Releasing the breath, I repeat the action. The raging storm brewing in the pit of my stomach begins to ebb away after the fourth breath I release. “I’m okay. Maybe I caught a cold or something from the hospital.”
Heat soaks into my forehead where he touches it with the back of his hand. “You’re not warm.” He stands, pacing. “What can I do for you?”
“Nothing.” I sit up now that the sourness has dissipated. “Honestly, I just want to lay down on the sofa and watch TV.”
“Okay.” He grabs the trashcan and follows me into the living room.
I have no idea what that spell was, but I seem to be feeling better, just tired and achy.
Eryc retrieves the remote from the entertainment stand. “What do you feel like watching?”
“You pick.” In truth, I’m not going to make it through a movie, I just don’t want to be home alone. He skims trough the new releases on Netflix, finally deciding on The Notebook.
I raise my brows.
“What?” He shrugs his shoulders. “I can’t enjoy a good love story because I’m a guy? Please.”
“I didn’t say that.” Okay, I didn’t say it but I was definitely thinking it.
He presses play and I lean back, watching a movie that I have seen more times than I can count.
Chapter Eighteen
Eryc
Ten minutes into the movie and Makayla is sound asleep, softly snoring from her end of the sofa. She is curled up, taking up no more room than her one little cushion. Deciding to let her enter that deep-sleep stage before moving her, I continue watching the movie. I have probably seen The Notebook a hundred times but it never gets old.
Shuffling and whimpering pulls me out of my movie trance and I cast my gaze to the other end of the sofa. Makayla tucks her head to her knees, quietly whimpering like she is having a nightmare. My brows furrow and I wonder if she does this often.
Her body jerks and she turns her head, covering her face with her hands. “Stop. Please.”
I lean over and gently shake her. “Kay.”
Her body goes completely still and I think she is waking up, then I hear her sniffle. Perching myself on the floor, next to her, I move her hands away from her face and see the tears free-flowing from her eyes. She’s not awake, but she is in fact crying in her sleep.
“Kay,” I say a little louder.
“Please, don’t—” her voice is nothing but a whisper and I almost don’t hear her.
“Kay?” I shake her again when she doesn’t wake.
Suddenly, her eyes open wide in panic. I have never seen her this distraught, and I don’t know what to do to help her. Is she having a night terror? I don’t know the first thing about those but I’m pretty sure that is when the sleeping person screams in their sleep and she isn’t screaming, she is just crying.
The sound of the front door opening and closing echoes throughout the house. Two soft thuds, where Thaddeus’s boots land on the hardwood floor, follow the sound of the door.
Makayla scoots to the other end of the sofa, the end I just vacated, and tucks her legs under her chin, rocking back and forth.
Thaddeus storms into the room but stops short upon seeing Makayla curled in on herself. “What in the world happened here?” he yells at me as he crouches in front of his sister. “Hey, sis, you okay?”
Makayla glances from her brother to me and back again. Standing on the cushion, she steps over the arm of the sofa and runs up the stairs.
Thaddeus stands and glares at me. “What on earth did you do to her?” He advances on me and I take two steps back. “Don’t think I won’t kick you where the sun doesn’t shine.”
It’s now that I notice the bloodstains on his swollen knuckles. Looks like he has already been in a fight tonight, no doubt due to the amount of alcohol he drank. The boy reeks of whiskey and I hold my breath to keep from gagging.
Flinging his arm toward the stairs to point where his sister ran off, he yells, “Why is she crying?”
Taking another step back to inhale a breath of fresh air, I answer his question. “I have no idea why she’s crying. She fell asleep watching a movie and starting whimpering in her sleep. When I woke her, she freaked out. That’s it. I have no clue why.”
Thaddeus stumbles forward, jamming his finger into my chest. “You better be telling me the truth, preacher’s kid.”
I ignore the jab to my father’s profession. “What happened with you tonight?” I point at his bruising hands.
Snickering, he flops down on the sofa, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. “Just a little payback to a prick, is all.”
