by J. A. Owenby
“Hey, keep us posted. Mom will worry until you call again and tell us you’re okay.”
“I’m alright, Garrett, but I promise I’ll call.”
We hung up and I grabbed my purse and keys. It was a twenty-minute drive from Mama’s house to St. Augustine’s Hospital, but it would be almost an hour-long drive for Walker.
I drove the speed limit, not wanting to get pulled over. There was nothing I could do for Mama anyway, but I was scared. I’d never seen anything like it. I thought she’d died right there in front of everyone. If Mama died in the hospital, Krissy would never let it go. For the rest of our lives, she would accuse me of killing her.
Dread filled my stomach, and I pulled over just in time to empty the contents of my stomach on the side of the road. I steadied myself against the car as I wiped my mouth. My stomach gurgled again and I bent over as my gut rebelled against anything remaining inside it. By the fourth time, I was dry heaving and grateful nothing else came up.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm my shaking, weak body. I still had to drive to the hospital. I sat in my car and dug through my purse for some gum. Thank goodness I’d stocked up when Walker and I had started dating.
I leaned my head back and chewed for a minute. I willed my shaking limbs to calm down and focused on the cool night air as it dried the beads of sweat on my forehead. It was exactly what I needed, and within a few minutes I pulled back onto the road and headed for the hospital.
Chapter 25
I drove past the parking garage and found a space in the emergency room parking lot. I locked my doors and jogged into the hospital. A nurse directed me to the room Mama was in, and I rushed down the hall to the ICU and searched each door for her name. I hadn’t realized that the hospital was so big, and it took me almost ten minutes to find her room.
I slowed as I approached Patsy and Krissy sitting in the hallway.
Patsy glanced up as I approached. I’m sure I looked like hell after puking my guts up on the side of the road, but Patsy looked like hell too. Her mascara had streaked down her cheeks and her dark hair was messed up.
I nodded hello and sat next to her.
“The doctors are with her,” Patsy said. “She regained consciousness before we got here.”
“Is she going to be okay?” My voice faltered.
“I don’t know yet, Lacey.”
I glanced at Krissy; she was picking at her fingernails. When Krissy was younger, she used to pick at her nails before the first day of school. When she was anxious about something she fell back into the nervous habit, but she hadn’t done it in years. That told me things were bad.
The clock above Krissy’s head ticked with each second that passed. After an eternity, a doctor stepped out of Mama’s room. He glanced at the chart he was holding and looked at us. His eyes held a compassion that I hadn’t seen in other staff members as they rushed around taking care of all the sick people.
He ran his hand through his thinning gray hair and cleared his throat.
“Are you Lynn Beaumont’s family?” he asked.
Patsy, Krissy, and I all said yes at the same time.
“I’m Dr. Snider. Lynn will probably be here in the ICU for a few days. We need to run some additional tests. It appears that she had a seizure, but we haven’t identified the cause yet.”
My mouth dropped with the news. Mama had never had a seizure that I was aware of. I didn’t understand how this could happen.
“Does she have a history of seizures?” Dr. Snider asked.
“No, she doesn’t,” Patsy responded, shaking her head.
Their voices faded into the background as I tried to process the information. I just didn’t get it. My mind automatically replayed what had happened over and over. I remembered her getting out of her chair and how red her face was, but it was the same as any other argument.
It was the strange expression on her face that had told me something was different—more than that, wrong. I was the only one who’d witnessed it, since Krissy and Patsy hadn’t been sitting in front of her.
“Lacey.”
“What?” I asked as Patsy broke me out of my thoughts.
“Krissy and I are going in to visit your mom. I don’t think you should come in yet. I’m not sure it would be good for her to see you.”
“What?” I hiccupped. “Why?”
“Do we really need to discuss this now, Lacey?” Patsy said, frowning.
I stared at her. No words came out of my mouth, and she took that as me agreeing with her suggestion. She and Krissy went into Mama’s room and closed the door behind them. I was left sitting in the hallway by myself.
