“Hello?” He picked up on the first ring.
“It’s Kylie. I’m sorry for calling you but. . .”
“Don’t be sorry for calling.” Jonathon interrupted.
I thought it was sweet how he was so willing to help me. I took a breath and continued, “I don’t have a car and well we don’t have any food and my mom hasn’t eaten today or much yesterday if anything at all and I can’t get her to drink any water and I’m so worried.” I sagged with relief. I had been worried about my mom for a while and it was nice to share my worries with someone else. I had had trouble admitting that there was a problem to myself but now that I had said it I couldn’t look back.
“Shhh. You’re rambling, I’ll go get some food from this place down the road and I’ll take you grocery shopping tomorrow after school.”
“Okay. Thank you.” I said my blood pressure going down.
“You’re welcome. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Bye.”
“Bye Jonathon, thank you so much.”
I heard the phone click off.
I resolved to sit down and start on my homework. It was no time until the door bell was ringing. I jumped up like a jack-in-a-box and ran to the door.
“I brought food.” He said holding up three big paper bags of food labeled with a strange Italian name that I couldn’t decipher.
“What did you do? Buy everything on the menu?”
“Just about.” I motioned for him to enter. He walked in and placed food on the kitchen table.
“How much do I owe you for this?” I asked, closing the door.
“You don’t owe me anything.”
“Sure I do. That much food isn’t cheap. How much?” I asked.
“I’m not telling you because you aren’t paying me back. This is a friend helping a friend. Don’t worry about it.”
“Jonathon.” I said getting irritated.
“Kylie. You needed food to eat it isn’t a big deal. I want to help. If I didn’t want to I wouldn’t be here would I?” He said, I could tell he was getting irritated as his accent was thickening.
“Whatever.” I said. Jonathon could be extremely stubborn I was coming to find out but I was stubborn too.
“How’s your mom?” he asked, a worried look on his face.
“I haven’t checked on her since I talked to you.” I said. I knew I should have but I was scared of what I may find. I hated seeing my mother this way. I had always thought she was so strong and indestructible but I was coming to learn that she wasn’t.
“Go get her and I’ll wait here. She needs to eat.” He said with his hands in his pockets.
I left the kitchen and walked down the hallway.
I opened her door and poked my head through.
“Mom.” I began, “Jonathon brought food. You should come eat something.” I finished. There was no reply so I moved further into the room.
I went over to her bed and leaned down next to her. I shook her. No response. She felt like a rag doll beneath my hands and I became hysterical.
“Mom,” I screamed at the top of my lungs, “Wake up!” There was no movement. How could this be happening? She had been fine an hour or so ago. What had I done? I should have done something. I should have seen this.
“Jonathon!” I cried, “Hurry!” I could hear his footsteps running down the hallway. Thump, thump, thump. They sounded like the fading heartbeat of my mom.
“What’s wrong?” He asked sniffing the air. It was so subtle a movement I almost didn’t notice.
“She won’t wake up.” I said fighting back tears. My shoulders shook with my silent horror.
“Move aside.” He said gently pushing me so he could lean directly over my mom. “What’s her name?” He asked.
“Janice.” I whispered. Panic stirring in the pit of my stomach.
“Janice? Can you hear me?” He gently prodded her neck.
“She is breathing but barely and her heart is faint.”
“What do we do?” I choked out.
“What any logical person would do. Take her to the hospital.” He said.
I grabbed a pillow and a blanket and made a makeshift bed in the backseat of Jonathon’s mustang. He carried my mom easily from her room to his car. He was so strong. His muscles stuck out beneath his shirt. Jonathon placed her on the backseat and I covered her with a blanket.
“Love you mom.” I said faintly, only I should have been able to hear it but somehow Jonathon did.
“Don’t say your goodbyes yet.” He said. I said nothing as I climbed into the passenger seat.
I buckled my seatbelt silently and stared out my window. Jonathon began backing out of my driveway just as my tears started.
“She’ll be fine.” He said.
“I hope so.” I replied as I wiped tears from my eyes. “She’s all I have left.” That’s when Jonathon did something unexpected; he grabbed my free hand and squeezed gently almost too gently. A shock vibrated through my body, images flashing behind my eyes. Jonathon painting, Jonathon laughing, Jonathon smiling at me, Jonathon dressed in renaissance style clothing, Jonathon was everywhere, Jonathon, Jonathon, Jonathon.
Once, the images stopped I looked up at him to see if he had seen what I had seen but he acted oblivious so I thought maybe it was just my imagination running wild.
I studied his hand with my fingertips, tracing the pattern of his smooth hand, feeling the cool touch. His hand was warmer today but it was still colder than what would be considered normal. But his solid hand reassured me something I desperately needed. Jonathon didn’t let go of my hand the entire ride to the hospital. Whether because he thought I needed the comfort or because he liked being close to me I didn’t know.
We pulled into the emergency section of the hospital. The tires on Jonathon’s mustang screeched to a stop. Hurting my ears in the process. I jumped out of the car slamming the door closed behind me adding more noise and chaos to the background. I was reaching to move the seat back to get to my mom but Jonathon was already there swinging my mom up into his muscular arms and chest. But how had he gotten there so fast?
