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I’m sure I’ll receive the wrath of the Roses if they find out I’m involved with their daughter, and rightfully so. But all I care about right now is taking care of Penny.
“This is my home,” she says.
The twisted web is slowly untangling.
She does live here. But in her mind, does she think this is a house she bought and lived in with her husband? Or does she know that she’s staying here temporarily as a friend?
“It is,” I agree carefully. “You live here with me and Lily. But right now you’re upset and I want you to be happy again.” I reach for her hand. “Come inside with me,” I continue softly. “You can put your favorite cozy clothes on, I’ll make you some tea, and we’ll call your mom together.”
Instead of taking my hand, she grabs on to my arm, clinging to me. “Alex, please. I don’t want to talk to anyone. And I don’t want to leave. This is our home. I love you.” Her eyes blur with pooling tears. “Please smile at me.” Reaching up, she brushes her thumb across my lips. Exactly like Brianna used to. Her special little love touch.
My heart completely freezes. For a crazy brief second, she almost has me convinced.
I turn away from her touch. “Don’t do that.”
Her face falls. “You love when I do that—”
“Penny!” She flinches at my rising voice. “Please, stop. Whatever’s going on, it’s not normal. You’re scaring me. We need to get you help.”
“I don’t need help!” I watch in horror as she pulls at her hair, yanking beautiful red strands out in handfuls. “I want my life back…I wasn’t ready yet… I want you and the baby and Cherry and my house… please.”
She falls to the floor and rolls onto her back, sobbing uncontrollably. “My head hurts so much…I just want to be me again, I just want you to love me again,” she cries hysterically.
“Penny, I do love you. Please don’t cry. I can’t stand seeing you like this. Come inside with me and we’ll talk…”
My heart lurches when I realize she’s not just sobbing, her body is convulsing. Her rib cage is heaving in and out with alarming rapid breaths, her limbs are shaking. Something is seriously wrong.
Quickly kneeling next to her, I take her hands in mine to stop her from pulling on her hair. “Penny… it’s okay,” I say. “Just try to calm down…”
I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m having a breakdown myself. Just minutes ago everything was perfect. We were happy. We were falling in love. She was everything I dreamed of and wished for. I promised to make her the happiest woman in the world.
I’m cursed.
“Oh my God… what’s going on?” Suddenly, Lily is there, her eyes wide as she takes in the scene that must look sketchy as hell. Penny, half-dressed on the floor, crying. Me, kneeling over her with my hair a mess and clothes askew.
“Call 9-1-1.” I pull my phone from my pocket and toss it to her. “I think she’s having a seizure.”
“I don’t want to die again,” Penny cries, grabbing at my arms. “Please don’t let me die. I don’t want to do this again.”
Fear pounds in my ears. “You’re not going to die,” I say softly. “We’re going to get you to the hospital.”
Her face twists with terror. Her nails dig into my flesh. “Please don’t make me go there. That’s where I died…please…”
“What is she talking about?” Lily asks in between questions from the 9-1-1 operator.
“I don’t know. I think she’s hallucinating.”
Lily crouches down next to us with the phone at her ear. “Penny, can you tell me what happened? Do you know where you are? Did you have one of your episodes?”
Penny sobs, rolling her head back and forth. “I’m not me anymore,” she whimpers. “I’m lost…”
“You’re right here with us,” Lily says in a soothing tone I’ve never heard from her before. “Take deep breaths. The ambulance is coming.” Into the phone, she says, “Yes, she’s breathing, but very heavily. She’s crying.”
I can’t think straight. My mind muddles with mounting worry and confusion as flashbacks drag me to that horrible day on the side of the road. I squeeze Penny’s hand in mine. “I’m here,” I whisper. “You’re going to be okay.”
“No,” Lily continues with the operator. “She doesn’t drink or do drugs. Ever. Yes, I’m sure.” She raises her eyes to question me. “What happened? What was she doing out here?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. She came to talk, and all of a sudden, she started crying and saying all these crazy things. She’s not making any sense.”
Hating myself for lying, I stand and grab the picnic blanket I draped near the door earlier.
I cover Penny with the blanket just as the ambulance arrives. I stay by her side, refusing to let go of her hand, only speaking when questioned. She clings to my hand, her wild eyes riveted to my face. When they load her into the back of the ambulance, panic races through me. The last time someone I loved was put into an ambulance, they never came back.
