Hate to Love You - Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Hannah
She attacked out of nowhere, rushing forward and catching me completely off guard.
Beth came at me with strength and speed that belied her small frame, and before I could do anything but let out a startled yelp, she collided with me, sending us both to the ground.
All of the breath was knocked out of me as my back and head hit the ground hard, jolting all my senses. Stars danced in my vision as a blinding agony shot through my skull, and I let out a pained groan.
"Oh my God!" I heard someone shout through the lightning ricocheting through my head and down my spine.
Before I could fully comprehend the situation, I felt a pair of hands wrap around my neck, squeezing with a vice-like grip, cutting off my air supply. Instinctively, my hands reached up for her wrists as panic and fear shot through me. I tried desperately to pry her fingers away, but she was saddling me and all of her body's weight was leaning forward into her grip — so I clawed at her hands, breaking skin with my nails — except she was too enraged to care.
"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" I heard her screaming as she sobbed through the blood rushing in my ears. "I wish you would just die!"
Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably, her grip tightening around my throat with every passing second. I couldn't focus on what she was saying because I was too busy trying to get her off me. I attempted to buck her off, but she was sitting too far up my body, her small but firm thighs squeezing my ribs.
"Hannah!" Past the blood rushing in my ears, I heard Jenny's voice, a mixture of fright and urgency as she rushed to pull Beth off me.
"Let go of me!" Beth screeched at Jenny as she tried to drag her off me.
I could see Jenny's red hair through the involuntary tears leaking from my eyes as she tried to help, but Beth was relentless, her knees digging into my ribs as she maintained her death grip around my throat.
"I said let go of me!" she snarled at Jenny.
Reaching up, I tried to claw at her face, but because she was putting a lot of pressure on my carotid arteries, the edges of my vision were starting to darken. Each second felt like an eternity as I fought for breath, the world starting to dim.
This woman was actually trying to kill me. And I had no idea why.
"Where is he? Is he here?" she demanded, shaking me.
"Someone call the police!"
As my vision dipped, and the strength ebbed from my limbs, I struggled to comprehend the mayhem erupting around me. The sound of running footsteps and frantic screams echoed, but they felt distant and distorted, drowned out by the relentless pounding of my heartbeat in my head. I could only focus on the face of the girl above me.
For a few agonizing seconds, time seemed to stand still as our gazes locked and held. I saw something primal and feral in her eyes, and it sent a cold chill coursing through my veins.
Then, suddenly, Beth was torn away from me, and that debilitating pressure around my neck was gone. I immediately sucked in gulps of air, coughing and gasping, my every breath raspy and stuttered.
Through the fog of pain and confusion, I watched as Jenny and Molly struggled to restrain Beth, her screams filling the room as she kicked and jerked in their grasp. Amanda was on the phone, talking to the other person on the line as her eyes darted between me and Beth. I thought I saw concern on her face, but I couldn't bring myself to analyze her facial expressions at a time like this.
Shakily, and still holding my tender neck, I pushed myself up from the floor, stumbling as my body trembled with shock. The back of my head was throbbing and I had to fight against the vertigo, wincing as I straightened up.
What the fuck just happened?
"I'll kill you!" Beth's screech sliced through the air, jolting me. "Do you hear me? I'm going to make sure you never touch him again! You don't deserve him!"
The events of the past minute felt surreal and my head was spinning too fast for me to comprehend or even attempt to figure out what was going on. Still panting as I gingerly touched the back of my head to feel a small lump developing, I looked at her.
"What is wrong with you?" My voice emerged hoarse and strained, every word sending a sharp pain shooting down my throat.
Jenny watched me in concern, straining to keep Beth away from me. "Are you okay, Hannah? Do we need to take you to the hospital?"
"Look at her neck! Of course, we have to take her to the hospital!" Molly shouted, obviously freaked out as she struggled against the crazy woman.
"The police are on the way," Amanda interjected, keeping a wary eye on Beth.
When Beth heard this, she lashed out, sinking her teeth into Molly's arm, who then screamed and let go of her.
