by Mary Ting
“Hey, Skylar,” Emily grumbled while she moaned. She was moving in slow motion, massaging her temples. “Ugh, I don’t feel well. I think I drank too much. Did you have fun at the party?”
My lips protruded, wanting to laugh, but I held it in. She had no recollection that I was in my room the whole time. “Yes. Your sorority sisters were really nice. They also did an amazing job cleaning this place up.”
“Yeah, we have a clean-up crew. I think I was part of it. I don’t remember.” Emily leaned against the wall, looking exhausted. Her hair was a mess and she still had on the clothes she’d worn yesterday. Not only that, I could tell she hadn’t washed off her makeup either. “Do you have Advil or something to help with this headache?”
“I do. Hold on.” I went inside the kitchen and brought back a couple of extra strength pills and the last bottle of water. Darn! Well, Emily needed the water more than I did. I can’t believe there was a full case last night, but now it was gone. “Here. We also need some water.”
Emily gulped it down. “Thanks. I’ll get some today after class. Thanks for being such a great roommate.”
My heart softened. Just a second ago, I was starting to get upset. “Sure.” Then I headed back to my room. The only thing left to drink was the punch Ian had given me. Holding the lukewarm cup in my hands, I contemplated whether to drink it, but I was so thirsty that my throat was aching and burning. Hoping it would soothe the pain, I drank most of it. It tasted nasty and left a bitter aftertaste, but it would tide me over. I had planned to go to the mini market on campus before I headed to class.
Grabbing my backpack and making sure I had my cell phone with me, I turned the knob and stopped. The room started to sway. My vision blurred in and out, my breath caught in my throat and I couldn’t breathe. Heaving, light and dark spots flashed and blended in my view multiple times as acid filled my stomach. Losing control of my muscles, I managed to open the door and drop to the floor.
I was drifting in and out of sleep, feeling like I was heavily sedated. Noticing something soft underneath me, I knew I wasn’t on the ground. I heard whispering voices and thought I was dreaming, especially since I couldn’t open my eyes. Either I was in and out of consciousness or I was delusional.
“Did you draw her blood?” I think that was what he asked, but I couldn’t tell for sure. It must have been the doctor or the nurse. “Take them to my office.”
I didn’t know how long I’d been out, but the pounding in my head was what woke me up first. The queasiness I’d felt earlier had eased somewhat, which was a good thing. Blinking my eyes until my vision cleared, I noted I was not in my bedroom. The window to my left was a clear indication. Feeling somewhat naked underneath the sheet, I peered downward. Yup…that confirmed it; this was not my bed, nor my covers. Glancing around, I realized I was in a hospital room. How did I get there?
The door swung opened. “Skylar.” With a sigh of relief, my mom rushed toward me and sat on the edge of the bed. “I was so worried about you. The doctor said everything would be fine.”
When my mom took my hand, I saw the tube that went straight up into an IV bag. Lowering my eyes, I saw a Band-Aid and assumed blood had been drawn from me. I panicked and my heart dropped. Would they find something inhuman in the testing results? I guess I’d find out soon.
“Do you know what happened?” My mom continued with her questions.
Desperately wanting to remember, I tried to trace my thoughts back from that day, but when my head felt like a hammer hitting the wall, I stopped trying. The only thing that came to my mind at that point was Mason. Knowing I had missed a text or a phone call from him, I was sure he would worry. “Mom, do you know where my cell phone is?”
My mom didn’t answer, but started speaking instead. “Your roommate, Emily, stopped by, and Sky…there’s a boy outside waiting for you. I didn’t let him in because I didn’t know who he was. He says his name is Ian.”
My heart had been steady, thinking my mom would tell me Mason was waiting outside, but then she said Ian’s name instead. However, I had no idea why it instantly thumped harder. “Ian?” What was he doing there?
“Do you want to see him? Is he your boyfriend?”
I shook my head. “No, just a friend. Can you let him in? I would like to talk to him in private.”
