Backstabbed (Amber Freeman x Fem Reader)

chapter 5: weak smiles

Tara had been through a lot in the past few hours. She had been attacked by Ghostface in her own home and narrowly escaped with her life.

The group made their way to the hospital, their hearts heavy with worry for their friend. As they walked through the halls towards Tara's room, they could hear the sound of beeping machines and quiet whispers.

Y/N's heart was pounding as she pushed open the door, and she was relieved to see that Tara was awake and propped up in bed, looking tired but alert.

"Tara!" Y/N squealed as she and Amber rushed into the room, the rest following after. She scooped her into a hug.

"Oh, thank god you're awake," she whispered.

Tara weakly returned the embrace, a small smile on her face.
"Hey, Y/N," she said softly. "I'm so glad you guys came."
Relief flooded through her, her shoulder still buried into Y/N's shoulder.

She soaked up the embrace, her eyes watering from the intensity of it. Her stomach growled in protest as she felt herself becoming increasingly clingy toward Y/N.

Tara thought she smelled really nice. She wore this perfume that Tara liked, the scent of lavender and vanilla hitting her nostrils.

"Of course," Y/N said while they embraced, "We would run to the ends of the earth for you, Tar."

Tara hid her blushing face in Y/N's shoulder. Why did she have to say such nice things to her?

Y/N tried not to squeeze too much, afraid that if she did, she would break the girl.

Amber stood back, watching the interaction with a guarded expression. Y/N could tell that her girlfriend was still upset, but she didn't know how to broach the subject without causing a fight.

Tara pouted when Y/N pulled away from the hug, fighting the urge to pull her back down. She wished she could remain in the embrace for a little while longer.

"Hey, Tara," Amber said, finally breaking the silence.

Tara turned to her, a look of surprise on her face that she hoped wasn't noticeable.
"Amber, hey," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"How are you feeling?" Amber asked, her tone softer than Y/N expected.

Tara shrugged.
"I've felt better," she said, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Y/N spoke up.

"We were so anxious when we heard."

Tears started to prick her eyes, but she blinked them away. Y/N took Tara's free hand, the other one was heavily bandaged. Her fingers were cold to the touch, making Y/N shiver. She rubbed a thumb over Tara's knuckles, trying to give her best smile.

"It's not as bad as you think," Tara lied through her teeth. Her grin tried desperately to make it to her eyes. Her skin had turned an eerie white, and she appeared exhausted.

She sensed eyes on her, but diverted her attention to Chad and forgot about it. With a wide grin on his face, he displayed a plastic bag.

"Brought ya something from the Shake Shack." He grinned, handing her the meal and putting the beverage on the table.

Tara smiled, grateful for the gesture.
"Thanks, guys," she said, opening the bag and taking out a burger.

She was thankful not to have to eat hospital jello and ice chips for a moment.

Y/N hopped on the bed, squeezing herself with Tara. There was only room for two people but her and Tara were so small that it probably could fit another person there.