This time I was ready for her. She wasn't the only angry one and I was older, taller, and outweighed her. I was also an older sister.
Right as she got to me, I shifted my weight to the side, hooking my ankle around both of hers. Reaching up, and fisting a handful of her hair, I used it as leverage as I swept my leg and yanked down with all my strength.
She cried out as she hit the ground, her head snapping under the force of my raised fist still holding a handful of her hair. And then I dropped her, and she fell onto her back, staring up at me with panicked eyes. Straddling her, I drew my arm back, blowing my hair out of my face as it hung in disarray around me. Panting heavily, I glared down at her, and then I struck. There was a sickening crunch as my fist connected, and I felt something give way beneath my knuckles.
"Hannah!" Jenny gasped.
"That's what you get for strangling me," I rasped. Exhaustion claimed my frame, and I slumped back, still feeling weak and dizzy.
As I looked down at Beth, her tear-streaked face and the blood gushing from her nose, a wave of nausea washed over me. The sight of the aftermath of my punch made me feel sick, but at the same time, I just wanted her to stop. And maybe I wanted to hurt her too — for what she just did to me.
With a weary sigh, I carefully climbed off Beth and sat next to her. Turning to Jenny, I said, "Help me get her up."
Nodding as she stared at me with concern, she knelt down beside us, and together we lifted Beth into a seated position. I guided her head forward, my hand resting on her shoulder, feeling each sob that wracked her body.
"Why are we helping the crazy bitch?" Molly's voice rang out, her wounded arm cradled protectively against her chest.
I understood Molly's frustration and outrage, but... "She could choke."
The irony of that wasn't lost on me.
Still reeling from this whole situation, I finally asked, "Why did you do that, Beth? Why did you attack me when I've done nothing but try to help you?"
She glared at me through her tears. She looked like a mess — snot, tears and blood covering her red face as her tangled hair stuck to the wetness on her face.
"Because it's not fair!" she sobbed, her voice breaking, "Why did you have to take him from me? He's all I have left. He's mine."
Everything inside of me went cold at her words. If she was talking about Tristan, then was she the one who...
Rage flared up, overpowering any sympathy I might have had. My grip on her shoulder tightened, and I spoke through clenched teeth, "No, he isn't. You had no right to touch him. You should be in jail for what you did."
She whimpered, covering her face with her hands as she wept. "What? All I ever did was love him. I did everything he told me to. So why? Why wasn't it enough? Why did he choose to go back to you? Why hasn't he forgiven me yet?" This made her dissolve into another inconsolable fit.
Confused, I drew back and regarded her with a frown. Choose to go back to me?
"Beth, who are you talking about right now?"
But she couldn't answer me in the state she was in. She was practically wailing.
"Do you want me to grab some water and a towel?" Jenny's voice came softly from beside me, meeting my eyes with concern.
Nodding softly, I gave her a small grateful smile. I didn't know how this would have ended if she hadn't been here, along with Molly and... Amanda. I glanced over my shoulder at Amanda, who stood just behind us, arms crossed and brows furrowed, keeping a vigilant eye on Beth in case she decided to go psycho on us again. And I was pretty sure she had helped Molly and Jenny get Beth off me before she called the cops.
My neck twinged when I turned back to Beth and, gingerly, I reached up to touch the area. My fingers brushed over the tender skin, and I grimaced. I knew it was going to be worse once the shock and adrenaline left my system — it was already starting to ache. And then there was the bump on my head that still throbbed. I guess I could just be glad that there was an external bump.
"When are the police gonna get here?" I heard Molly ask Amanda.
"I don't know. They said in a couple of minutes."
I had a limited amount of time to get answers.
"Beth," I said again, waiting for her to look at me as she hiccuped and sniffled, "Are you talking about Tristan?"
She shook her head, still crying. "Who's that?"
Relief washed over me at her response. The last thing I wanted was to deepen Tristan's pain or further reopen old wounds.
"Then who are you talking about?"
She looked at me with heartbroken eyes, and whispered, "Dylan."