November Sky (Hardest Mistakes Book 2)

by Wicks, Dannielle

  I look away again. “I’m giving up.”

  I hear her suck in a sharp breath. She stays silent. I glance at her quickly. Definitely the wrong thing to do. I’m practically able to feel the anger radiating off her.

  “So you’re just going to give up? Quit?” She pauses, letting go of my face; my cheek hits the floor with a thud. “No, I won’t allow it. Get up!” She’s yelling at me now. Grabbing my arm roughly, she drags me up. I’m momentarily stunned at her strength. “Get up, Kristian.” She stands, pulling me with her.

  My limbs feel like jelly. I slowly lift myself up with her help. I sway, unsteady on my feet. My head feels light and dizzy; pins and needles run up my legs and arms. I try to sit down on the floor again, but Bailey growls at me and drags me out the door. My shoes scrape across the mess.

  “Where are we going?” I croak out as she helps me down the street. We take it slow, one of my arms wrapped around her shoulders for support. She doesn’t answer me. Her face is still screwed up in anger. I drop my head back down to watch my feet on the pavement.

  I don’t realize where we’re going until Bailey walks me through the automatic doors at Brokenridge General Hospital.

  I frown down at her and stop walking. “Why are we here?”

  Bailey shakes her head at me impatiently and tugs me further into the white, sterile reception. As soon as she lets go of my arm, I collapse into a plastic chair. If I could leave by myself, I would. I don’t need to be here, I’m not sick.

  A moment later Bailey returns with a young nurse pushing a wheelchair. I’m having trouble focusing my eyes, my vision is starting to blur around the edges. The nurse and Bailey help me up and into the wheelchair and then it all goes black.

  ***

  My eyes are heavy and crusty, I struggle to open them. My whole body feels tingly and weak. I’m lying on something soft, my arms resting limply at my sides. I try to focus on my surroundings and swallow, my dry throat aches. I need water. Bailey’s face appears above me holding a plastic cup. I reach for it and she knocks my shaking hand away. She puts one hand behind my head and the other tilts the cup to my chapped lips. I hold her piercing gaze as I gulp the water down greedily. Her blue eyes are still glittering with anger.

  The young nurse from earlier enters the room holding a clipboard. She walks to the side of my bed and stops, writing something down. She leans down and removes the IV from my wrist.

  “I have your discharge papers here. You’re okay to leave.” She turns to Bailey, who’s standing to the side staring at me. “Are you going to take him home with you?” Bailey jerks her head up and looks at the nurse, confused. The nurse’s face softens. “He probably shouldn’t be left alone, and seeing as how you brought him in, I thought you two must be close.”

  I open my mouth to protest and tell her I’m fine, but Bailey interrupts me. “Yes, you’re right. I’ll take him home.” I frown at her and turn my head away. I don’t need a babysitter.

  CHAPTER 8

  KRISTIAN

  Bailey holds my head down as she pushes me roughly into a yellow cab. The drive to her apartment is short. I stare out the dark window, letting my grief take over again. I wonder where Jess is now. I shouldn’t have let Bailey convince me to go with her to the observatory and I shouldn’t have let her kiss me. That was a mistake.

  We’re both quiet as she helps me up the stairs. Once we’re standing in the bright living room of her apartment, I turn to her ready to settle this. “I don’t need you to look after me Bailey, I’m fine.”

  She raises an eyebrow at me incredulously. “You didn’t look fine when I found you curled up on a pile of broken plates.” She grabs my hand and leads me down a short hallway to the bedroom. I try to pull my hand from her grip, but I’m too weak. “What happened anyway?”

  “Nothing,” I answer, trying to walk away from her. I don’t even make it two steps before I stumble and she grabs a hold of my arm to keep me steady. She nudges me closer to the bed.

  “This is your bed?” I ask quietly, looking over the colorful blankets and the trinkets on the nightstand.

  She nods. “You need it more than I do.”

  I turn on her, annoyed. “I’m not sleeping in your room, on your bed.”

