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I pull Gabrielle’s hand into mine giving it a firm squeeze. “You always know how to tell me what to do without making it seem like you are. You truly are a Jedi.”
“When I see you this happy, I want you to get it. Whatever it is, go get it.”
Chapter Sixteen
Dylan
The longer we sit here, the more I worry. I wish I could have been the one to get up and grab the coffee. I can’t wait until I can get rid of these crutches. Being stationary gives me another perspective I might not have otherwise. I hate the energy I can’t burn off, which I realize is nerves. I’m trying to decide which breaks my heart more, how I felt waiting for Eli to wake up or watching him torture himself because he should have known something was wrong with Hayley.
I’ve watched him hundreds of times ponder decisions he’s made in a boardroom or on a conference call. His shoulders are rolled back, and his chin high. He may close his eyes occasionally, but that’s only to process. For the last couple of hours, when he’s not pacing, his shoulders are rolled forward, his head is hanging or resting on his hand, and his eyes are no longer laser focused. They’re glossy and vacant. I’m not only worried about Hayley, but I’m also worried about him.
The tension in his fingers is evident as he walks back toward me. I wrap my hand over his instead of taking the warmth I’d like. “She’ll be okay. I promise.” He exhales as he allows his fingers to mingle with mine. “I know you need to move. I understand that. I do but sit with me for just a bit.”
He lowers to rest his body close to mine. Eli’s arm slides around my back, his fingers mindlessly twirling a piece of my hair at the end of my braid. “How’s your pain? I haven’t even asked. I’m sorry.”
“Eli, it’s okay. I’m not pain free, but I’m fine.”
“I dropped everything and ran. I didn’t even consider you.”
“Stop. I want you to stop it. I’m a big girl. I kept up just fine. You need to hear me when I say she’s going to be okay.”
“How could I be so blind, Viper? I’m her best friend. I bought into her explanations for everything. I should have dug deeper.”
“Listen to me. Unfortunately, if this is really what we’re dealing with, I’ve had some experience with it.” His hand stops moving. I can hear him hold his breath. “No, not me. The life of a dancer is sometimes very unforgiving. You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve seen both men and women, boys and girls do to their bodies for the price of a role or fame. It’s really dark and sad.”
“Why would she do this though? I don’t understand.”
“Okay, first, the doctor is only going off what he’s interpreting based on the tests. I know he said he got some information from Hayley, but you need to reserve judgment until we hear it from her.”
“What do you think though, Dylan? Does this fit what you’ve seen before?” My fingers flex and contract around the warm cup in my hand. I stare down into the slowly rotating dark liquid, wishing I had a different opinion than the doctor. “Dylan?”
“Yes. Now that I’ve had time to think back, yes, I think he’s right. I don’t want to lie to you. What I do know is that she has a great support system. She has a man in her life who loves her. Not everything is sunshine, but we’ll be able to get her back to herself.”
“How do we do that? What are we talking about here?”
“My guess is therapy. I think it would be good for her anyway, especially with the baby mama drama. If I had to guess, if it were me, that’s where a lot of this is coming from.”
“Has she said anything to you about the baby? Hannah?”
“I mean… she has, and she hasn’t. She has a lot of questions, and rightfully so. I know I would if I were in her shoes. I know we’re not ready, at least I’m not, for a baby, but if you had one with someone else…” I let that thought hang in the air not only for him, but for me too. I guess it’s always been in the back of my mind. Just knowing he was married to Tori is enough to drive me to want to punch something. I can only imagine what it would feel like if he shared a child with her. “I hadn’t thought about it until I said it. Wow.”
“Wow, what? Tell me.”
“I know Hayley wouldn’t mind, but still I don’t want to break her confidence. If it were me, I’d want to know I have my place. I’d be yours, the baby would be yours and hers. There would always be this sort of wall, you know? If Hannah is anything like Tori, which I suspect she might be, there could be some game playing going on here.
“Wes is a lot like you. His compass might point the entire fucking opposite direction sometimes. However, he does have a very strong sense of loyalty and we both know how he feels about family. I don’t know her, but if she knows this and wants to use it in a bad way, she could really fuck with his head, and in turn, Hayley’s.”
“I haven’t asked. I didn’t want to step into their business. The one fucking time I decide to stay out of it, this is the result. Now isn’t the time to probe. We need to get Hayley better and home. We need to get her to feel safe then we can talk about everything. I’m not going to let either one of them drown.”
“Eli, you can’t make choices for them either. As much as you want to fix it, the only ones who really can are Wes and Hayley.”
Eli sighs in defeat as he lets his head drop over onto my shoulder. I rest my head against his while my fingers thread through his. His thumb slides back and forth across my wedding band like an anxiety ring. I hope it helps.
“Mr. Sawyer?”
Eli’s head jets up from my shoulder at the sound of his name. A nurse has approached us. “Yes?”
“Your sister is asking for you. I can take you to her if you’d like?”
