AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The sensible part of my brain tries to remind me this is really Kirill’s father’s doing, but I don’t want to hear that right now. I’m a ball of emotion. I want to tear at my hair and drop to my knees, screaming at the sky like a character in an old war film.
Dom turns to me. “Go and get Nataniele. Now.”
I turn and race out of the room again, heading to the quarters my mom and Nataniele occupy. I know my mom will wake the moment she hears me banging on the door. One thing having a sick child gives a person is the ability to wake and be in action mode at the slightest disturbance.
Sure, enough, within seconds of me knocking, the door flies open. I hadn’t even noticed I’d been crying, but my cheeks are wet with tears.
“Mackenzie, are you okay?” She grabs my hands. “Are you unwell?”
“It’s not me, it’s Valentino. He’s taken an overdose or something. We need Nataniele.”
The man in question appears behind my mom’s shoulder. He’s overheard.
“I’ll call the doctor,” he says, already pressing a cell phone to his ear.
I don’t want to be away from Tino. What if he dies, and I’m not there? The thought strikes utter terror into me. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared. How would I be able to go on in this hellhole without him? How will any of us? We all make up part of the glue that binds us all together, and we just won’t function if a part of us is missing.
Just how deeply I feel for these men hits me.
I pull out of my mother’s grip and flee back down the corridor, taking the turns until I reach the part where Tino’s room is located.
I burst through the door to find everyone in much the same position as when I’d left.
“How is he?” I ask Dom and Kirill.
Kirill looks over his shoulder at me. “No change.”
He’s as worried as I am.
Moments later, Nataniele and Mom stalk into the room.
“I’ve contacted the doctor,” Nataniele says. “He’s on his way, but he says we need to try to wake him up and keep him awake.” He stops by the bed. “Come on, Valentino. Wake up. You need to sit up.”
Maybe it’s the voice of authority that does it, but Tino lets out a groan. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to hear a sound in my life. I burst into tears, and my mom pulls me into her arms.
“He’ll be okay,” she reassures me. “Help is coming.”
When all this is over, will she question me about why I was trying to get into Tino’s room with the other two at this time in the morning? Will I have to come clean about our relationship? I picture what she’d say if I told her Kirill had proposed and expects me to have Russian babies. At this point, I’m wondering if anything I tell her will surprise her.
“Let’s get him up,” Nataniele says,
Between Dom and Kirill, they haul Tino to his feet. They’ve got one arm around each shoulder, but Tino’s head lolls, his chin to his chest, his feet dragging as they try to get him to walk around the room. I can barely see, I’m crying so hard.
Is this my fault? How could he do something so stupid? I always thought Tino was the most levelheaded out of them all. I’d been so wrong about that. It makes me wonder what else I’ve been wrong about.
Do I know these men at all?
Chapter 32
Tino
Holy fuck, I feel like shit. My head is banging, and I think I might puke at any moment.
I’m not sure what happened—just that I took a few pills and had a drink, like I do most evenings—only to come around to find half the fucking university in my room. One thing that draws my attention more than anything, though, is Mackenzie crying.
I hate seeing her cry.
I want to reassure her, to tell her I’m all right, and that I didn’t mean to upset her, but I can’t get my mouth to work. My legs don’t seem to be working too well either.