“Sure. I’ll go get him.” With one last caress to my hand, Mom headed toward the door.
“Mom?”
She turned, smiling. “Yes.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“To tell you the truth, I don’t know who called. I didn’t answer my phone. There was a message letting me know you were at the hospital so I came as soon as possible.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Hey,” Ian greeted. Wearing jeans, a blue sweater, and a baseball cap, he sauntered through the door. His face looked genuinely concerned.
“Hi,” I replied warily, feeling slightly nervous from his presence. “How did you know I was here?”
Ian pulled up a chair next to the bed. “You didn’t show up to class, so I swung by your place. Your roommate told me you’d passed out. She said you were at the hospital.”
“Oh.” I furrowed my brows in puzzlement. “Do you know why I passed out?”
He shifted his position, sitting tall, then slouched, appearing a bit nervous. “Sorry. I don’t know.”
“Thank you for your concern, but you really didn’t have to come.” I had no idea why he was there. In a way, I wished he wasn’t. We’d just met and he acted as though we were good friends.
“Well, I better let you get some rest.” He stood up and kissed my cheek. “I’m sure your boyfriend will be flying through the door real soon.”
Surprised by his actions, I didn’t know what to do or say. What was that kiss for? Glancing over his shoulder one last time, he winked and left. Mom walked in seconds later, gave me a hug, and told me she would be back after running some errands since I wouldn’t be discharged until later that evening. Though I protested, she insisted I return to her house and spend at least one night with her. Before my mom left, she gave me my cell phone.
As soon as she left the room, Mason charged in. “Sky.”
I flashed my eyes open to the face I knew so well. Hearing his voice was like sunshine after the rain. Suddenly, I felt better. Mason was a huge distraction. When he was around, I could focus only on him and easily forget the world around me.
“Mason.” My eyes watered with tears, but I didn’t understand why. Quickly, I tried to wipe them before he could see them, but it didn’t work. He wiped the remaining ones and took my hands into his, caressing them with his lips. I peered up, gazing into his eyes; they were deep, expressing a lot of trepidation.
“I’ve been so worried about you. Are you okay? What happened?”
There were many questions, but I couldn’t answer them. I remembered somehow managing to open the door, then blacking out. Thank goodness, I’d collapsed on the carpet in my room and not on the concrete on campus…that would have been embarrassing. “I don’t remember much. It happened early this morning. I got up and went to the kitchen. I gave Emily some medicine. I was thirsty, so I headed back to my room so I—”
Oh God! I drank the punch. That warm, leftover punch. Had Ian done something to the drink? Was that why he seemed uncomfortable, or was I reading him wrong? Surely, he didn’t. How could I be so stupid to take a drink from someone who was practically stranger? He came to visit me. Had he been guilty, he wouldn’t have come…he certainly wouldn’t be able to look me straight in the eye. Then again, why was he here? Wanting to investigate further before telling Mason, I decided to wait and confront Ian.
“Sky?” Mason brushed my cheeks.
His voice broke me out of my thoughts. “Don’t stare at me,” I said lightly.
“I wasn’t staring.” His lip curled up just enough to show me he was trying to hold in a laugh.
“Oh, yes you were.”
“Fine, you got me.” His
tone became softer, and he laced his fingers through my hair. “When I want to see or feel a bit of heaven, all I have to do is watch you smile. It gives me peace. It’s the only calm I have in this crazy world. I’ll always stare at you, Sky.”
“Mason.” I gazed deeply into his eyes, melting into his sweet, loving words.
“I was worried when you didn’t text me back the second time.”
His words didn’t make sense. “What do you mean? I didn’t get the first text from you.” I lifted the phone from the bed and clicked on Mason’s messages.
8 a.m.
Good morning, sleepy goddess. Just checking in.
I’m wide awake. Miss you.
Always on my mind.
2 p.m.
How was your day, babe?
2:05 p.m.
Sky, you there?
2:10 p.m.
Sky, answer me or I’m coming over.
