Love Aint Always Pretty novel Chapter 58

Quatervois

- a crossroad; a critical decision or turning point in one's life.

Origin: French

58

NICK'S POV

SEVEN YEARS AGO

I ran to them and tried to hold Catherine as she groans for pain. I shot her. I'm crying hard and there were more blood. So much blood. Catherine's blood stained her dress as it runs down on my hands.

"Call for help! Call for help!" I yelled at Hans.

Hans stands away and quickly pulled out his phone. I'm shaking. I'm shaking as I hold Catherine on my arms. She smiles weakly as she squints her eyes cos of the pain.

"Catherine.... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." I repeated the same exact words.

"Shhh... It's not your fault Nick. Don't... Arghh.. Don't blame yourself." Catherine says while grunting.

She wipes my tears. "It's not your fault love."

I shake my head in disagreement.

"I'm sorry." I cried.

"My dad won't let me tell you this... But Nick... Y-you're a father now." She holds my shaking hand then placed it on top of her bump.

"This is your baby." She says.

She smiles while tears were crawling out from her eyes. "Our baby."

My head bent down and more tears were coming out from my eyes. I hate myself. I hate myself for what I did.

"If I don't survive..." Catherine says with such shakiness in her voice.

"Don't say that." I begged.

She smiled weakly. "Please... Please save him Nick. Save our baby. Save him for me Nick." She says while crying.

"Promise me you will." She takes a grip on my hand.

I nod and kissed her forehead as I hold her close to my chest.

I shot Catherine.

I shot Catherine.

I put our baby in critical condition.

"Live for me. Live for me and our baby Catherine. I need you. I need both of you. Please live for me. For us. Please. I'm begging you please stay." I kiss her hand.

She smiles and nods. "I will."

As soon as help came, I went with Hans in the ambulance and both of us neither talked to each other. When we arrived at the hospital, I was still holding Catherine's hand while she fell unconscious. I would always kiss her hand and my tears just won't stop from falling. I'm so scared of what I have done. I don't want to lose her. I don't want to lose out baby.

"Catherine please be okay. Catherine. Catherine you promised me." I cried.

My hands were still shaking while I hold her hands close to my lips. My lips are trembling too. I kissed her knuckles as my tears were streaming down my face. My tears are just unstoppable. Catherine was unconscious now. She went unconscious during the drive. My heart is racing. Fear is gathering inside my body. I'm scared. I'm so scared of losing her. Hans was also crying but he hasn't talked to me during the entire drive to the hospital.

"Sir I'm sorry but you can't come through this door. Sir please step back." The nurse said to me as he pushed me away.

I ran my fingers through my hair and pulled my hair back. I'm so mad at myself. I shot her. I almost put her to death. Oh god please save Catherine and save my son. Please save our son. Suddenly, I see Alec from the corner of my eyes who ran towards me and Hans.

"Dude I came here as soon as you texted me. Where's Catherine?" Alec asked me as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

I couldn't answer.

"Where is she?" Alec asked again.

"He fucking shot her!! He fucking shot Catherine!" Hans yelled and ran towards me.

Hans grabbed my collar and pushed me hard against the wall. I let him do what he was doing to me. I groaned as he started hitting me but Alec pulled him away from me while some female patients screamed when they saw it. Nurses and some other hospital staff ran towards us and started trying to stop the commotion cos Hans was raging his anger out at me. He tried to throw himself again at me but he was blocked and pulled away.

"Back off dude!" Alec pushed Hans.

"You're gonna pay for this Nick! Once Catherine's father will know about this, you're fucked! If something bad will happen to Catherine, I swear to god you're going to fucking jail!" Hans yelled.

"Let's go Nick. Let's just stay away from here for a second. Cmon." Alec pulls me.

I couldn't find anything to say cos if something will happen to Catherine, I would blame myself too. I let Alec take me somewhere else cos people were looking at me. My clothes are stained with Catherine's dried blood and my hands are stained too. I'm crying too hard and my heart is hurting too much.

"Nick what the fuck did you do?! Nick! God damn it Nick look at me!" Alec moved me to and fro.

My eyes moved to him.

"What the fuck Nick?! Did you really shot Catherine?" Alec asked.

"It... It wasn't suppose to be her." I muffled.

"Oh my god Nick! You mean to say you really wanted to kill Hans?! Are you out of your mind? Didn't you even think you'll end up in jail if you'll do it?!" Alec throws his tantrum at me.

"Hans killed my mother, Alec!! He killed my mom but he got away with it cos he's filthy rich! He paid the witness to shut up. He paid the police station and the detective to close the case!! How am I not gonna do anything about it?!"

"And now look who you shot? You put Catherine in critical condition! What if it will harm Hans' baby, huh?"

I fell down on my knees, "Catherine said that was my baby, Alec." I cried for more as I covered my face with my hands.

"W-what?"

I pulled my head to Alec. "That baby inside her is mine Alec! It's mine!"

Alec squat down right in front me. "It's your baby?"

I just nodded as my tears kept falling and falling. He quickly hugged me and I fell into Alec's arms. He rubbed my spine and I just cried. I didn't care how weak I looked in front of everybody's eyes but I just can't take what I've done.

"I don't know what to do without Catherine, man. I just don't know what to do if... if she's... Oh god." I muffled weakly as my voice was shaking hard.

"I'm so scared Alec. I'm so scared."

Alec pulled himself away and looked at me. "Everything's gonna be okay. Catherine's a strong woman."

••••

I walked back to where I left Hans and as soon as I got back, I saw Catherine's family -- her parents and Jenna. They're all crying and looked worried as hell.

"Mom will Catie be okay?" Jenna asked as tears fall on her cheeks.

"Yes baby. She will. She will be ok. Your sister won't leave us." Mrs. Forster says while she kissed Jenna's hair.

Mr. Forster saw me and moved his head to where I was standing. "You have the guts to stay behind?!"

He stands from where he was sitting down and I slowly walked towards them. They looked at me with anger. So much anger. Even Jenna looks mad at me.

"I'm so sorry." I say weakly.