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I shake my head in shock. I feel funny, confused, as if this is all a nightmare.
“No, she doesn’t … She’s dead, and it’s all my fault.” Tears spill from my eyes and stream down my cheeks. “I knew something was bothering her, but I was too distracted with stuff, and I … I failed her.” I start babbling, totally losing my shit.
A sob wrenches from my chest as I veer toward the edge, about to lose it.
Alex cups my chin and forces me to look at him. “Knock this crying shit off. You’re fucking tougher than this, so suck it the hell up, get your shit together, and let’s get your sister to the hospital.”
His words are like a slap to the face, which I completely needed.
Sucking in a breath, I wipe the tears from my eyes.
“You good?” he asks.
I bob my head up and down and let out a shaky breath. “Yeah, I’m good now.”
“Good.” He removes his hand from my chin and looks at Payton. “I’m going to carry her out of here. And I’m going to need you to walk in front of me when we reach the crowd to clear a path.”
I climb off the bed, my heart racing in my chest as I watch him pick up my sister. “Wouldn’t it be easier to call for an ambulance?”
He shakes his head as he scoots to the edge of the bed and stands up. “I can get to the hospital faster than an ambulance can get here.” He adjusts Payton in his arms then strides toward the door.
I don’t know why I trust him but, for some reason, I do. Maybe it’s the way he’s handling this situation. Calm and in control. Plus, he helped me pull myself together. And besides, I don’t think I have another choice right now than to trust him.
I hurry around in front of him before he steps out of the room. Then we rush down the hallway.
“And Had,” he says as we reach the top of the stairway, “there’s probably going to be some drama once we get downstairs and people realize what’s going on. You need to ignore everything you hear and keep walking until we get to my car.”
“I figured as much,” I tell him.
We trade a worried look, and then I start down the stairs and he follows.
Halfway down, people begin to notice us and whispers start to filter through the air.
“Some girls can’t handle their shit,” a stocky guy standing at the bottom of the stairway says as he eyes Payton in Alex’s arms.
“We should tell Jay,” a taller guy beside him utters while tossing his empty cup onto the floor.
“She’s with Alex Porterson,” a girl standing with them warns, nervously biting her fingernail. “Maybe that’s not a good idea.”
“This is Jay’s house and he needs to know.” The first guy who spoke strides off toward the living room.
I quicken my pace, shoving people out of the way as I reach the bottom of the stairway. The farther we walk into the crowd, the more people whisper, some more loudly than others.
By the time we make it to the sliding glass door, I’m concerned we’re about to have a fight on our hands. At any other time, that would be fine, but right now, all I want is to get the heck out of here as fast as I can.
I hurriedly glide the sliding door open then rush outside. Alex steps out behind me, and then we hurry to the corner of the house.
“I think we’re good,” Alex mutters as we hike across the grass toward the driveway.
“I hope so,” I say, glancing at some people standing on the front lawn.
Nighttime has completely taken over, the only light source coming from the lights on the front porch. When we make it to the SUV, I flip the headlights on before opening the back door. Then I move out of the way so Alex can lie Payton down on the back seat.
“Get in the back and keep an eye on her,” he tells me as he hops out of the back seat. “I’ll drive.”
“Let me drive.” I’ve started to chatter and shiver, which makes no sense. It’s not that cold. “I’m probably a better driver than you.”
He gives me a tolerant look. “Even if that’s true, which I’m not saying it is, you’re in shock right now.”