I worriedly peered up at Mason. My hands were trembling and my lips quivered; I was filled with anxiety and fear. I was having a difficult time uttering the words that seemed to be stuck in my throat. “I…I…don’t…remember texting you back this morning.”
“What do you mean, ‘you don’t remember’?” Mason appeared flustered. His brows pinched at the center. “You texted back, ‘I’m wide awake. I miss you’.”
I tried my best to play out the morning in my mind, but texting was not one of them. Maybe I did and I forgot? Sometimes, things that were done on a daily basis blended in with the daily routine so that they actually became a habit, something a person may not even be aware they were doing.
“It’s okay,” Mason said quickly when he noted the distressed expression forming on my face. “You’ve been through a lot and maybe your body is changing. We’re meeting your dad this Saturday. Maybe he can help us.” He paused, sighing deeply, with a look of guilt in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I don’t have answers for you. I wish I knew how to help you, but I have no clue. The only thing I can do is to protect you the best way I can. My family and I have been hiding since our mothers passed away. It’s time for us to venture out and get some answers. I promise, Sky, I will help you through this. I also think you should stay with me. Not for any other reasons but your safety…and of course, I want to spend every waking second with you.”
“My mom is going to pick me up. She doesn’t know about you yet, unless she read my texts. She wants me to spend at least one night with her. So how about I come the day after?”
Mason squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, then opened them while exhaling with an adorable frown. “Okay, but I’m texting you every hour, so you’d better have the phone right next to you.”
“Deal.” I smiled, placing out my thumb. “Seal the deal, Mace.” I had no idea why I had said that, except for the fact that I had done this with my dad when I was a little girl, so I was a bit shocked that the words came out of my mouth. I hadn’t said that since I was eight years old. Out of habit…maybe?
Mason let out a soft chuckle. “Did you just call me Mace? It sounds hot coming out of your mouth. I’ll seal the deal with my love shock.” Positioning his thumb near mine, small, illuminating sparks flew out from it. They looked like small, glowing branches, yet moved like long spider legs. Slowly, he moved it closer. It sizzled and crackled first, then it wrapped around my thumb. It was the coolest sight. Where our thumbs were touching glowed. The longer the light touched me, the warmer it got in that area. Then it continued to weave from my hand down to my arm, making it shimmer.
Watching in awe, I gave him the biggest smile I could. Suddenly, my body jerked and I dropped my hand. “Ouch.”
Mason captured it and rubbed the area. “Shit! I’m so sorry. Sometimes I can’t control it around you.”
I formed my lips into a wicked, sexy grin. “Sometimes, I don’t want you to.”
“Everything okay?” Nick asked when I walked into the house.
“Everything is fine,” I replied without going into too much detail. Kayla was at our house so that he could be close to us just in case, and they were sitting comfortably on the sofa.
“Did you see Sky today?” Kayla asked.
“I saw her this morning.” I was short and to the point…I didn’t want her to ask me a bunch of questions. She was very good at that. I didn’t know how much to tell, and I didn’t know what Sky wanted Kayla to know. Seeing Everett walking down the stairs, I waved my hand to greet him, happy for the distraction.
“Nick and I already checked up on the restaurants, so we’re free for the evening.”
“Thanks.”
Everett stared at me a bit longer than expected. “You want to talk?”
“No thanks.” My words unintentionally came out too fast and sharp. I’d been trying to make an effort to be more open, but seeing Sky so fragile and weak had thrown me off. “I mean…we can talk later.” My eyes quickly shifted to Kayla, indicating it was a topic she didn’t know about.
Everett nodded in understanding. “Want to go out to dinner with Amanda and me? She’s on her way here.”
“Sure.” I turned my attention to Nick. “You and Kayla coming with us?”
“Not today,” Nick cuddled Kayla in his arms and gave her a kiss. “I have to take Kayla home after dinner. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Mom, I’m feeling better.” I was sprawled out on the sofa with a light blanket covering me.