I sighed and leaned my head against the wall. Its smooth, cold surface sent a chill through me and reminded me that this was real and not a nightmare. Not only was something wrong with Mama, but Patsy had made it clear that I shouldn’t be anywhere near her, which meant that Patsy thought I was the cause of what had happened.
Maybe I was. Maybe the news had been too much for Mama.
As that thought took root in my mind and heart, a tear trickled down my cheek. If Walker’s aunt was right and I wasn’t possessed, then how did this happen? She had to be wrong. Once again, I’d hurt Mama, and this time I’d put her in the hospital. She could’ve died because of me.
Mama’s door creaked open and Krissy slipped into the hallway.
“What are you crying about?” she asked.
I ignored her question and stood up.
“Is she okay?”
“I hope so, but the doctors are running tests,” she said. “She’ll be here in the ICU for a few days from what it sounds like.”
Silence filled the space between us as I struggled for something to say. I hated the tension. I didn’t always like Krissy, but she was still my sister.
“You do realize this is your fault, right?” she said.
“Stop, Krissy.”
“No, you need to get this, Lacey. You caused this. You hurt Mama, just like you always do. What gets me is that she pours all her time into saving you, but you choose to keep hurting people. Do you want to hold onto the demons inside you that are ripping this family apart? Are you ever going to get it, or do you have to kill Mama before you’ll believe her?”
“I didn’t mean to hurt her, Krissy. I wouldn’t hurt anyone on purpose. You have to believe me.”
“You should’ve thought about that before you decided to date Walker behind her back.”
“That’s enough, Krissy,” a voice boomed through the hallway.
I turned to see Walker as he approached us. Part of me sighed with relief, but another part was scared to be around him again. I didn’t want to hurt him too.
“This is none of your business, Walker,” Krissy hissed. “Besides, you have no idea what your little girlfriend did to her own mother.”
Walker strolled right past me and stopped inches away from Krissy’s face.
“If you want to believe that you go ahead, but I’ll give you something else to chew on,” he said. “Your mom is very sick—in fact, you might want to have her mentally evaluated while she’s here. It’s not Lacey’s fault and Lacey isn’t possessed by demons. It would do you all good to find out the truth. Until then, you need to back off Lacey, and I mean now.”
Walker turned away, grabbed my hand, and led me down the hallway.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Home, baby. You’ve had a really rough night, but your mom’s in good hands now. Everything’s going to be okay.”
We didn’t talk in the elevator or the parking lot. He found the car, opened the passenger-side door for me, and then slid into the driver’s seat. The black Camaro’s motor rumbled to life, pulling my thoughts away from Mama.
“You drove your mom’s car?”
“Mine wouldn’t start, so Mom let me borrow hers.”
I nodded and turned to stare out the window as we left the parking lot and drove to his house.
Chapter 26
&nbs
p; I understood now what people meant about being in shock. My thoughts were still at the hospital, and Krissy and Patsy’s words rang in my head. If I’d ever questioned where they stood concerning me, I’d gotten a definite answer tonight. Their allegiance was with Mama, no matter what.
I wasn’t sure if I was possessed or not, but I couldn’t deal with it anymore. If Mama was mentally ill, I couldn’t help her. I certainly couldn’t help her as long as other people in her life agreed that I was the problem. As soon as the doctors knew what was wrong with her, I would figure out my next move.
Walker parked the car in front of his house, snapping me to attention. I didn’t remember the drive at all. I opened the passenger-side door and got out, and he placed his hand on the small of my back as he guided me to the front door and into the kitchen.
He pulled a chair out and motioned for me to sit down. I slid into my seat as he busied himself in the kitchen. He moved with ease and a level of comfort that most guys didn’t possess. He grabbed the tea kettle and put it on the stove as he took some coffee mugs from the cabinet. He didn’t say anything, but continued to glance at me over his shoulder.