“You should put some ice on that,” I say.
Cackling, he leans back, resting his arms behind his head. “Pretty dang sure I’m grown enough to take care of myself.”
“Fair enough.” I sit on the edge of the coffee table. “Care to explain what happened to Kay? Does she have episodes like that often?”
He runs his hands over his face and blows out a breath. “Not my story to tell.”
What?
I didn’t ask for personal information, so-to-speak, I just want to know if she has nightmares often. Instead of pursuing the issue, I say, “Okay.”
I study Thaddeus for a moment. His left eye is starting to swell and darken. Who did he get in a fight with? Brandt? Today has been the strangest day ever, starting with Brandt’s appearance that led to Makayla’s meltdown, then her nightmare that turned into a freak out, and now Thaddeus’s battered knuckles.
Deciding to wait until tomorrow to question Makayla, I slip my shoes on and start for the door. “Tell Kay that I’ll stop by before school tomorrow.”
The only response he gives me is a grunt.
Standing at the threshold, I look at the staircase one last time before shutting the door behind me. I will get to the bottom of her meltdown and nightmare if it’s the last thing I do.
As promised, I stop by Makayla’s the next morning. The door opens and she stands on the other side with her hair wrapped up in a towel. I hand her a plate full of blueberry muffins that I baked first thing this morning.
Makayla has three weaknesses. Those weaknesses are chocolate chip cookies, peppermint infused hot chocolate, and blueberry muffins.
“Thanks.” She picks up a muffin and bites into it before taking the plate. “Oh my God, that is so good.”
I smile.
Raising a brow, she asks, “Did you make these?”
“Yep.” My smile grows bigger when takes another bite and rolls her eyes in pure bliss. “I gotta go before I’m late. I have practice this afternoon and then work but I’ll be by afterward.”
“Okay, thanks again. These are fantastic.”
I bite my lip to keep from smiling any wider. The last thing I want to do is scare her off.
Getting into the car, I wave before backing out and driving to school.
When I arrive, I’m not the only one showing up at the last minute. I gather my bookbag from the backseat and run toward the building.
The halls are full of students rushing to get to their first period classes. Weaving through the hoard of bodies, I rush upstairs and to my classroom. I hate being here while Makayla is at home but I know that she will be heading to the hospital in an hour to spend the day with her mom.
Class is boring and my thoughts are on Makayla the majority of the time. I’m thankful we are just going over Shakespeare today, I have already read this and will be able to get my assignment done without complications.
My classes seem to go by rather quickly and I make sure to pay extra attention in Calculus incase Makayla needs any help with it later.
Now that the final bell has signaled the end of the school day, I dash out of the class and to my locker. I gather what books I need and place them in my bookbag and then head out to my car to exchange this bag with my gym bag.
The football field is lined with guys from the team and they are all doing leg exercises when I arrive. Chad fist bumps me when I fall in li
ne beside him to do high knees. I should have warmed up first, but I was already running late to practice because I took the time to text Makayla.
She didn’t respond, of course, and I stood out by my car for five minutes, like a lovesick fool, waiting for a response.
Coach has us do several leg exercises and then we hit the weight room. Lifting is one of my favorite things and it definitely helps to relieve some of the tension and pent up stress I have been carrying around.
Now, I am towel drying my hair and getting dressed when I hear shouting at the other end of the locker room.
Leaving my shoes on the bench, I jog toward the commotion. As I come around the corner, I see Chad shouting at Brandt and then he shoves him into a locker.
Brandt has a sneer on his face and he swings his fist at Chad.
Chad knees Brandt in the groin and swipes his feet out from under him, knocking him to the ground. Gripping Brandt’s shirt in his fist, he punches him twice with his free hand. “Don’t you ever talk smack about that girl again. You hear me?”
What the heck did I just walk into? “Chad?” He doesn’t acknowledge me. “What’s going on?”
Gripping the collar of Brandt’s shirt with both hands now, Chad lifts him up and then shoves him down into the tile floor.
