7

"Oh, gracias dios, she is waking up!"

I know that voice anywhere, even now. My eyes flutter open and I can instantly tell I'm laying in a room in my house— My previous house with my parents but not on the same bed I had. This texture is far too soft for it to be mine.

"Mi Luna," Someone's grabbing my face— Valerie is. I stare now as both of her hands stay clasped on my cheeks, her eyes running through every inch of my face as she asks, "Are you alright? Is there any pain? Anything you'd like to tell us that is wrong or might be wrong?"

I try to pick up any hint of lies in her words but all I hear is pure concern. Past me would have believed this in an instant and felt grateful that she even worried about me but all I can feel now is nothingness.

"You are in my bed, Ana, so you don't have to look so lost. You're home. You're safe."

My head turns to that voice, a string of coldness wrapping around my heart as I stare at my sister. Sophia. Even now, she looks worried as well. Not as frantic as Valerie but worried regardless. Or maybe she's trying to play that off as well but her perfect face and clothes makes it impossible for me to believe her.

Or maybe it's because she's a two timing goat. Who knows?

"Are you okay? You had us worried,"

Ethan is the one speaking next and at that moment, I wonder how blind I had to be not to notice whatever must have happened between them. He's not even an inch close to the bed I'm in but by Sophia. In fact, there's barely any space between them and he is not even trying to hide his disinterest in whatever happened to me.

"Say something, Liana," My Mother's voice comes next. My Father, ever the submissive and silent figure in our life, says nothing from behind her as she stares at her watch. Her irritation at me not even doing a single thing yet bothering her, like my whole existence always has. "Some of us actually have things to get to,"

The Liana of before would be apologizing profusely by now for taking any of her time, even when I secretly craved it but now… Now, I feel nothing towards her.

Valerie squeezes my hand, as if trying to reassure me that I shouldn't care because she knows words like that would hurt me. I think of how pitiful I must have looked to her. Parentless with parents. Married but without a husband. And my only friend being her. I can almost laugh at myself. "What happened?"

"Ethan proposed to you and you passed out," I want to hate her voice now but that's almost impossible. Sophia sounds like an angel as she speaks to me, her smile so kind I'm beginning to feel like I imagined her in Ethan's office. "Must have been really excited, huh?"

Ethan shrugs, "Not as excited as me, that's for sure."

He doesn't even sound the least excited.

Wait a minute. I passed out after Ethan proposed to me? That must mean… That must mean we aren't married yet, so we're three years in time.

I try to think of everything that had happened when he proposed to me. I'd said yes, my whole family had been there. Sophia bought me a celebratory gift. Valerie had been ecstatic. My parents had even given me a slice of their attention.

They had all been there. Like now.

And they're all waiting for a response.

My eyes scan each and every one of them, taking pictures of the emotions on their face. Apathy. Frustration. Awkwardness. Worry. Concern.

Soon, they'd all share one collective emotion. Shock.

"Ah," I move my hand through my hair, scratching it slightly. Ethan raises an eyebrow at my tone of voice but I act like I don't notice it as I set my hands back on my sides and say, "No."

It happens just like I predicted. Shock— But with different tones under it.

My Father for the first time in my life seems to have light return to his eyes as he blinks at me, stupefied. My Mother looks like she's finally noticed my existence, like I'm real— And insane. Ethan looks like I'd just slapped him. Sophia is trying to hide her shock under her always perfectly curated stillness but I can see through her now. And Valerie…

There's pain on her face now and I can't even help how my heart hurts a bit because of it.

"Liana, are you—"

I feel Ethan's hand on my skin before I see him. Immediately, I yank myself away, my head snapping towards his direction as I glare at him. He's beside me now, his face twisted in even deeper shock at my obvious repulsion.

Then his face cracks and I see the emotion in his eyes. Anger. He's angry that I'm refusing him. I know that look now. It was how he looked when he hit me.

Rage fills me now, building like bricks and stacking against each other as the need to strike his ugly mug of a face swells inside me. Before I can do it, I hear Valerie say, "Is something wrong, hija?"

Daughter. She just called me daughter.

I turn to look at her now. She looks even more scared than before— And for a moment, I want to wrap myself in my arms and tell her that I'm scared too but when I remember what Helios had said, it only makes me feel cold.

Still, what am I doing? This is too sudden. I need to have a plan. Rawdogging all of this would be insane.

I sigh and put a hand on my forehead. "I don't feel good," I lay back down on the bed and close my eyes. "We can get married but for now, leave. I think I need to sleep."

I know my response is not what they want to hear but I also know Valerie wouldn't let them bother me anymore. I hear her telling everyone to leave the room and as that happens, I feel someone kiss me on the forehead.

At first, I think it's her until I hear, "I hope you'll be alright, Ana,"

Sophia.

I feel myself still but I don't bother to act like I felt her till I hear the door close.

I need to leave this house. And I need to leave fast.