  She glares at me. “Oh, and you have a bed to go back to at your place, do you? Or would you like me to smash up a few of my things for you to sleep on instead?” Her sarcasm hurts a little and I flinch away. She pushes my arm again forcefully. I falter and sit down on the bed.

  I stare at her as she pulls the covers back and gently helps me lie down. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I can feel the weight of sleep pressing in on me. My eyes are already half closed and heavy. Bailey sits on the edge of the bed and bites her lip.

  This might be my only chance. I have to know before I lose the courage to ask.

  “Why did you come looking for me?”

  Her expression softens as she looks up. “I was worried about you, Krissy.”

  “But I left you outside my building, alone. And I’ve never been very nice to you. I don’t understand why you stick around…why you care.”

  “Shhh.” She places her hand on my cheek. “Shut up and go to sleep.”

  She stands and leaves the room, stopping at the door to switch off the light and look back at me. I watch, struggling to keep my eyes open, until her shadow leaves the doorway.

  ***

  “Are you going to work today?” Bailey’s soft voice wakes me. I groan and roll over, facing away from her. She takes the hint and with a loud sigh, leaves a moment later. I hear the front door slam and the lock click. I try to close my eyes and sleep again, but I’m no longer tired. Huffing out a complaint, I throw the covers back and climb out of the bed. My legs are wobbly at first, but I manage to keep myself steady as I wander out into the living room.

  Bailey’s apartment is much bigger than mine. She has a full kitchen and living room. All of the rooms are decorated very tastefully. The walls are warm colors and the furniture looks extremely comfortable. I amble around the main room, pausing at the large fireplace to gaze at the photo frames lined up along the top.

  The picture in the center is of her and Riley, except they look much younger. I do a double take and glance once more at all the photos; none of them show their parents or any other family. I wonder why? Leaving that thought alone for the moment, I walk over to the large wooden desk, sitting in front of the window. She has a nice view of the city. I open the window, letting the gust of fresh air wash across my face before sitting down in the desk chair.

  Something amongst the paper bills on her desk catches my eye, and I shuffle them aside to see. It’s a large sketch of a lounging cat. It’s incredibly well done and the signature at the bottom is Bailey’s. I didn’t know she could draw, she didn’t say anything. Then again, it’s not like I’ve been very forthcoming with anything either, I suppose. I pick up the sketchbook and flip through the other pages. The drawings get better and more accurate as I go. I flip the next page and freeze. My own eyes stare up at me from the paper; I’m stunned at the effort and detail. Laying the sketch pad back down on the desk, I place my hands on either side of it and gape at the pencil lines.

  The door clicks open and Bailey strides in holding a plastic bag in one hand and her keys in the other. She looks over at me and frowns. Rushing over she snatches the sketchbook away from me and tucks it under her arm, her face turning bright red.

  “Like going through peoples stuff, do you?” she asks sarcastically.

  I ignore her and lean back in the chair. “I thought you were going to work?”

  “No, I rang them and said I had a family emergency. I also told them I’d heard you were sick.” I spin the chair around and look back out the window at the bright day. “I went to your place and got you some clothes so you can have a shower.” Glancing back, I raise an eyebrow at her. “You smell awful, Kristian. Go take a shower. That’s not a request.” She shoves the plastic bag into my arms and takes a step bac
k. I glare at her as I get up and stomp off to the bathroom.

  The shower is a bathtub with a curtain around the outside. I can’t bring myself to look in the mirror, so I strip off and slide under the warm water as quickly as I can, letting it wash away all my aches. I’m nearly dozing when the sound of the door opening startles me. I poke my head around the curtain and frown at Bailey. She smiles sheepishly, her face turning pink as she places a towel on the counter.

  “Sorry, I forgot to give you a clean towel.” She stands there for a moment, and then as if suddenly realizing where she is, she spins around and fumbles with the doorknob to get out.

  The smell wafting from the kitchen when I exit the bathroom has my mouth watering. I sit at the kitchen table and run my fingers through my still damp hair. Bailey glances at me as she stirs something in a pot.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Better.” Much better, actually. Jess leaving hurts, but being around Bailey is a welcome distraction, although I’d never admit that to her out loud.