Sitting on the edge of the sofa, she placed her hand over my forehead. “Good, no fever.”
I quickly peeled her hand off me. All morning and through the afternoon, she’d fussed over me. Although I should be thankful I had a caring mom, enough was enough. “I fainted. It’s not like I had the flu.”
“Do you feel nauseous, dizzy, or sick to your stomach?”
Funny, that was exactly how I felt. How did she know? Then again, those were some of the symptoms people generally had when they were about to faint…I guessed. “No. I feel normal, like it never happened.”
“All right. I know you want to go back to school or the boy you’re dating, but I want you to stay for dinner. Steven is coming over, and it would be nice to sit down and have a family meal.”
“Okay.” I nodded. After all, they were getting married soon so I might as well start getting used to seeing him around more often. However, a part of me felt uneasy. Knowing that my real father was around and I couldn’t tell my mom, I felt torn. It was a promise I made to my dad, though I didn’t know why I had. What did he do to deserve this kind of loyalty from me anyway? My mother was the one who had protected me all this time.
“Hey, Mom, I meant to tell you about Mason. He’s the guy that I’m dating. Not the guy you met at the hospital.”
“I see. Do you want to invite him over for dinner, too?”
I was taken aback by my mom’s question. “No, not today. Maybe some other time?”
“What does Mason do?”
Having my cell phone next to me, since Mason texted every hour like he said he would, I scrolled down the photos and showed her a picture of him.
“My, he is quite handsome. Where did you meet him?”
Warmth rose to my cheeks. Every time I thought of Mason, my heart pumped faster with blissful beats. This was going to be difficult to explain.
“I met him when I went to visit Kayla. We kind of did the double date thing with his brother. He owns restaurants, but don’t worry, he’s not that old.”
“How old is he?”
This was a simple question, but I didn’t know for sure since I’d never asked, so I made it up. “He’s twenty-two.” Being that I was almost nineteen, Mason being twenty-two didn’t seem that bad. “Before you ask me any more questions, I want you to know that he already graduated from college, and because his parents had money, he was able to open up several restaurants.”
I didn’t want to explain about Mason’s parents. The topic eventually would come up, but it wasn’t going to be today.
“Wow, good-looking and successful. Looks
like you caught yourself a great fish.”
I smiled to agree. Our conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“How’s school?” Steven asked, buttering the dinner roll on his plate.
Steven was bigger than my dad, with baby blue eyes and flawless skin. How old was he? Speaking of age, I had never asked Mom about Steven’s either. I could see why she had fallen for him, but the thought of them kissing or having sex grossed me out.
“School is great. Thank you,” I replied after swallowing a slice of chicken.
“Your mom tells me that you got a scholarship. That’s wonderful.”
“Yes, well, it’s not a big deal, but thank you.” I didn’t want to be asked any more questions about what classes I took, about my roommate, what I did when I wasn’t at school. He had asked so many that I felt like an open book, a Skylar Rome novel he just read about.
Mom set glasses of something red in front of Steven and me. “Here you go, hun. I just bought some berry blast organic juice.”
Seeing red made my stomach queasy again, but I knew it was just a reaction from what I suspected was the reason I’d fainted. Since this drink was from my mom, I knew it was completely safe.
After the dishes were cleared, we sat in the living room to talk. Again, Steven drilled me with more questions and I answered them to please my mom. But I couldn’t help myself. A part of me wished my dad was there instead, like it used to be.
Steven didn’t stay long. He had an early appointment at the hospital the next day. When my mom walked him to his car, I headed to my room. I wasn’t going to stick around to watch them make out.
After I spoke to Mason and Kayla on the phone, I started to feel that acidic burning feeling again. When the room started spinning, I dropped on my bed and closed my eyes, hoping it was just temporary. Hearing my mom walking back through the front door, I thought about calling for her. Unfortunately, I knew she had to work early in the morning, so I decided not to. All of the strength had drained out of me, and I couldn’t even utter a sound. My body and mind had succumbed to sleep.