He carried her as if she weighed no more than a feather. Jonathon tossed his keys to me as he began walking into the hospital. I began to follow when he said, “Park the car. I have to get your mom inside.”
“But. . .” I began, trying to protest.
“I’ll check her in and get some doctors to look at her.”
“I want to be with her.” I complained like a five year old girl.
“Do it now!” he growled. “There’s no time for arguments.
I turned my back on him and walked to his car, defeat clear on my shoulders. Why was it so important to him that I park his car? I don’t want to be away from my mom and he knows that. So, why get rid of me? What if he knows she is already dead? I can’t lose my mom. I’ve been through so much already I don’t think I can take much more. I’m not sure I can make it through alive. This time I have no incentive. I climbed into the driver’s side and put the key in the ignition. It purred to life. I drove to the parking lot following the arrows so I wouldn’t get lost.
I ran into the hospital straight to the nurse’s station or whatever you call it.
“Jonathon Pulmer just came in with my mom, Janice Lyons.” I said breathlessly. I had run all the way from the parking lot to here.
“Let me see here. . . Um. . . Yes . . . here it is. . . Janice Lyons room 264.”
“Thanks.” I said running glancing over my shoulder as I ran to the elevator.
The doors opened silently and I rushed in. I hit the button labeled two. The doors opened and I ran down the hallway. I stopped in front of the door labeled 264 but I didn’t enter because I heard voices.
“How can we tell her that her mom attempted to commit suicide? It would crush her.” Jonathon said. I could tell it was him from the sound of his voice. The other male voice I couldn’t recognize.
“I don’t know Jonathon.”
“Could we lie to her and say Jan
ice was just dehydrated.”
“No! She needs to know the truth. Her mom might try this again.”
“I’ll tell her.” said Jonathon.
Suicide! Why hadn’t I noticed the signs? The withdraw, not eating, not drinking, all the signs had been there. What was wrong with me?
I entered and they were silent immediately.
The room was generic. Bland. Nothing special. The walls were a slate gray and the curtains at the one window were standard issue white. My mom was lying in the hospital bed. She looked so small and fragile. Her eyes were sunken in with gray circles around them. She didn’t move when I entered. But the slow beep, beep, beep told me she was alive but barely.
The bed was laid out flat. Her short hair was scattered about the white fluffy pillow. She was covered in one thin sheet. I ran to her side where a chair was waiting. I grabbed her hand and gave it a short, light squeeze, her hand was so cold like it had been in an ice bucket. There was no response but I wasn’t expecting one. She looked strange but I guessed that was to be expected.
Jonathon stood in the corner with another man. The man was beautiful but not as beautiful as Jonathon in my opinion. Neither made to approach me. “I’m not going to bite.” I said. Both laughed lightly as if what I had said was some kind of joke. The man moved forward towards me.
“You must be Kylie. Jonathon has told me a lot about you. I’m Patrick.” He said extending a hand towards me. I glanced at Jonathon and it looked as if he had gone the slightest shade of pink but with his pale skin it was hard to tell. I took his hand and it felt exactly like Jonathon’s. Smooth and hard like a rock but not nearly as cold.
“Nice to meet you.” I spoke.
Patrick turned to Jonathon and nodded. Neither saw me watching from the corner of my eye. Patrick turned to me his black hair skimming his eyebrows.
“It was nice to meet you Kylie. I hope I see you again soon, under better circumstances.” He said.
“Me too.” I said.
Jonathon continued to stand in the back corner. I glanced constantly up at him.
Finally I said, “You can come over here.”
He shrugged and came over to stand next to me.
“You can sit down.” I said getting irritated with him. He pulled the second chair over and sat next to me. Did I have to tell him everything?
I grabbed his hand and squeezed saying, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For saving my mom’s life. If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have been able to get her here and I wouldn’t have known anyone to help me. I probably wouldn’t have known anything serious had actually happened to her.” I looked up into his silver eyes.
“You heard.” He said not accusingly however.
. “Yeah I heard through the door before I came in. I should’ve known but I have one question for you.”
“What?”
“How did she try and kill herself?” I asked shakily.
He spoke so softly I had to lean in closer to him to hear. “Overdose on her medication.”
“I didn’t know she was still on medication. I thought she was finally okay.” I whispered.
I should’ve picked up on the signs that she was still on medication. Like the fact that she was struggling with her bags at the airport. The pills she had been on to help with the depression had made her weak. I was so caught up in my own tragic thoughts I hadn’t taken time to think about how my own mother was handling things. But, I had thought she had finally worked through things, let go, but I was wrong.
Jonathon stood up and pulled me to my feet gently. He grabbed me into a hug. We stood there for I don’t know how long. When I started crying he sat down and held me close. He wrapped his strong solid arms around me. I dug my head into his chest and wept. I sobbed until all my tears ran dry. When that happened I continued to stay cuddled in his arms. It felt good to be against someone so solid and stable. I could stay in his arms forever. Jonathon ran his fingers through my hair. He traced the shape of my lips with his index finger. It sent an electric volt through my body. Jonathon’s skin was cold but I didn’t feel it.
