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Can’t Lose Him
Maia
Mybreathsgrowshallow.This can’t be happening. This—
Oh fuck.
I leap off the bed and run for the bathroom, Vince trailing behind me as I go. “Maia?”
But I can’t answer. I barely make it to the toilet before spilling the contents of my stomach. Between rounds of puking, sobs overtake my body.
Shellshocked, but still keeping it together, Vince bends down and sweeps my hair away from my face. When I’m finished, he helps me up and out of the bathroom. “I can’t lose him,” I mutter. Then, reality hits. “We have to get to the hospital,” I yell.
“What? What’s going on?” Jenna stumbles into the hallway.
“Braden—Braden—”
“He was in a car accident. We need to get to the hospital.” Vince turns to me. “You need clothes.”
“Okay. Clothes.” At that moment, Harper lets out a wail.She’s always been in tune with my emotions.
“I’ve got her,” Jenna says, hurrying into the room.
She walks back out with Harper tucked against her. Harper’s arms fly out and she screeches. “Mama!”
I pause and look at her. “Go,” Jenna says.
I nod and reluctantly let Vince push me into the bedroom. I grab the nearest clothes I can find. Gray joggers, a white V-neck tee, and one of Vince’s hoodies. We need to go, but my feet won’t move. I keep playing it over and over again.
When someone shows you repeatedly who theyreallyare, at some point you have to start believing it.
Be a better man!
She’s going to grow up calling someone else ‘Daddy.’
What if that’s exactly what happens now?
“Maia…”
I look up into Vince’s eyes, tears spilling down my cheeks. He takes my hand. “Let’s go. We’ll do this—whatever this is—together.”
I nod and let him lead me out of the room.
Jenna follows us to the door with Harper, who is calmer now, and gives me a quick hug. “I love you. I’ve got Harper. I’ll call Mom and Dad.”
“Thank you. I love you, too.”
I slide my sneakers on, and we head out the door.
Vince gets me to the truck and gets us on the road as I find myself praying—to who or what, I don’t really know. But I can’t stop the thoughts tumbling through my brain.
Please don’t let him die. Please. Please. I can’t lose him. Harper can’t lose her dad. I never wanted this. Please. We all need him. We all love him. We—
Nick.
Shit.
“Nick needs to know.”
“Okay, put my phone on speaker, and I’ll—”
Swallowing hard, I shake my head. “No. I’ll do it. Just get us there, okay?”
Vince glances at me for half a second, his blue eyes filled with fear, pain, and uncertainty. He gives the slightest nod and rests one hand on my thigh.
I pull my phone out, willing myself to make the hardest phone call I’ve ever had to make.
Shoving the phone against my ear before I chicken out, I wait as the line trills again and again until…
“Hello?”
