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Hunter
Ihaven’t left her side the last couple of days. If she wakes, I make her drink something, take her to the bathroom, and help her shower.
Her mother, stepfather and little brother come to visit. I don’t stay; I want them to be able to say goodbye alone.
I’m sitting on the porch, staring out to the track when they walk downstairs. Jay hugs them and goes up to her room himself, and they leave to walk around the track. He stays with her for a long time and then he comes down and takes his seat next to me, burying his face in his hands.
“I’m sorry, son,” he says, sliding his fingers through his long hair.
“It’s okay, Jay,” I mutter, laying my hand on his shoulder, smiling as Drew and Timothy walk up to the house.
“Hey, Hunt.” Drew hugs me.
“Hey, man,” I whisper, embracing him tighter.
“Can we go to her?” Tim asks, leaning against the porch railing.
“Yeah.” I nod. “You can try. She has been sleeping a lot the last couple days. She only stays awake for a few minutes before she conks out again. Maybe you guys could get her to drink something.”
Tim nods.
“Can I get you anything, Jay?” Drew asks, motioning to the kitchen.
“No, I’m good,” he answers, giving Drew a small smile. “I’ll get dinner going. You guys staying here again tonight?”
They both nod before heading upstairs.
Later that evening we all have dinner together. Her mother, stepfather, and little brother. Jay and Marian. Mac, Drew and Tim. Even my father and Debra show up. When everything is ready, and I glance around the table, I know what I have to do.
“Want to set another plate?” Jay asks me, reading my mind.
“Yeah. I’m going to get her,” I say, sliding my chair back.
I knock on her door. I push it open and she smiles weakly. I kneel next to her bed, “Want to come downstairs with me, Shorty?”
Those big beautiful brown eyes blink a couple times and shine as she slowly nods.
“Okay, baby,” I say, kissing her lips. My mouth lingers on her skin. She closes her eyes. I help her sit up, pulling one of my black sweaters over her head and making sure her breathing tube is secure in her nose. She touches my jaw with her fist, then moves it over my hair. What I would give to have her fingers slide through my strands again. Her eyes are glistening with moisture. “You’re tired, aren’t you, babe?”
She nods, slowly opening and closing her eyes.
“I know. I know,” I whisper, taking her downstairs.
Sky listens to the stories during dinner, the laughter and the tears we share. Drew and Tim help her eat, feeding her little bites of vanilla ice cream, and get her to drink a little bit of water through a straw. Jay sits next to her and whispers something in her ear that makes her smile. He catches my stare and winks, tears rolling down his face. I watch her taking in everything happening around her. Our eyes lock from across the table, and everyone around us fades away. It’s like we are the only two here. She smiles at me like she did the first time we made love, my cheeks heat thinking about all the beautiful moments we’ve shared together.
I wink at her. She parts her lips, giving me a full-blown smile and mouths I love you. I stand and walk around the table to her. She follows me with her eyes.
“Cross my heart, babe,” I say. Her earth-shattering smile is all I need to know she feels the same.
After dinner I take her upstairs. She doesn’t want to wear the oxygen tube anymore. I beg her, but I also understand we’re almost at the finish line.
She falls asleep in my arms. Fuck, she is so thin, I feel her heartbeat hammering in her small chest. She’s been wheezing and gasping for air the whole day. She’s so sick, so god damn sick.
“My Shorty.” I run my fingers through her hair, staring at her beautiful face. Memorizing every line, every freckle, and the laugh lines around her eyes. I memorize her neck, her collarbone, the swell of her breasts, her tiny waist, and those long legs. How can this body, how can something this beautiful, be so cruel? Pulling the covers over her, I notice how much weight she has lost in the last week alone. Her skin is covered with bruises. Despite all this, she’s still as beautiful as she was the first day I met her. And I’m fucking thankful I get to love her, and she loves me just the same.
Sky sleeps through the whole night and well into the next day. Slowly opening my eyes I stretch, I’m still wearing last night’s clothes. The midday sun beats through the open patio doors. I turn on my side; she is watching me. A soft glow illuminates her face, her blonde hair shining like a field of corn in the summer.
I reach out and kiss her lips, and she runs her knuckles over my inked neck, following the lines of my tattoos and stopping below my jaw. Pulling back, she smiles.
