cheeks quickly disappear as her eyes widen, terror gripping her. Not knowing what’s going on, I leave the stage and run to Erin whose color has drained completely from her face.
Chapter 14
Shayna
I don’t want him to die. That’s all I can think about. Haven’t I loved him enough? Haven’t I been good enough for him to stay? He can’t die. He can’t leave me. I can’t lose him.
I call Mommy, because I don’t know what else to do, but she doesn’t say anything .
“Mommy?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.
I can hear her breathing and finally she talks and I know everything will be okay. It has to be.
“Shay, baby,” she says softly to me, the way she does when I get scared. “Is Tonya with you?”
I nod my head but she can’t see me.
“She’s with Uncle Nate,” I say out loud. “She called the police.”
“And Uncle Nate?” she asks. “Is he still lying on the ground?”
I feel my bottom lip start to quiver when I nod my head again.
“Shayna?” she asks again.
“He’s still on the ground, Mommy.”
I hear a lot of noise on the other line but not Mommy and I start to think maybe I was wrong. Maybe it won’t be okay. I start to cry quietly. The way I used to when I lived with Momma because I don’t want Uncle Nate to hear me. I don’t want him to get angry that I’m crying because then he might not come back to me.
“Listen, baby girl,” I hear Daddy say into the phone and he sounds so serious I put all my attention in listening to what he tells me. “I want you to go to Tonya and do not leave her side. Even after the ambulance comes and takes Uncle Nate, stay by Tonya’s side, okay?” he asks and I nod my head, not able to make a noise.
I walk silently to Tonya and watch as she puts a white kitchen towel on the front of Uncle Nate’s head while she holds his head on her lap. She looks up at me and I can tell she’s trying not to cry.
“He’s gonna be okay,” she tells me and I nod.
I want to believe her but I know sometimes grown-ups lie.
Chapter 15
Trent
I drum my fingers on the steering wheel as we drive quickly back to Miami. We left all of our belongings in the villa, our only desire to get back home to be with Shayna and Nate. And Tonya, she’s a part of this, too. Whatever this is.
I speed through Homestead until we are on the Turnpike. Feeling better that we’re closer to home, I take Erin’s hand in my own. Her hand is so cold I’m actually afraid for her. Her thoughts and feelings are completely hidden from me.
“It’s going to be okay,” I try to reassure her but she shakes her head at me. “Nate’s going to be fine,” I say again, squeezing her hands gently.
“How can you know that?” she asks and stares at me, the anger and fear obvious in her cold eyes.
I don’t know that Nate will be fine, but I know I’d give up my own life to never see her in any kind of pain.
“You know Nate,” I insist. “He’s healthy, he’s strong,” I tell her, remembering how he fainted in Alabama and how weak he was after. I think about how much weight he’s lost and his persistent cough that keeps me up at night.
Suddenly I feel like an asshole for not discussing any of that with her. What if there is something wrong with him and me keeping my mouth shut made it worse? Erin would have made him go see a doctor, which is why I didn’t say anything. Nate’s a grown man. If he wanted to see a doctor he would have.
I put my foot down on the gas pedal harder, wanting to get to the hospital sooner but scared of what we’ll find there.
When we finally reach the Emergency Room, we are told that Nate has been admitted into the hospital. I hold onto Erin’s shaky hand as we walk towards his room, already knowing this is bad.
Rather than being met with the worried faces I expected, we walk into the room to find Shayna listening to Nate’s breathing through the
Chapter 14
Shayna
I don’t want him to die. That’s all I can think about. Haven’t I loved him enough? Haven’t I been good enough for him to stay? He can’t die. He can’t leave me. I can’t lose him.
I call Mommy, because I don’t know what else to do, but she doesn’t say anything .
“Mommy?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.
I can hear her breathing and finally she talks and I know everything will be okay. It has to be.
“Shay, baby,” she says softly to me, the way she does when I get scared. “Is Tonya with you?”
I nod my head but she can’t see me.
“She’s with Uncle Nate,” I say out loud. “She called the police.”
“And Uncle Nate?” she asks. “Is he still lying on the ground?”
I feel my bottom lip start to quiver when I nod my head again.
“Shayna?” she asks again.
“He’s still on the ground, Mommy.”
I hear a lot of noise on the other line but not Mommy and I start to think maybe I was wrong. Maybe it won’t be okay. I start to cry quietly. The way I used to when I lived with Momma because I don’t want Uncle Nate to hear me. I don’t want him to get angry that I’m crying because then he might not come back to me.
“Listen, baby girl,” I hear Daddy say into the phone and he sounds so serious I put all my attention in listening to what he tells me. “I want you to go to Tonya and do not leave her side. Even after the ambulance comes and takes Uncle Nate, stay by Tonya’s side, okay?” he asks and I nod my head, not able to make a noise.
I walk silently to Tonya and watch as she puts a white kitchen towel on the front of Uncle Nate’s head while she holds his head on her lap. She looks up at me and I can tell she’s trying not to cry.
“He’s gonna be okay,” she tells me and I nod.
I want to believe her but I know sometimes grown-ups lie.
Chapter 15
Trent
I drum my fingers on the steering wheel as we drive quickly back to Miami. We left all of our belongings in the villa, our only desire to get back home to be with Shayna and Nate. And Tonya, she’s a part of this, too. Whatever this is.
I speed through Homestead until we are on the Turnpike. Feeling better that we’re closer to home, I take Erin’s hand in my own. Her hand is so cold I’m actually afraid for her. Her thoughts and feelings are completely hidden from me.
“It’s going to be okay,” I try to reassure her but she shakes her head at me. “Nate’s going to be fine,” I say again, squeezing her hands gently.
“How can you know that?” she asks and stares at me, the anger and fear obvious in her cold eyes.
I don’t know that Nate will be fine, but I know I’d give up my own life to never see her in any kind of pain.
“You know Nate,” I insist. “He’s healthy, he’s strong,” I tell her, remembering how he fainted in Alabama and how weak he was after. I think about how much weight he’s lost and his persistent cough that keeps me up at night.
Suddenly I feel like an asshole for not discussing any of that with her. What if there is something wrong with him and me keeping my mouth shut made it worse? Erin would have made him go see a doctor, which is why I didn’t say anything. Nate’s a grown man. If he wanted to see a doctor he would have.
I put my foot down on the gas pedal harder, wanting to get to the hospital sooner but scared of what we’ll find there.
When we finally reach the Emergency Room, we are told that Nate has been admitted into the hospital. I hold onto Erin’s shaky hand as we walk towards his room, already knowing this is bad.
Rather than being met with the worried faces I expected, we walk into the room to find Shayna listening to Nate’s breathing through the
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