“I got him.” I yelled to Travis.
He had jumped in too. “I’m by the ladder. Where are you? Do you need me?” Travis yelled.
“Hold on Waylon. Come on I got you.” My arm was under his, and I had his head above the water. He was freaking though. He kicked, and tried to breathe, but he was putting up too much of a fight. Trying to keep himself up, he was pulling me down. I was running out of breath. My head had just popped out of the water, I screamed, “TRAVIS!” Then I was pulled back under into the dark water. I felt Waylon’s frantic swinging fist connect with the side of my face. I couldn’t hold on any longer. I fought but couldn’t rise above the water. The darkness took over.
TWENTY FOUR
Travis
The doctor said that Waylon was fine. They released him from the emergency room after his observation. We were there for about four hours. Even after all that time and the scare we had all been through…. He still hadn’t said much to me. The shock must have been too much for him.
“Where is she?” Waylon asked as we walked out of his room. I knew that he was talking about Sawyer. The doctor hadn’t mentioned her, and neither had I.
“She’s in TCU. Her brother and uncle are there to take care of her.” I explained.
“Is she gonna live?” He was concerned, and stopped in the middle of the hall waiting for me to respond. His eyes were filled with guilt.
I put my hand on his shoulder. “She’s not going to die. She will be alright. She was in ICU for the first few hours, but Dane texted me not long ago, and told me she was being moved to TCU. She’s improving.”
“I don’t want to leave yet.” He looked me deep in the eyes, which was unusual for him. “Please,” he pleaded.
“I don’t want to leave either buddy. Come on,” I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and we walked over to the elevator. He didn’t try and nudge me away. I hoped that he’d forgiven me, but we would talk about later, when he felt up to it.
The elevator dinged and we stepped off of it, onto the second floor. The waiting room was straight ahead, and Sawyer’s uncle Jake was sitting there. I recognized him from when we’d met earlier. He didn’t have to introduce himself. I recognized that haunted, lost look on his face; it was the face of a man realizing that there was a possibility of a world without Sawyer. I imagined that my face held the same expression.
“Hey,” I said to Jake as we walked into the waiting area. He lifted his head from his hands.
“Hey Travis.” He replied.
“This is my brother Waylon.” Waylon held out his hand. He had become such a man, and I hadn’t even realized it until that moment. He always found a way to surprise me.
“Nice to meet you Waylon.” Jake shook his hand. “I’m glad to see that you’re alright.” He said.
“How is she?” I asked. I hadn’t seen her since they put her in the ambulance. I’d thought my world was fucking over. The two people I loved the most were nearly taken from me. I couldn’t even think about it.
“She woke up a few minutes ago.” He said. I immediately felt a release on my heart. The pressure of not knowing if she would wake up and be okay had been about to kill me. “She’s not completely in the clear, but they think she’s gonna be okay.”
I had to sit down. I could feel myself getting choked up.
“You may want to know that she woke up screaming. She was screaming for Waylon.” Jake stated. “Once we told her that he was okay, she calmed down. Dane is with her now, but she wants to see you.” He patted my back.
I wanted to see her too.
“Will they let me see her?” I questioned.
“I’ll make sure that they do.” He countered.
“Thank you.” I looked towards him then back to Waylon. “Will you be fine here?” I asked.
“Go,” he said and waved me away.
“She is in the third room on the left, past the nurse’s station.” He pointed down the hall, and I was off.
I’d never been so nervous in all of my life. What if she hated me? I told her my deepest secrets, and showed her just how horrible of a person I was. She had every right to tell me to go to hell. If I were her, I would tell me to get lost.
Flashes of her on the stretcher keep replaying over and over in my head. I couldn’t get to her fast enough. The black water hid her from me. If the water hadn’t been that shallow, I would have lost her forever. Forever.
I took a deep breath to calm myself before I opened the door to her room.
Dane was sitting there in the chair beside her bed with his head in his hands. She was facing him toward the window. Just as I started to walk in she turned to face me, and immediately started to cry. I went straight to her side.
“Please don’t cry.” I swallowed the lump in my throat as I reached out and placed my hands on her because not touching her was pure torture.
“I’ll just be out in the waiting room.” Dane said as he got up from the chair. He walked out not saying another word, but palmed my shoulder as he walked past.
I lightly grazed her cheek with my hand, trying to rid her face of the tears. “Please don’t cry baby. I can’t handle it.”
“Lay with me?” She asked and scooted herself over in the bed.
“Are you sure?” I was worried. Not only about her injuries, but her feelings toward me. Could it be this easy? Did she really still want me?
“Travis Lawson don’t argue with a sick woman.”
“Well, the near death experience didn’t remove you sass.” I joked as I sat down next to her.
“Ha, ha,” was her big comeback. She looked so exhausted. Her eyes were tired and her body weak and fragile. The tears started to fall down her cheeks again.
“What’s wrong?” I panicked. “You hate me don’t you? This is where you tell me that we can still be friends, but you can’t be with someone like me.” I was rambling like a nervous idiot. I didn’t want to hear her say the words. I tried to prepare myself for this moment.