I jumped as the phone rang. He smiled, trying to calm me down.
“Hello? Yes, this is Walker.”
I leaned forward, trying to hear if the caller was male or female. I trusted Walker, but I wouldn’t put it past other girls to call him even though everyone knew we were together.
Walker’s face fell as he listened to the person on the other end of the phone. I stood up and walked toward him. Fear gripped me as images of Mama lying dead in the hospital filled my mind. I shouldn’t have left. I should’ve stayed, no matter what Patsy and Krissy said to me.
“Thank you for calling, sir,” Walker said, hanging up the phone.
I grabbed his hand as he stared at me. Something terrible had happened. I was afraid to ask.
The whistle of the tea kettle broke the silence and he released my hand to turn off the stove. He stood motionless with his back to me, staring at the floor. The silence suffocated me. I needed to know.
“Walker, tell me—what is it?” I said softly. “Is it bad? Tell me. Please.”
Walker turned to face me. When he did, the worry in his eyes pierced my heart.
“I just got called for boot camp. I leave for the military on November 17. I talked with a recruiter before you and I met, but I never heard anything back. I assumed . . . Lace, I didn’t know.” He ran his hands through his hair.
I stared at him blankly, not comprehending the words that had just come out of his mouth. My mind scrambled as I tried to piece together what he’d said, and then a cement wall slammed into my chest.
Leaving. Walker was going to leave me.
“What?” I whispered. Then I covered my face with my hands as I wilted to the floor and cried.
Chapter 27
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed. The last thing I remembered was Walker telling me he was leaving in three weeks, but I didn’t remember how I got into his bed.
“Hey,” Walker said. “I’m so sorry, Lacey. I’m so sorry.”
His fingers rubbed my arm as I lay still and refused to open my eyes. I was tired of reality smacking me in the face. If I stayed still, maybe I would wake up to another life.
Walker scooted closer to me, spooning me, and rested his chin on top of my head. His hand rubbed my back as I snuggled into him. I could smell traces of his Polo cologne as we spent the next few minutes lying there quietly.
He was going to try to explain everything, not that it mattered. He was leaving and there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn’t even stand up to Mama, much less the military.
He tilted my head up and kissed me gently. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said. “I don’t understand, though.”
“I met with an air force recruiter before we met, Lace. It’s been a while and I just assumed that I’d been passed over for the area I was interested in, but apparently not—they just didn’t have openings until now.”
“Why would you do that while Susan is sick and Garrett needs you?”
“It was the only way I could think of to provide for Garrett and take care of him. I know he’ll live with Aunt Linda after Mom’s gone, but he’s still my responsibility. I figured after boot camp I could request to be stationed in Little Rock so I could visit him a few times a month. He’ll be going through so much with both Mom and I gone that I’ll do everything I can to get stationed close to him. It’s the initial six weeks I’ll be in Texas that will be the hardest.”
“Six weeks?” I said, my voice breaking.
Walker nodded.
“The timing couldn’t be worse,” he said. “The expression on your face when I told you broke my heart in two. I’d already talked everything through with Mom before I did it, and Garrett was aware of the plan too. But the last thing I expected was to fall in love—really fall in love—with someone as beautiful as you. You’re everything to me, Lacey. These six weeks are going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but as soon as it’s over I’ll be back for you. I’ll be back for all of you.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, I promise.”
I leaned my head against his chest and listened to the sound of his breathing as he held me. There wasn’t anything else to say right now, so I settled for feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath. I wouldn’t be able to soon. I wouldn’t be able to listen to his heartbeat, or feel his kisses on my forehead or his fingers stroking my cheek. I didn’t plan on taking another moment with him for granted. He’d made it clear through his words and actions that he loved me, and I loved him too.
I didn’t realize I’d drifted off to sleep again.
