then did I realize I was sitting on his lap. Startled, I quickly hid my face in his jacket.
In the following days, I didn't go to the hospital. Instead, I stayed home with Ronan and Helen, packing and getting ready for the move.
Brad video-called me every day. Through him, I learned that Daniel was recovering quickly. He could sit up on his own, get out of bed, go to the bathroom by himself, and even smile a few times a day.
From his words, it was clear that he still cared a lot about Daniel.
Luckily, Daniel woke up and recovered. Otherwise, as Hugh and Emma said, even if Brad and I were together, we wouldn't be happy. Who could forget such a nasty curse?
That night, after finishing a video call with Brad, I got a Facebook message from Daniel. "Jane, thank you. I know what happened, it was all my parents' fault. I'm glad you're okay, otherwise, I wouldn't dare to see you. And, I'm sorry."
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