Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 192: Chapter 192

ASHAL

For the first few seconds after the doctor speaks, all I hear is a high-pitched sound ringing in my ears. Gradually, my vision wavers, then blurs. Every sound fade and every movement around me slow to a crawl—nurses pacing, monitors beeping, mouths opening and closing with no sound uttered.

Faces meld with the white walls of the hospital. My breath catches as doctor Ezra continues to speak. I see his lips moving, feel the weight of his words crashing toward me—but I can’t hear any of it. I feel someone grip my hand tightly. Mother? My entire family surrounds me.

But I still can’t hear anything that’s being said. Instead, I feel everything; the immense pain clawing up my chest, the trembling hands fisting in my shirt. Like the pain isn’t enough, the visceral scene of the incident plays in a loop in my head. My mind reels—spins backward—to the last moments. To Maddi curled against the floor, her lips parted in a scream I couldn’t hear. To her panicked eyes fluttering shut.

To Olivia—God, Olivia—with her arms cradled over her belly, hunched and bleeding from the nose, her teeth clenched in agony. Her eyes were wild, not just with fear, but with something deeper—protectiveness. She wasn’t scared for herself. She was terrified for her baby. For our baby. She had never looked more maternal than in that moment.

The images shred my heart.

No! They both have to survive. Neither of them deserves this. But the silence stretches on yet no one is saying their name. And with every second that passes, the less curious I am to know exactly what the doctor is saying. Because whichever name rolls off the doctor’s tongue will automatically mean one thing... the other is gone.

"Ashal? ASHAL!"

My mind snaps back to consciousness. My brothers are huddled close to me. Mother’s hands are indeed squeezing mine in support. Even father is still reeling with shock. I finally find my voice but it’s thick with raw pain as I ask him the dreaded question.

"Who died?"

***

A WEEK LATER

"Ashal?"

I burrow my hands between my thighs and draw a sharp breath. It’s been a week since the horror of the sit-down meeting yet nothing has changed about the way I feel; empty, hurt and dead inside.

I clear my throat but it doesn’t change much. While my head is a hive of ’what Ifs’ and the things I could have done differently

feel Dr. Welsh’s hand on my knee. "Take a

I open my eyes, they’re blurry and wet. "It still h-hurts." Breath thick, hands trembling slightly, I clench my fists as visions of the sky

Ashal, eventually. But you’ll have to

of pill to numb the pain and stop the

feeling since it happened. Trust me, Ashal." She adds, taking my hand, when I flash my misty eyes up at her. "I have lost a lot of people who were very dear to me. I remember feeling lost too but one truth I garnered from my experience is that with time, the pain ceases to be as raw as it feels now. You won’t always fake a smile and pretend to the world that you’re doing okay. One day, you’ll wake up with a genuine smile and realize you re actually doing okay

I nod at her.

felt when you woke up

voice grows distant till everything goes completely silent. Then suddenly, I hear

"Are you sure?"

find three faces like mine staring right back at me from the doorway. I’m not in Doctor Welsh’s office after all, but in

I asked,

bare room a quick, sweeping glance. "Are you sure you want to sell

memories of a past I want to forget than of special moments that I will treasure for a long time. I run a hand over my face exhale sharply. How soon can things go back to being normal for me? When will I wake up without the pain in my chest or the clawing fear of losing someone dear

me of

anything? Just let us know." Asher says, patting my

"I will. Thank you."

memories made in this house, both the good and the ugly. The different shades of Olivia that I never could decipher until I stepped through the door. Lily with a faux smile

every corner of the house. It gets so overwhelming that I immediately

and

"Your beard...you need a trim. And your hair..." She visibly stops herself from reaching forward to touch my hair. "They’ve looked

low warning through gritted teeth. My fists are tightened.

plea on her lips. "I did what I thought was best for you. Ashal, you deserve as much love as you give. I couldn’t bear to see those women toying

killing them

I thought getting rid of them would finally allow you to see that the true love you’ve always sought was right in front of you; ME" She shudders in fright as I slam my fists on the table between us. Catching myself, I take

It was only supposed to...they lied to me." She