Sabrina, Nonna, Nathan, and Hanna came in next, and Hanna started worrying over me immediately, and she offered to take off work and stay with me while I was on bed rest for the next two weeks. I was happy to accept her offer, with Colin’s approval. I got the feeling he didn’t want me alone in the apartment anyway, and if he’d want me with anyone, it’d be one of my parents, or Hanna.
Nikky and Sarah enter my room after the second group of people have retreated, and they stay the longest. They left Emmy with Sarah’s parents, and they look like trainwrecks. My brother gave me a new book to read and lent me his iPad in case I get bored and need something to do. But with so many visitors, it’s impossible for me to get bored. My friends and family keep me on my toes, even while lying in a hospital bed.
Michele and Brody are the last to visit me. Seeing as they’re my best friends, it seems only fitting that they come visit me together and last of all. Michele collapses into a chair beside my bed and cries like she hasn’t cried for years.
And Brody, well, he places a hand on her back and soothes her like it’s the most natural thing in the world. It’s Colin who smiles and lightens up the mood. Outside of my parents and Suze, no one knows yet, so when he grabs my left hand and pulls it up to his mouth to kiss, all Hell breaks loose.
Michele squeals, and Brody stands up to give Colin a hug and congratulate us. Colin holds on to Brody longer than necessary, and for the first time, I see something between them that I never saw before. They connect on a level that I don’t know about, which is weird because I know everything there is to know about Brody Durham.
“Congrats, Westwick,” Brody says. “I know you’re going to give her the best life possible.”
Colin nods his appreciation before clearing his throat. “I will try.” He pauses, and I see his resolve behind that cool green gaze of his. “When we get married, Brody, I’d really like it if you’d be my best man.”
The entire room goes silent then, and I bring a hand up to my mouth to keep my warring emotions in check.
Colin has friends back in Big Springs. He has Jamie and Rory, and he even has his brother Keaton and a few cousins he can choose from. But instead, he chooses Brody, a guy he’s only known for a year.
Brody gets choked up a bit, and, after clearing his throat, he nods. “I’d love to, man.”
No one says anything, and I glance over at my other best friend, who is beet red and is pursing her lips like she’s either ready to cry or she’s constipated. With her, I never know. I’m waiting for her to say something, because I know for a fact that she’s about ready to burst at the seams.
When finally it seems she can’t hold back any longer, she starts to bounce up and down in the chair she’s seated in. “I can’t believe it!” Mich screams. “That’s why you took off at prom! To go out and pull a Naley!”
I laugh, ignoring the sharp pain when I do so, at her One Tree Hill reference. She hugs me as gently as possible through her excitement, and when she pulls away, there are tears in her eyes once more.
“Mich, will you be my maid of honor?” I ask her.
She grins widely and envelops me in yet another hug. It looks like I’m going to have to get used to that while I’m still injured. “I thought you’d never ask! Hells yes! I am gonna so kick ass at this maid of honor shit. I have to start ordering your wedding magazines. Oooh, and I should make a Pinterest board for your wedding. What colors do you want? How many people in the bridal party? Big or small? In Harlow or Big Springs? Outdoors or indoors? Have you set a date?”
I’m amused by all her questions, but I look to Colin for guidance, because I’m not sure how he’ll feel if he knows I’ve got answers to every single one of them. When he gives me a nod, I take that as my permission to spill the beans to appease my overly emotional best friend.
“Peach and violet. It sounds bad, but it looks amazing together. You, Nomi, Suze, and Sabrina. Small ceremony, medium reception. We’ll be married in Big Springs. Outdoors preferably, because it’s lovely that time of the year. And the date…May 30, 2015.”
I wink at Colin, and he winks back.
Michele looks like she’s about to burst into another spiel about the wedding when my doctor comes in and smiles.
“It’s time for more painkillers, Miss Quinn. How’s your pain on a scale of one to ten?” Dr. Rivers asks.
“Nine and a half,” I say.