  “So, tomorrow do you want to head over to your apartment and start cleaning up?”

  “Sorry?” I’m a little confused. I hadn’t really thought about the state my apartment.

  “Krissy, your place is a mess. I don’t know how it’s possible, but everything is completely destroyed. I’m not sure if there’s a single piece of furniture not ruined,” Bailey says as she reaches on her tippy toes to grab some plates from the cupboard. She sets them down, then starts dishing out the food.

  “I guess. Please stop calling me that, my name is Kristian.”

  She places the plate down in front of me and looks at her creation proudly, purposely ignoring what I just said. I tilt my head and stare down at the food, dubious. The pasta is a funny color and the mince doesn’t look like it has any sauce.

  She huffs at me. “Oh, don’t be a baby. Try it.” Sitting down across from me, she shovels a forkful into her mouth. I hesitantly lift some mince on my fork and place it in my mouth. Almost right away the flavor hits me and I groan at the amazing taste. I didn’t realize how hungry I actually was, and now that I’ve put food in my mouth, I can’t stop. Before long my plate is empty and practically licked clean.

  I look over at a smug Bailey.

  “It was good, wasn’t it?”

  I nod and push the plate away. “Thank you for everything. I’m glad you came looking for me.” I glance away, feeling like a weakling for admitting I need help.

  “What are friends for?” Bailey says simply, standing and taking our dishes to the sink. I get up to help her wash them, but she pushes me away.

  ***

  I pause in the doorway of my apartment and look around at the destruction. Everything I ever owned is gone. I reach into my pocket and subconsciously finger Jess’s silver bracelet, I miss her so much.

  Bailey stops beside me and gives me a sympathetic look.

  “Come on, let’s get started.” She touches my arm gently and walks into the kitchen.

  I scrape a pile of broken glass from the TV into a dustpan. This is one of the most depressing things I’ve ever done. I can’t even feel Jess anymore, wherever she is, she’s not close.

  Bailey taps me on the shoulder a little while later. “I think we’re done for today.” She holds out her hand, I grasp it and she helps me off the floor. My legs are stiff from kneeling too long. I follow her out the door and lock it behind me.

  ***

  If I have to answer one more person when they ask me if I’m okay, I’m going to break something. I nearly curse when Fiona stops beside our desk and leans in close. I just know she’s going to ask too.

  “How are you, Kristian? Feeling better?” I open my mouth to give her the same answer I’ve been giving everyone else, but she stops me, holding up a finger. “Never mind, I don’t care. I’m just glad you’re back at work. Our meeting is in five minutes.” She strides away looking pleased with herself. I’m not even hurt by her comment, I’m just really confused. Bailey giggles from across the desk. I turn and glare at her. She covers her smile with her hand.

  Shaking my head, I gather up my notebook, papers, and pen. Bailey and I walk to the meeting room side by side. To anyone else, we look like two people who work together walking through our office, completely normal. To me, it’s too intimate. She’s walking too close, our hands are nearly brushing. I slow my steps slightly so we’re no longer side by side. She throws me a weird look over her shoulder as she enters the room. I gulp down any emotion I might be feeling and follow her through the glass doors.

  I try not to make it obvious that I’m waiting at the entrance for her to choose a seat before I sit across from her. Fiona stands at the head of the room and flicks off the lights, the projector screen coming to life and flashing statistics from the latest news polls. Fiona’s voice goes in one ear and out the other, nothing sinking in. I lift my head from my notebook slowly and gaze over at Bailey. She’s facing the front of the room, focused on whatever Fiona is saying, tapping her pen against her book. Someone makes a comment about something on the screen and she giggles along with the rest of the room. When she shakes her head and adjusts her glasses, her eyes meet mine and she freezes. I know I should look away, but for some reason I can’t bring myself to do it. She tilts her head, her mouth popping open slightly, a light blush shading her cheeks.