“Would you shut up?” She coughed, and I did as I was told. “What you do for Waylon is amazing. You have raised him, and you love him. You take care of him the best you can. I don’t hate you. How could I possibly hate you?” She said. She reached for my hand and squeezed it, just before she laid her head on my shoulder. “Please don’t leave me.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” I whispered.
“Good, cause I love you. I never want you to leave my side.” I pleaded.
“What did you say?” I lifted up so that I could look her in the eyes.
“You heard me. I’m not afraid to say it anymore. When I thought Waylon was gone, I realized that life is too damn short. I’m not going another day without telling you.” She explained. “You don’t have to say it back. I don’t expect-”
“Are you kidding me right now? I have loved you since I kissed you when we were kids. I love you so damn much that it hurts. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” I lightly stroked her face.
She choked back a sob just before I leaned in and kissed her lips softly, trying not to hurt her.
“I love you so much. I always have.” She wrapped her arms around my neck but could barely speak. “How’s Waylon?” She looked at me with concern.
“He’s fine physically. Mentally, I’m not so sure. But we’re going to get through this one way or another.”
She let out a loud sigh and said, “I love him too Travis. As much as I want you in my life, I want him too. That kid has my heart.”
“Mine too.” I hugged her close to me, and we stayed wrapped like that for a long time. I couldn’t believe it. She loved me, and Waylon. Even with all of my demons, she had found a way to look beyond. She had been the best thing to ever happen to our lives. God, I loved her.
A knock sounded and the door opened.
“Wren,” Sawyer said.
That was my cue to leave. I kissed her lightly on the forehead. “I’m going to go check on Waylon. I’ll be back to see you soon. I love you.” I whi
spered in her ear.
She smiled. “I love you too.”
I stood up and walked around the bed. “Hi, I’m Travis.” I introduced myself to Sawyer’s best friend. I recognized her as the girl that went to bed with Dane the night of the party.
“Wren,” she took my hand. “I’m her better half.” She stated.
“I thought that was me.” I replied as I turned to wink at Sawyer. Her smile grabbed my heart just like it always did.
“Good one,” she laughed. “He’s a keeper.” Wren pointed at me and both girls giggled.
“Later beautiful. Nice to meet you Wren.” I waved and left them to spend some time together.
I walked back to the waiting room. “You ready to go Waylon.”
“No,” he declared. “I want to see her too. By myself.”
I didn’t know why, but I would let him if that’s what he wanted. He was persistent about most things, and this wouldn’t be any different.
“Okay. She’s with her friend right now. How about we go downstairs and get a snack or something and then you can come back up and see her.”
“I could eat.” He smiled at me.
“All right then, let’s go.”
TWENTY FIVE
Sawyer
I was so happy to see Wren. She was my rock. As soon as Travis left the room I couldn’t wait to tell her that I loved him and that he loved me too. Of course, she wasn’t surprised. She said that not only had she just heard him say it, but he’d be dumb not to love me. Hence another reason why I loved her so much.
“I’ve never seen you this happy Saw, especially after everything you’ve been through…” She wasn’t her usual chipper self.
“It was worth it. I’d save him again.” I explained, but her mind was anywhere but there. She was acting funny. I hadn’t seen her this weird since the first time she got felt up. Having someone touch her boob was a life altering event for her. She had the same weird expression on her face.
“You need to tell me what’s going on, right now.” I pressed her for information. She’s usually an easy nut to crack. At least with me. We hadn’t ever kept secrets from one another.
“What are you talking about?” Her eyes darted towards the window. First sign of diversion.
“Cut the crap, Wrench.” I spouted.
Her head snapped at me. “You haven’t called me that since high school.” She smiled.
“Those were good years.” I smiled remembering how much fun we used to have. The two of us have always had an inseparable bond. “Quit trying to change the subject. I know something is up. Start talking.” I pressed her.
“Fine, but you can’t say anything to Dane.” So this was about Dane. Of course, he would be the one person to get her this worked up. Nothing is unusual about that. She walked around the bed and climbed into the spot where Travis had laid next to me moments before.
“I won’t say anything Wren, what’s going on?” She worried me, with her serious voice.
She nibbled on her bottom lip, staring at the ceiling. This was not typical Wren behavior. My heart raced, knowing that for her to act like this, it had to be something big. “I’m pregnant.” She blurted without warning.
Wait. What…
“No way.” I was seriously at a loss for words. She shook her head yes. It took me a minute to put it all together. “I can’t tell Dane because you want to. It’s Dane’s baby.” Holy Shit. “I’m going to be an aunt.”
She shook her head yes.
“Oh goodness. Are you okay?” I blew out a long breath. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but knew that she was the one that mattered most at the moment.
“I am now. I found out a couple of days ago. I wasn’t okay then, but it’s had time to sink in.” Wren’s voice sounded hurt.
“You could have called me.” I took her hand.
“I know. I was going to tell you. I just needed some time to adjust to it. And now I have to find some way to tell Dane. I don’t even want to think about it right now.” She threw her head back against the bed. I didn’t blame her. I could only imagine what his reaction was going to be like.
