Kage's POV

That night I stayed in the hospital room with Erika. She fell asleep after a little while but I never did. I was too on edge and I needed to keep her safe because recently... it feels like everyone is out to get her.

Erika was passed out. Her right arm was stretched across the bed because of the wires and tubes attached, I was holding her left hand, and her face was buried into my chest. I liked the feeling of her heartbeat and the way her chest would rise and fall with every breath she took... it was really the only thing that relaxed me anymore.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be long before the psychiatrist moved me back to my ward and Erika was by herself again. I was working with Ms.Miller to get my anger under control but that was going to take some time. Time that I didn't have.

**

A few days have passed and Erika was finally able to come back to the teen ward but we weren't allowed to hug her too tight because her ribs were still sore.

I kind of became like her bodyguard because I didn't trust most of the staff anymore. Every night I sat in front of her door, watching down the hallways and making sure no one tried anything. The only time I slept was when Ms.Miller would take over for me in the mornings so I could get a few hours in. Then I wake up, go to the activity ward, and sit with her. It became a pretty good routine that I got used to. Since the thing with Spier, everyone sort of backed off... even Banks.

One day I had gotten to the activity ward and she wasn't there. I asked everyone if they've seen her but... they hadn't. My mind started to race as I went down the hall to the girl's ward. Erika's door was wide open and a janitor was cleaning her room out. My heart stopped and my mind started to fuzz.

where is she

I ran into the nurse's office and bust through the door, hoping to find Ms.Miller.

"What happened to Erika? Where is she?" I asked, my hands gripping her shoulders as I searched her face for answers.

What if something bad happened to her? What if she's hurt?

"Kage, sit down. I can't talk to you like this," She sighed. She didn't look too worried so I tried to calm down a little as I sat down at the table in front of her.

"So?" I was impatient.

"Erika's mother came in this morning and she was screaming about how we charge her for providing food and extra clothing to her while she's in our care. She said she would take Erika home if it cost that much to keep her here-"

"She took her back?!" My heart started pounding and I grit my teeth together, preparing myself for the worst.

"Let me finish... I'm adopting her," She smiled. I stared at her in shock, I was completely taken aback.

"What? Y-You what?"

"Her mother was being completely outrageous and she was being abused at home. I couldn't let Erika go back to that so I told her mother that I will take Erika off her hands if she signed her rights over to me... and she agreed. Of course, the process is very long and time-consuming but she's not going back to that place." I zoned out, taking it all in.

"Alright, but where is Erika now?"

"She's not crazy, Kage. Anyone can see that she doesn't belong here. I checked her out and took her home where she's sleeping now."

"Wait so... I'm never gonna see her again?" I took a shaky breath as the realization hit me but she shook her head.

"I can't do that to her, Kage. She needs you and it'd break her if I did that."

"That's not true... she was doing fine without me."

"Don't be silly," Ms.Miller leaned in and gave me a hug, slipping a piece of paper in my back pocket. I looked at her in confusion and tried looking at it but she just shook her head again, "Please don't let anyone know she's with me."

Miller got up to leave and opened the door, gesturing for me to go first. I nodded and walked out into the activity ward.

Everyone snapped their heads toward me, wondering why Erika was not with me. Everyone was silent until I sat down where I immediately got bombarded with questions.

"Where is Erika? Did she die?" Before I could even get a word out, Brandon shouted from the other side of the room.

"She's pregnant!" All our eyes darted over to him and he cleared his throat, "They fucked in the basement," Brandon added.

I glared at him, hoping that would be the end of it but no, he continues.

"Why else would she disappear? They don't want us to know that that crazy bitch is having his fucking hellspawn!" Brandon seemed to be getting angry. Maddie looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Is that true? Oh please tell us, Kage! Is she okay?" She begged. Brandon walked over to us and crossed his arms.

"Oh yes, Kage, please tell us how you, an almost 20-year-old, violated a 16-year-old on the dirty floor of a basement and got her pregnant," He said smugly, chuckling afterward. I looked down at my lap and took a deep breath.

"That's not what happened," I mumbled while trying not to slaughter this dickhead.

"What I WOULDN'T give to be in your god damn shoes. To have been the one that manipulated a teenage girl into having sex with me." He was trying to get inside my head and make me angry... it was working.

don't kill him don't kill him

"Shut up you sociopath!" I blurted out as I snapped my head up, glaring daggers.

"You can't call me anything I haven't already heard a million times before," He mumbled with a sick and twisted smile on his face that made me want to snap his neck, "Just admit she's having your psycho children."

I stayed silent. I can't hurt him in front of Maddie, she's like my little sister.

"So you admit it? That's why she left?" Brandon backed away and laughed at me like he accomplished something.

But that's how the rumor started. Even some of the new nurses believed it and started to treat me much differently.