Standing, Chad shoves people out of his way then glances at me before stating, “Keep that SOB away from Makayla.”
I jog to catch up with him and tug his arm. “What do you mean?”
“Just keep him away.”
Chad starts to walk off but I halt him by stepping in his way. “Seriously, tell me what this is all about.”
I would really like to know what has Thaddeus and Chad all uptight about Brandt.
Chad is breathing heavily and his hands are fisted at his sides. “Look, this is a discussion you will need to have with her.”
“I’m asking you,” I plead. “Thaddeus isn’t talking and Makayla shuts down on me.”
Chad runs a hand down his face then locks eyes with me. “Look, this summer something happened between the two of them. I didn’t witness it, I only heard the idiot and his friends bragging about it.” He glares back at Brandt, who is now wiping his bloody nose on a towel. “That’s all you’re getting from me. Ask her, it’s her story to tell.”
With that, he stalks out of the locker room and I’m left wondering what in the world happened while I was away this summer.
Makayla is my best friend and if this prick hurt her in any way, I will knock him into next week.
Chapter Nineteen
Makayla
Bile rises in the back of my throat. The nurse’s voice drones on and on while my eyes scan the room for the nearest trashcan. My name leaves her lips, but I can’t respond because sour liquid is rushing up my esophagus like hot lava. I reach the metal can just in time to release the hot, bitter liquid that spews from my mouth, coating the small can in a sheen of yellow.
Tissues are shoved into my hands as the nurse moves past me. Water runs and a door opens. When my stomach ceases its convulsions, Nurse Kelly wipes my face with a cool rag. “You alright, hun?”
I nod because I don’t have the energy to speak. White fabric moves behind Nurse Kelly and I lean over to see Dr. Harmon making notes on his electronic device. His gaze meets mine, studying my flushed face.
“I understand you spend your days here with your mother.” I nod, though he didn’t phrase it as a question. “Maybe you should go home and rest. Your body is most likely worn out due to stress. Take some over the counter sleep aid if you need to because you need your rest.”
Latex stretches and snaps when Nurse Kelly removes her gloves. Her warm hands take hold of mine and her honey eyes capture my gaze. “I’ll call if there’s any change, I promise. Right now, your mother looks good and she has made some small improvements.” Smiling at me, the nurse adds, “You should follow the doctor’s instructions and get some sleep.”
I know they are right, my body is beyond exhausted. I can’t even remember the last time I slept for more than two hours at a time. “Okay.” The words that leave my mouth are rough, a result from the bile burning my throat.
Giving mom’s toes a gentle squeeze, I gather my things. Leaving her is always hard, I long for her chirpy-self to wake up and hug me. I need her. My life has been turned upside-down and flipped inside-out. I need her in my life and I am desperate for her comforting embrace.
Several people crowd around the elevator so I pass by keeping my head down. The waiting room around the corner has a pot of coffee brewed. It’s dark and smells extra strong. Filling a Styrofoam cup to the brim, I sip the scalding java. Muscles in my belly instantly quiver in protest and I find this reaction odd because coffee is an old friend of mine. Why would my body detest its deliciousness?
Maybe that was just a fluke. Deciding to try this again, I take another sip. This time is no better than the first, the bitter liquid upsets my stomach and I have to hold my breath to calm the raging storm taking place in my intestines.
“Ugh.” Dumping the java down the drain, I toss the cup in the trash and head back toward the elevator. Maybe it’s just the brand of coffee this hospital serves that isn’t agreeing with me.
Who knows.
Voices stir me from sleep. Stretching my arms over my head, my spine snaps, crackles, and pops. A quick look at my phone indicates its 5:25pm. I have been out for nearly two hours and I feel like I haven’t slept at all.
No surprise there, as this has been my pattern since July.
“You cannot continue down this path, Thaddeus. It’s a dangerous one.” Rene sighs. “Honey, I’m just worried about you.”