Chapter 28
I woke to the sound of Walker and Garrett’s voices in the kitchen. I glanced at Walker’s clock and gasped. I’d slept through the night until noon the next day. I’d never done that before. I got out of bed and made my way to the kitchen.
Walker and Garrett were standing at the stove and Walker was teaching him how to make hamburgers. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. Walker loved Garrett. He planned on taking care of him as soon as he was able to.
I wondered what it would be like to live with them. Walker and I would help Garrett finish school and graduate . . . it was an enormous responsibility. By the time Walker came home and we were ready to take that on, though, I’d be nineteen and Walker would be twenty. We’d still be young, but we could do it. I would do it for Susan and Walker.
I didn’t just love Walker; I’d fallen in love with his entire family. Just because he was leaving for a few months didn’t mean I couldn’t stay close.
“Hey, Lacey,” Garrett said as he turned to the sink to wash the raw meat off his hands.
“Hey, buddy. What are you making?” I asked as I peered around them.
“Walker’s teaching me to cook hamburgers.” As big as his smile was, it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Good, I’m starving,” I said as I reached over and tousled his hair.
“You might be a girl, but I won’t hesitate to give you a noogie,” Garrett said, laughing.
“Like hell you will,” Walker said as he popped Garrett in the ass with the hand towel.
“Dude! You suck!” Garrett said.
“Yeah, but you’ll get over it. Get back over here and turn your burgers,” Walker ordered.
Garrett went back to the stove and attempted to turn his burgers, but sent grease spattering across the stove instead. Walker showed him how to slip the spatula under the meat and turn it gently.
I mentally snapped a picture of them at the stove together. I wanted to forever ingrain it in my memory. A pang of jealousy and hurt filled me as I wished things at my home were different, that we were close like Walker and his family. But we weren’t, and I was grateful to have a second chance with people who loved me.
“Whatcha thinkin’, Lace?” Walker asked as he crossed the kitch
en and leaned down to kiss me.
“How awesome you are.”
Garrett made a gagging noise.
“Pay attention to your cooking, Garrett,” Walker said over his shoulder.
I couldn’t hear Garrett’s response.
“You hungry?”
“Yeah,” I said as I ran my hands over his chest. I was going to miss these moments most of all, being next to him with his arms wrapped around me, safe from everything and everyone. I wished I could stay there forever.
“What do you want for dessert?” he whispered as he gently grabbed my ass.
I peeked around to make sure Garrett still stood with his back to us as I rubbed my hand across his lower stomach and slid my fingers beneath his jeans. I fiddled with the button as I searched his face. His expression changed from wanting to take care of me and shield me to pure need.
I wasn’t sure who was right, Mama or Aunt Linda, about being possessed or not, but I was tired of fighting. I was the only virgin left in my group of friends and if that was part of Mama’s basis for my condition, then maybe she was wrong. Maybe I was normal, maybe I was in love with someone who thought I was worth fighting for. Regardless, I wanted Walker.
He rubbed my neck in small circles and threaded his fingers through my hair. He tilted my head up, exposing my neck as he leaned down and placed light kisses down to my collarbone. If Garrett hadn’t been making so much noise cooking, he would have heard me gasp as Walker stroked my nipple through my shirt. Walker moved me backward from the kitchen into his bedroom as he continued to kiss me. I heard the door shut behind us.
As soon as the door closed, Walker slid one hand up my stomach and across my rib cage. He hesitated for a moment as he came into contact with my bra, and then slid his hands around my back and released the clasp. I wiggled my arms free and let it slip to the floor.
He pulled me up as I wrapped my legs around him. He took a few steps and leaned forward with us together until my back pressed against his mattress. I scooted up toward the head of the bed and Walker settled on top of me. He rolled us slightly onto our sides as he gained more access and cupped my ass. I rocked against him, wishing our clothes weren’t in the way. I wanted him like I’d never wanted anyone before. I wanted to touch and kiss him, and I wanted him inside me. I loved him and I wanted every part of him.