  “Mr. Reed?” My name snaps us both out of it. I jerk my gaze away from her and up to Fiona’s harsh face. “Nice of you to finally join us here on Earth.” She smirks and launches back into her speech.

  I quickly glance at Bailey, whose face is flushed a beautiful pink in embarrassment, before turning back to the projector screen.

  CHAPTER 9

  KRISTIAN

  I push Bailey out of the way and reach for the plates on the shelf above her head.

  “If you can’t reach them properly, why do you put them up so high?”

  She grins, twisting back to the stove. “Why not?”

  I roll my eyes and place the plates on the counter beside her. Once she’s dished it all out, I take my plate to the table and dig in. The food is amazing; maybe she should be a chef, not a television producer.

  Bailey finally relents and takes back her bedroom, so I stretch out on her couch. It’s uncomfortable and my back hurts, but what else have I got? Jess destroyed my old bed. It’s getting easier to think about Jess without feeling lost.

  ***

  “Oh come on, it’ll be fun, Krissy,” Bailey whines from the kitchen. I roll my eyes and sit up on the sofa. She wants me to go with her to the market. I’m not sure if it’s really a good idea. It will be packed full of people and we’ll have to walk close together. “Please?” she begs, pushing her bottom lip out.

  “Fine,” I sigh and pull my shirt over my head.

  I have to rein in my frustration when another person hits my shoulder as they squeeze their way past me. I look down at Bailey. She grabs my hand tightly and presses herself into my side. This is much worse than just simply walking together.

  Her eyes shine up at me. “This is great.” She stands on her toes and looks out across the crowd. “There’s a hat store over there, let’s go.” She starts pushing her way through, pulling me along behind her.

  When we finally make it to the hat stand, she lets go and pulls a huge wide-brimmed hat off the table, placing it on her head and turning to me. She pulls a funny face and turns to grab another one. I hold my hand over my mouth briefly to cover my smile. She’s kind of adorable. It’s hard to resist. She swings back to me, wearing a different hat, and pulls another face. I shake my head at her and she laughs.

  Bailey makes us stop at nearly every store. My stomach grumbles, not that you’d be able to hear it over the noise. I’m starting to get hungry. Finally, we stop at a food stall in front of the park, and she hands me a corndog. With an enormous stroke of luck, we find an empty spot of grass in the park to sit down and eat. I’m halfway through my corndog when someone bumps us from behind. Bailey fac
e plants into her ice cream. Her eyes are wide and her nose is covered in chocolate topping when she looks over at me in horror. I suck in a chuckle and pull a handkerchief from my coat pocket. She swipes it across her face, blushing.

  “Are you okay?”

  She looks back up at me and laughs.

  ***

  Bailey turns to me from the doorway of my apartment. The floor is spotless, the furniture gone, the place is completely empty. I feel hollow looking at it.

  “I think we’re finally done.” She smiles, hefting the last bag of trash over her shoulder. “Shall we go furniture shopping next weekend?”

  I shrug. “I guess.”

  I have to hide my smile at the way Bailey’s eyes sparkle as she looks at and touches all the furniture in the store. It’s like taking a kid to a toy store, only worse. I am glad she’s here, though. There’s so many different styles and choices, not to mention the price differences, I’m a little lost. I take a deep breath and follow Bailey into the bed section.

  “Oh, this one’s nice!” Bailey runs her hand across the polished wood headboard of a huge king size bed.

  I take a look at the price tag. “Yeah, and it’s also very expensive.”

  She shrugs and wanders off to find another one. I lose her around a corner, and when I see her again, she’s stretched out on top of a display bed near the window. The small plastic sign attached to the bed clearly states no touching.

  “You’re not supposed to be lying on that.”

  She squints up at me and giggles. “Live a little, Krissy, this mattress is so soft. Come and try it.” I stay where I am and raise an eyebrow at her. Is she serious? “Oh come on.” She sits up and grabs my arm, tugging me down onto the bed beside her. I glance around quickly to make sure no one saw. Bailey pushes my shoulder back until I’m lying down. She’s right; this mattress is so incredibly comfortable, I sigh in contentment.