I know immediately that my visit with my friends is over, because the meds they have me on knock me out in 0.5 seconds. I hug and kiss them goodbye, and Dr. Rivers looks at Colin like he has to leave, too. Colin moves to get up and with one glance from me, he sits back where he was and clasps my hand.
“He’s not going anywhere, so don’t get any ideas, Doc,” I tell my doctor. “And don’t try to put him in a cot, either. He stays.”
I wait for him to lower my head again, and when he does, Colin gets himself comfortable. He holds my hand in his injured one, and I lean my head to the side so that it’s resting against his shoulder.
“Sweet dreams, Miss Quinn.” Then my doctor is gone just as quickly as he came.
I close my eyes, running my hand along the bandages on his hand. “What happened to your hand?” My voice is groggy as I try to fight off the exhaustion that comes with my pain medication.
“Tried to fight back an air bag deployment with my bare hand. Turns out, only Michael Oher can do that. Apparently I’m not Superman,” he says, defeat lacing his tone.
I can see the blackness closing in around me once more, and I pray that I can stay awake long enough to tell Colin what I’ve got to tell him.
“You’ll always be my Superman.”
Thirty Four.
The ding of the elevator signals that we’ve made it to our floor of the apartment. My stay in the hospital went quicker than I imagined it would, and today, Colin and Hanna have brought me home finally.
I’ve been ordered to take it easy, and keep myself in bed as much as humanly possible. Colin can’t stay with me today, as much as it pains the both of us, because he has his first final exam in half an hour. But he wanted to make sure I got home and in the apartment okay before he went to school. He opens the door for me and pushes my wheelchair—one my dad just had to buy to make mobilization easier on me—through the front doors and into our bedroom.
Hanna follows him, and she sits my bag on the floor beside the bed as Colin helps me out of the wheelchair. With both my hands on his shoulders and putting all my weight on my left leg, I somehow maneuver out of the chair and onto the bed. Colin places an arm below both my knees and I wrap an arm around his shoulders so that he can help me get adjusted how I want to. He props about five pillows behind me so that I’m sitting up, and he hands me two remotes: one to the T.V., and one to the Wii.
“So, everything’s hooked up to this remote control. I thought that would make it easier. You can use the Wii for Netflix or whatever, and Hanna’s got your laptop.” Colin bends down and points. “The mini fridge is fully stocked with snacks, juices, fruit, and microwaveables. There are takeout menus in the drawer on the other side, and I have a house phone set up in each room just in case you need Hanna and she’s not in the same room as you. You can call me if you need anything, baby. I’m so sorry I have to leave you.”
Shaking my head, I laugh. “It’s okay. It looks like you’ve covered all the bases, babe. Thank you. You take such good care of me.”
He crawls on top of the bed and gives me a kiss on the lips.
Hanna smiles at us and makes her way out into the living room to give us some privacy.
“I’ll be back around one to bring you some lunch. What would you like today?” he asks.
“Chicken noodle soup with extra noodles.” As soon as I say it, Colin chuckles lightly. “Also, I’d really love if you could bring me some chocolate.”
With a nod, he grabs his backpack off the side table and then sticks his phone in his back pocket. He gives me a brief, nostalgic expression before he ambles off
the bed.
“I’m sorry, I have to go if I want to make it to this final on time. Call me if you need me, okay? I’ll come running.” He makes his way over to the side of the bed I’m sitting on, and he plants a kiss on my forehead. “I just love you.”
Closing my eyes at the feeling of his lips against my head, I find myself struggling to find my breath. “I just love you.”
The minute that he’s out the door, I feel like all the air has left right along with him. I don’t want to see him go. Ever since the accident, I’ve had incredible separation anxiety. Any time he’s away from me for more than a few minutes, I freak the Hell out. After Dr. Rivers witnessed one for the first time, he prescribed me an Albuterol pump and suggested I take two pumps twice a day as needed. I can’t help but feel like a fucking invalid between the crutches, the pain meds, the bed rest, and now a pump. It’s all too much, and I hate feeling like I need to be waited on. Like I need someone to take care of me.