“We will get through this. I’ll be here for you. And I will be the coolest aunt ever.” I hugged her. “Try not to worry. If we have to, we’ll tie Dane to a chair to tell him.”
“Thanks Saw,” she said.
“You’re welcome,” I yawned.
“I’m getting out of here so you can rest.” She rose up in the bed. I didn’t argue I was worn out. We said our goodbyes and I told her to talk to Dane, and that I’d call her as soon as I made it home. I’m pretty sure I was out of it before she even left the room.
###
I felt a cold hand touch mine, and it startled me awake.
“Hey genius,” he stood there next to my bed, despair painted all over his face. I looked around, and realized he was here by himself.
“I’m sorry.” He didn’t look directly at me. “I’m so sorry, Sawyer.” He leaned over and rested his head in his hands.
“This wasn’t your fault Waylon. It was an accident. An accident,” I repeated so that he would understand that this wasn’t his fault. I didn’t want him to feel guilty. I took his chin in my hand so that he had to look at me as I continued to speak. “Don’t you do this to yourself? We’re both okay.” I felt like my words weren’t sinking in, and I hoped he wouldn’t carry this blame inside forever. Suddenly the realization felt like a gust of freaking wind about to knock me down. I was trying to tell him the same thing that everyone told me, and I never believed them. As hard as it would be, maybe he needed to figure this one out for himself. I’d be here to help him when he needed me. And I silently hoped that he would… That he always would come to me if he needed help.
“I’m surprised to see you’re still here. Shouldn’t you be at home making Travis wait on you hand and foot?” I nudged his arm. “I might have to teach you a thing or two.”
He half grinned and shook his head. “Don’t think you’re getting out of tutoring.” He tried to joke, but it was half-hearted. He was down and defeated. I wanted nothing more than to see him smile.
“I won’t. Don’t you worry? I’ll be back to drill sergeant by the end of the week.” I pestered.
“I’m gonna go,” He pointed over his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay.” I could see the tears forming in his eyes.
I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards me. “I’m okay. I promise.” I held my arms wide for a hug.
He rolled his eyes.
“Boy, you better give me a hug. I will kick your butt.”
He smirked. “Really.”
I glared at him without cracking a smile, which was hard to do.
“Okay, okay,” he moved with ease trying not to break me. He wrapped his arm around me, and I thought that he’d pull away quickly but he didn’t. He buried his head into my shoulder and held me tighter. I didn’t startle when I felt his tears brush against my skin. He needed this hug worse than me.
TWENTY SIX
Travis
Jake offered to give me and Waylon a ride home while Sawyer was sleeping at the hospital. Dane and Wren were both in the waiting room, if she needed someone. My car was still at Sawyer’s house since we all rode to the hospital in an ambulance. I told him not to worry, I’d figure out how to get my car later.
We pulled up in the drive, and my door stood wide open. “What the hell?” Jake looked at me with a worried expression on his face. “Wait here Waylon.” I looked at Jake, and he nodded.
I walked slowly onto the porch. The first thing I noticed was the doorknob was broken off the hinges and standing ajar. I hollered inside the house hoping to scare whoever it was if they were still inside. When I walked inside my eyes widened and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was torn apart. We’d been robbed. I couldn’t fucking believe it. Didn’t they know we had nothing here? We’re the oldest damn house on the street? We barely had enough money to live.
There wasn’t much of value,
but what there was, I knew would be gone. I went upstairs and checked the bedrooms. All that was missing from my room was my dad’s watch. But Waylon’s was worse. They took his T.V., and DVD player. His Xbox was gone too. I shook my head. I didn’t know why they’d do this. When I opened Waylon’s lunch box, the one that he’d kept hidden in his closet. It was empty. Not just the money he had saved, but every God Damn memory he had of my dad and my mom. His memories. All the pictures he saved were gone. “That bitch.” This fucking robbery had her named written all over it. What would anyone else want with those pictures?
“FUCK!” I slammed my fist into the wall. How could she do this to us? This was all we had. It wasn’t much, but it was ours. I slid down the wall and buried my head into the carpet.
And cried…
“I will find you!” I screamed. I meant it.
I felt someone touch my back and I swung my fist back, not caring who was there. Just let me have my damn breakdown.
“It’s okay, son. Let it out.” I heard Jake’s voice coming from behind me. He eased his hand on my back again. This time I let him. There was no denying that I needed someone.
I took a few minutes to get myself together. I didn’t want Waylon to see me like this. I was supposed to be his rock. Lately, I was failing miserably.
“I’m sorry, man.” I told Jake after I composed myself.
“No need for that. Are you okay to stay here? Do you want me to take you to the police station or something?” Jake asked with concern.
“No, it’s okay. I think I’ll call, and have them come here. They’re going to want to see this mess. You should probably get back to Sawyer.”
“Okay, but if you need anything just let me know.”
This man hardly knew me but was generous with his hospitality. “Thanks man, I really appreciate it.” I let out a frustrated breath. “Sometimes I wonder if things will ever get better.” I hung my head.
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