“Don’t.” Boots stomp on the hardwood floor.
I sit up in time to see Thaddeus storm past. “Thad?”
Coming to a stop, he takes a step back, peering into the living room. “I’m just going outside, I’m not leaving.” His lips press together and form a hard line. “Yet,” he mumbles.
Up until our mom had her accident, Thaddeus and I were close. Now? Now, we are nothing more than two people residing in the same house. Being his twin, I can sense his emotions. They are dark, almost as dark as mine. Where I have Eryc to turn to when my darkness threatens to overtake me, Thaddeus has shut out his girlfriend and has been slowly distancing himself from me, preferring the company of his good ol’ friend, Jack Daniels, instead.
I’m worried that he will get himself killed driving under the influence. If I lose him, I’m sure even Eryc would be able to pull me out of my sea of blackness. One foot in the entry and one foot still in the living room, I debate whether I should go after my brother. My soul cries out to him but if I step foot outside, he will most likely bail.
“Kay?” Eryc’s voice startles me out of my thoughts. He is standing at the end of the hallway with his hip leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen. A smile turns up the corners of his mouth. Pushing off the frame, he waltzes toward me. His steps sure and steady, unlike the pulsing of my heart.
Toe-to-toe, Eryc gazes at me like I’m his most prized possession. With each exhalation, the scent of Coke surfs the waves of his breath.
When did I become so attached to Eryc that even the scent of his warm breath calms the war raging in my heart and mind? Just being in his presence eases my fears and brings me a sliver of peace.
“How are you feeling today?” He brushes a lock of hair behind my ear. “You were looking a little on the green side last night.” Feeling my forehead with the back of his hand, he says, “At least you don’t have a fever.”
“I haven’t been sleeping well.” Remembering Dr. Harmon’s words from earlier, I repeat them to Eryc. “My body is just exhausted from lack of sleep and worry. I’ll be fine.”
Taking my hand, Eryc leads me back to the sofa. “Well then, no caffeine for you tonight.”
Is he serious? That eliminates not just coffee and soda but tea as well.
Seeing the horrified expression on my face, he chuckles. “Don’t worry, Ka
y. There’s orange juice in the fridge. Oh, Rene brought over some pizza. I figured we could have a movie night. That is, if you’re up for it.”
Juice? What am I, a two-year-old? “Movie night is fine but I require Coke. I could handle tea but I much prefer a Coke.”
“You’re stubborn, you know that?” Tapping the end of my nose, he motions for me to sit. “I’ll bring the pizza boxes in.” He points to a stack of movies on the coffee table. “You pick the movie.” Halfway out of the room, he adds, “And I may share a Coke with you.”
Share? Oh no, I’ll be drinking the whole can.
Digging through the movies, I see that Eryc rented several chick flicks and a couple of action movies. I’m not so much in the mood for any romantic movies but I do see an action film that catches my interest.
Popping the movie in the DVD player, I sit back on the sofa and wait for Eryc to come back with the pizza and Coke. I hope that boy is smart enough to bring two Cokes because I sure as heck will not be sharing mine.
Eryc enters the room, followed by Rene, and guess what? The boy was not smart. There is only one Coke in his hand. I giggle because as soon as that can of soda is handed to me, I will not share a single drop of that delicious brown liquid.
Setting the boxes on the coffee table, Eryc glances at me and smirks. “You have plans on devouring my Coke, don’t you?”
The boy knows me well. “Yep.”
He smiles and shakes his head. “I guess that means I need to go back for another can.”
“Uh huh, because you know I don’t share.” I take the can from his hand and pop the tab, taking a rather large gulp.
Chapter Twenty
Eryc
End credits roll for Captain America and Thaddeus finally strolls back into the house. Makayla starts to stand but I touch her knee, signaling for her to stay. When Thaddeus is ready to talk, he will make his way into the living room with the rest of us. The worry in her eyes is enough to split my heart in two. If I could take her pain and suffering away, I would do it in a heartbeat.
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