Maybe I do need someone to take care of me, but I wish it were Colin instead of my big brother’s wife. I know she has enough on her plate that she has to deal with already.
“Hey, Nic?” Hanna asks, entering the room with Nikkolas’s iPad and my cell phone. “Someone named Hayden is calling you on FaceTime.”
I happily take the devices from her, and I wonder what made him decide to call me. Rather than dwell too much on it, I answer his call.
“Hello, HJ,” I tell him.
“Hey, Nic. How are you holding up?” he asks, a smile etched on his face.
My best friend’s boyfriend is incredibly handsome, and I love that he called to check up on me. And he did it without Michie knowing, which scores extra points in my book. It shows me that he actually cares about me. That goes a long way.
“I would be better if I didn’t feel like I needed someone to do everything for me except wipe my ass. It sucks having to rely on other people for stuff I’m used to doing myself.”
Laughing, Hayden leans back in his chair. I can only assume that he’s in his office at Three Jax. He and his sisters Olivia and Elizabeth own a party planning company in Big Springs, and Hayden works the majority of the business side of it. So most times that Mich FaceTimes with him during work hours, he’s sitting at a desk, or in the break room after meeting with a client.
“Well, you’re always taking care of other people. Maybe it’s about time you let the people who love you return the favor.”
“Sounds like you’ve been talking to Michie about my reluctance to be pampered.”
There’s a long, awkward silence that ensues after my last statement. What’s even more troublesome is the somber expression that washes over Hayden’s face when I mention Michele’s name. All these things lead me to believe that there’s trouble in paradise.
“I actually haven’t talked to Mich much lately. She’s been pissed at me since I told her I couldn’t make it for prom, and after your accident, she pulled away even more. I’m afraid that if I don’t do something fast, I might lose her completely.”
I shake my head.
“It’s not that easy to get rid of Michele Taggaro. You have to trust her, and trust that if she’s pulling away, it’s for a reason.”
He considers what I’ve said for a moment, and then he sighs. “I don’t have to worry about Brody again, do I?”
At that, I almost laugh. But then, I remember how much it hurts to do that, so I try and fix my face and think of something serious. That helps me to compose myself properly.
“Brody’s the last person you need to worry about. He’s with Sabrina exclusively. He spends nearly every waking moment with her. The last person on his mind is your girl, to be quite honest.” I smile. “You can’t use my best friend as a scapegoat anymore. Whatever’s going on in your relationship is between just you and Michele this time. Fix it.”
“Yeah. Okay. I’m going to…I’m going to go. Feel better, Nickayla, yeah?”
He hangs up before I have the chance to say anything else, and I close my eyes.
Dialing the number to the apartment—which feels incredibly silly because both Hanna and I are in the house—I close my eyes.
“Yes, Nic?” Hanna answers on the first ring.
“I think it’s time for my pain meds.”
Hanna rushes into the room five minutes later with a cup of ice cold water and my pain killers. She hands them to me, taking my cell phone and the iPad and setting them both down on the bedside table.
“When you wake up, call me, okay?” she asks.
I nod, swallowing the pills and closing my eyes again.
All that I want to do is sleep. The fear from the accident, from thinking I’d lost Colin, from the rape and everything after it has been consuming me ever since my life flashed before my eyes when the car hit me. I can’t get the images out of my head. And as much as I want to pretend to my friends and family—and more importantly, my fiance—that I’m okay, I know that I’m not.
I know that pills won’t ease the pain. Not the mental kind anyway. But sleep will get my mind off of it all. And that’s precisely what I plan to do.
…
Two weeks later, the day before graduation, and I just got clearance from my doctor yesterday for light activity. If it meant I got to get out of that God-forsakened apartment, I was down for just about anything.
I’m supposed to be meeting Colin upstairs in the music hall of our high school so that he can be the first to sign my yearbook.
For the seniors this year, our school organized a yearbook signing mixer, where we can all gather, sign each others’ yearbooks, have refreshments, and relax because we’ve finally made it. As of tomorrow, we’ll be high school graduates!