“Don’t leave me right now.” I whispered in Jonathon’s ear. A part of me needed, no, all of me needed him. It was like something was pulling me to him. I felt like I had known him forever. It was like his soul called to mine. It was weird to feel so much for someone I just met but in a way I felt like I had known him all my life.
“I won’t, I won’t,” he whispered into my hair. His lips brushing my hair.
“Promise?” I asked needing confirmation.
“I promessa.” He said. With that I felt content.
I stretched my arms. They were stiff from being around Jonathon’s neck so long. He smiled at me and it felt like all the angels in heaven were smiling down on me also.
“Thank you,” I said adding, “You let me express my feelings. Which I never thought I would be able to do around a guy. Especially someone I just met.” I said blushing.
“You’re welcome. But thank you. Kylie I’ve only known you for what twenty-four hours? And I already care about you more than you can possibly imagine.”
“It’s only been twenty-four hours? Wow. I feel like I’ve known you forever.”
“Me too.” He said brushing his lips against my ear. I stood and looked out the window. It was getting dark. I turned back around to look at Jonathon.
“I guess you should be getting home. But is it selfish if I want you to stay?”
“No it’s not selfish. I was planning on staying with you, Patrick is cool with it. If you wanted me too that is.” He added.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
“No but I’m sure you are.”
“Yeah. I am.” I said sheepishly.
“I’ll go see my uncle and then I’ll get you some food and be right back. I should be gone roughly an hour.”
“Hurry back. Please.” I said.
“You are so cute when you’re worried.” He said kissing my cheek. Jonathon laughed at my expression. Before I could recover myself he was gone.
I put my hand on my right cheek. The one Jonathon had kissed. It burned slightly where his lips had touched my skin. My skin was also cool to the touch where he had kissed me.
There was something different about him, I was sure of it, I just couldn’t figure out what it was.
Chapter Four: Long Night
I sat back down in the chair and looked at my mom. I looked at the clock it read six o’ clock. I had been here three hours and my mom hadn’t moved or woken up. I stretched my legs out and laid my head back.
I was awoken by cool fingers rubbing my arm and a smooth buttery voice saying my name.
“Kylie? Kylie, I’m back.”
I cracked my eyes open and was face to face with Jonathon. His nose lightly brushing mine.
“Hey, sleeping beauty.” He said. I smiled and stretched. When I did Jonathon grabbed my arms and pulled me up.
“I wasn’t sure what you would want to eat so I got pizza. True Italian pizza. Tre magnifique.”
“You are so cute when you speak Italian.” I said. I was surprised at myself. I had never been very bold especially around guys. I had only had one previous boyfriend and that hadn’t ended well.
“Really?” He asked his pale skin coloring slightly.
I nodded, smiling at him. He gave me a sheepish grin and looked away from me. His beautiful silver eyes sparkled. I could tell he was nervous. As gorgeous as he was this couldn’t possibly be new territory to him. Flirting? I may be new at it but someone as perfect as him had to be a pro at this. Right?
I opened the box of pizza and dug in not realizing how hungry I was. There was a bottle of water on the small table next to the pizza. I guzzled half of it down.
Jonathon laughed at me.
“What?” I asked after swallowing a mouthful of pizza.
“I feel bad for starving you. I should’ve known you were hungry.”
“Don’t blame yourse
lf for my hunger. I got too caught up with worrying about my mom.”
“Oh, I thought I should tell you my uncle talked to the school and told them what happened,” He nodded towards my mom’s still figure, “So you don’t have to go to school tomorrow. And . . . .,” he continued clapping his hands together and rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. “If you want I can stay with you.” Jonathon was clearly nervous and I found it endearing.
But this was still so weird. I had hardly just met the guy and I felt like we had been together forever. It seemed natural for him to stay with me. I never wanted to be away from him. My feelings seemed so irrational, I wanted to chalk it up to infatuation but, maybe it was more. More to him and more to me. After all it was weird dreaming about someone before you even met them. Could there really be something between us? The sensible part of me couldn’t believe it. The sensible me said my liking of Jonathon was because I was in a new country, homesick, my mom was in the hospital, and he was willing to help. It made since but I just didn’t think it was true. Jonathon was special. I just knew.
“I’d really like that.” I said still in awe at his nervousness and my own behavior.
“Good I was hoping you would say that.” He said letting out a breath.
“That has to be the best pizza I’ve ever had.” I said changing the subject.
“So, I hear,” said Jonathon barely audible.
“Don’t you want any?” I said motioning to the other half of the pizza that I wasn’t going to eat.
“No, I ate with my uncle.” I looked into his eyes and noticed that they were a lighter silver gray.
“Does your uncle work here?” I asked curiously.
“No, he volunteers he’s good with the patients and he’s also a tech wiz so he helps with a lot of computer problems.”
“Does he have another job then? It seems like volunteering would take up a lot of time,” I said.
“No,” he replied simply.
“Then how does he get his money?” I asked.
“It’s mostly old family money and investments.”
“So, basically he doesn’t have a real job.”
Fallen (Fallen Series Book 1) Page 3