She didn't speak to him for the remainder of her stay, didn't speak to anyone for that matter. The nurses told her father it was probably trauma, but he knew why.
She didn't speak to him, didn't look at him, avoided any and all contact with him and she knew it was hurting him, but she couldn't bring herself to care. He deserved it, she was hurting because of him. She needed to see Castle, but he wasn't here, because of her father and she would never forgive him for that.
They released her a couple days later, of course with the warning to take it easy and a generous amount of painkillers. She sat as far away from him in the cab as she could and he didn't even try to come closer.
She just couldn't believe him, this had to be the worst thing he had ever done to her. She loved her father, but this – She wondered what her mother would think. Whose side would she be on? Her mother was always a hopeless romantic and not at all the kind to be on someone's side just because, would she have approved of Rick or would she have forbidden her from seeing him?
Her mother could always see through people, always knew what kind of person they were despite everything else. That's what made her such a great lawyer and Kate unable to hide anything from her, not that she wanted to, she trusted her mother more than anything and now she wish she could trust her father like that too.
A tear rolled down her cheek at the thought of her mother, which she quickly wiped away, not willing to give into to emotions now, not with her father watching her every move.
She stared out the window, passing the scene where they met in their accident weeks ago, it looked as if nothing had happened. She heard nothing about the man who crashed into them, but she suspected her father had dealt with that.
She wished she could have seen him when she woke up, wish he had been there holding her hand, kissing her when she finally came to.
She shut her eyes and couldn't help wondering just what he was doing now.
Had he moved on?
The thought killed her, was it possible? She didn't think so, Rick didn't seem like that type, but she couldn't help the feeling of doubt that crept into her heart.
First thing she was going to do when she got home was head straight to his house, her father be damned.
Two weeks earlier
"Ricky?" He heard the shy voice call from his door.
He sat by his window, staring out, that's all he did for the past weeks. He turned to his sister who was watching him carefully and a bit fearful.
He felt the tug on his heart at her expression, knowing she was just a little bit afraid to come around him now, but she never stopped trying.
Shortly after he returned home without Kate, she questioned him non-stop about her.
"Where was Kate?"
"When are we going to see Kate?"
"Did you guys break up?"
Everything was Kate and he couldn't take it. He yelled at her. He had never yelled at her before.
He was just full of anger and sadness at what happened. Her father's words played over in his head and he carried the blame on his shoulders. He spent his time wondering what things would be like if they hadn't met in the accident, had they left the house later or earlier, took a different route or had simply not gone at all, she would still be here in his arms.
She had caught him at a bad moment, when he was on the brink of emotion, missing her terribly, needing to feel her against him, just simply needing her and he snapped.
He yelled at her, unloading it all on his baby sister, whose eyes filled with tears and disappointment and he just couldn't seem to stop until his knees buckled and he slumped against the wall onto the floor. He brought his knees to his chest, put his face in his hands and cried for the first time since he left the hospital.
He cried for her, cried for her presence, her love, just her. He felt the tiny arms of his sister timidly against his shoulder and then she was hugging him and he had cried even harder, holding her tightly to him and just apologizing.
She had forgiven him, but now she was cautious and he felt terrible that he had taken it out on his innocent sister.
Maybe he didn't deserve Kate.
He offered her a small smile, the biggest he could muster and she came into his room holding a plate with a slice of cake on it. Today was her birthday, he'd been okay enough to celebrate with her, but left after she cut the cake.
He didn't know he could ever feel this depressed, it wasn't like this after their parents died and it wasn't like she was dead, but she may as well be.
He shook his head as his sister came over to him, offering him a piece of her cake and he took it. He had no appetite, didn't really want the cake, but he had to make it up to her in every way he could.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her to him, enveloping her in a hug.
"Happy Birthday lady bug." He whispered into her hair.
He hadn't called her lady bug since their parents died and he didn't know why but it just came out now, but she just wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back.
"It will be okay." She said quietly.
He almost started crying again at her quiet reassurance, that wasn't supposed to be her role, that was supposed to be his.
He leaned back and rested the cake on his desk and placed his hands on both her shoulders and really looked at her. They had a lot of fun together, he took care of her and she took care of him and they were okay for the few years they had been on their own.
Then Kate came into their lives and then they were really, truly happy and now that she was maybe gone, they were back to the careful, measured movements and words they were at when their parents died and he hated that.
He hated the cautious and scared look in her eyes, beneath the innocence of his baby sister.
He was devastated by all of this and he knew if he didn't do anything about it now, he'd shut down on her, like he had before and he couldn't do that to her.
"What do you say we go up to Florida for the rest of summer? Visit the rest of our family?" He suggested and his heart was warmed by the way her eyes instantly lit up.
Maybe being around the rest of his family would help, it didn't hurt to have the company and Ari would have her cousins to spend her time with. He loved her to death, but having company her own age would probably be better for her while he went through this.
It would be good for him too, she hadn't returned and it was breaking his heart to even be in the same state, knowing she wasn't around to hug or hold. He wasn't sure what was going to happen for them, he called her phone many times, sent her many messages and she hadn't replied and hadn't come home, he just didn't know and he hated not knowing.
He just knew he had to leave for a while.
She threw her arms around his neck again and squealed.
"Can we?!"
He nodded, running his fingers through her hair.
"Of course bug, we can leave in two days, think you can be packed and ready by then?"
She removed herself from his grasp and was basically running out of his room, "I can be ready in the next two hours!" She called over her shoulder.
He laughed, "Well I'll give them a call tonight then."
She squealed again and left the room, leaving him alone again and the smile fell off of his face. He honestly would rather wallow in his depression alone right now, but he had his sister to think about as well and he had to keep her distracted and happy.
Had to keep her not thinking about Kate, while he spent every waking hour thinking about Kate.
End A/N: I apologize for any mistakes :) Updating this chapter because a guest reviewed about the category I put the story in, sorry if I mislead anyone with the just "romance" title, I honestly never intended for this story to go this way or go longer than four chapters or so, so I've updated it to Angst, not sure if there will be more chapters like this or not ... but just in case. Thanks reviewer! Sorry for misleading :/