Ever since my birthday, Colin and I have been nearly inseparable. He had to work a short shift after school today, and he said he’d meet me upstairs before we went in together. So, I’m headed into the elevator, going upstairs to meet with him when I hear a voice calling my name.
When I turn around, Dixon’s running behind me, and suddenly, when he’s beside me, I’m wishing I was wearing something different.
I’ve got on an emerald green, lacy peplum top, white skinny jeans that Colin said make my ass look “like whoa”, and a emerald green ballet flat. My hair’s in its natural curls and swept to the side, and I’m only wearing eyeliner and mascara.
As I make my way inside the elevator, Dixon’s hand comes up to rest on the small of my back. I turn and glare at him.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice damn near a screech.
“The last time you needed to get upstairs, you passed out. I’m not taking that risk with you,” he replies.
“First of all, I’m on an elevator, so no need to worry. Secondly, I’m a pro at these crutches. And most importantly, I’m not even yours to worry about.”
“Colin isn’t here, though, is he?”
“He’s on his way.”
“But he’s not here. I am. Just like last time.”
I open my mouth to speak and tell him that he needs to fuck off, and at that exact moment, I hear a throat being cleared. Peering past Dixon and out of the elevator, I find Colin staring at me. His hand is on the stair railing, like he was on his way upstairs, too, and gripping it so damn tight that his knuckles are white.
“What’s going on here?” he asks.
I reach behind me and slap Dixon’s hand away. “Nothing at all. I was just headed up to meet you.”
He nods, making his way into the elevator to stand beside me. Giving Dixon the most lethal stare I can muster right now, I rest my full body’s weight on the right crutch and reach for Colin with my now-free left hand. His arm drapes around my waist, and he gives me a tender kiss on the lips.
Colin presses the button for the floor we need to get to, and the elevator closes, leaving Dixon standing just outside and staring at us. When we get off the elevator, we head inside the music hall. I’m so excited to see everyone, particularly since this event isn’t a PHASS-exclusive ev
ent. All the senior students from all the Valley Highs are here today, so I get to see Sabrina at one of our social events.
I wonder if she’s here already, which, judging from the fact that Brody is, I’d guess she’s not too far away. The minute that I think it, we encounter Sabrina and Brody, and Michele talking to Sarah on the sidelines.
Colin helps me to a chair, then grabs a pen out of the front pocket of my hoodie and gets started on my yearbook inscription. He writes for a long time, and I can’t wait to read what he’s written for me, because I know it’ll be amazing and incredibly romantic.
It’s Time by Imagine Dragons, which we’ve voted as our class song, is blasting through the speakers in the front of the room. Nikkolas, always the weird one grabs a plastic cup from one of the refreshment tables and starts to play the beat to the song on his cup. Brody’s head snaps up from the conversation he’s having with Bree, and he grabs his own cup, then sits cross-legged on the floor and joins Nikky. I look over at Colin and he’s staring at them with a mixture of shock and awe. On the other side of the room, Kyle’s watching them be complete dorks, and somewhere in the midst of this, he locks gazes with me, and then his eyes flash to Colin. Before I know it, he’s tossing a cup to Colin and they’re both joining the other guys and us girls have no choice but to laugh at all of them.
Once the song is over, the boys stand up and take a bow. I clap loudly, and cheering for my friends and their amazing performance.
Within the next thirty minutes, our yearbooks are passed around the entire room, and all the people we know from each school have signed them. I signed Colin’s as soon as we got ours, because I wanted to make sure that I got the two pages I wanted to be able to write my inscription. But Brody’s, I wanted to sign his last.
Just as I’m about to sign Brody’s yearbook, someone comes up in front of me and clears their throat. I look up, and I see Kyle York standing before me. I give him a weak smile, but I can’t hide the fact that I still get a little bit nauseated at the sight of him. He still scares me shitless, and I hate that he’s able to do this to me.
Almost Everything (Nickayla Quinn Trilogy Book 2) Page 29