AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I feel a dim sense of gratitude toward her as I allow Lita to steer me to the parking lot where we all climb into Fiona’s red Corolla.
In the backseat, I sit beside my sister and flash back to the countless times we shared a backseat on car rides as children. Fiona honks at a couple of idling pedestrians and makes a right turn.
She looks at me in the rearview mirror. “We’ll be there in no time.”
Lita reaches for my hand and gives it a comforting squeeze.
I nod my head. It’s terrible to remember that this hollow devastation is not unknown to me. I felt this way once before, right after I was told my sister might not ever awaken from her coma.
“I made him wait too long, Lita.”
She frowns with confusion. “What?”
“Conner said he loved me and begged me not to make him wait too long. But I didn’t listen. I made him wait too long.”
Lita, always the more sensitive twin, has no shield from my tidal wave of grief and she starts to cry too. I look out the window at the sight of the world continuing to turn even though I can’t bear to say another word.
In truth, I don’t even know if I’m still breathing.
Chapter25
Haven
Fiona cuts through Emerald City like she’s auditioning for NASCAR. She pulls up to the hospital’s emergency entrance and I barely wait for the car to roll to a stop before leaping out. I’m so intent on running into the building that I nearly miss seeing Dani standing outside until she shouts my name.
“Tess asked me to wait for you.” She takes my arm. “Come inside.”
The lobby is a carnival of people who look like they came straight from a tailgating party. Dani tows me over to the far side of the room, where Micah paces with Dash in his arms and Gage leans against a wall with a dismal expression.
“We don’t know much yet,” Dani says and now that I take a good at her it’s clear she’s been crying. “I’m sorry, Haven. Please stay with us while we wait for word.”
Impulsively, I envelope her in a hug. She stiffens in surprise. After all, we have kind of a stormy history. And of all the words people use to describe me, ‘hugger’ is not among them.
But Dani is one of Conner’s best friends. She’s part of his family. She’s hurting too. In those fleeting seconds when she hugs me back, we’re united in worry and fear.
In addition to the anxious Cyclones fans wandering around the emergency room lobby, there are also restless reporters and security guards posted at strategic locations. On the other side of the glass doors a pair of cops argues with a news crew until they move their boxy truck out of sight.
“Tessie sweet talked her way into the back,” Micah says. “No one would tell us anything and they’ve got the place locked down. But you know how persuasive Tessie can be.”
Dash, who can’t possibly know why all the adults in his life are so worried, lays his head on his father’s shoulder and smiles at me.
Gage departs from his post at the wall and reaches for his wife. Dani settles under his strong arm and blinks away her tears.
I’m afraid to ask this next question. “He hasn’t woken up, has he?”
Dani chews her lip and shakes her head. “One of his teammates confirmed he was still unconscious when he was being loaded into the ambulance.”
“Fuck.”
It’s as good a word as any to describe this nightmare. Nobody raises an eyebrow over the profanity.
I might crumble if I look any of them in the eye right now. Taking a few steps toward the window, I stare out at the ugly hospital parking lot and think of Conner’s smile and his constant jokes and the way he brushes his knuckles across my cheek because he knows the slightest touch from him makes me shiver.
“Haven.” Lita’s voice is so similar to mine that no one could ever tell us apart on the phone. Only our personalities were opposite but to look at us, we were clones. Back when we were in grade school we switched places more than once but the game quit being fun when even our parents didn’t notice.
The universe granted me one miracle when Lita woke up. I don’t care if I’m pushing my luck. Right now I’m begging for a second miracle.
My twin lays a hand on my shoulder. My strength multiplies when she’s close. But I could never be strong enough to withstand losing Conner. No, that is a loss I couldn’t bear. If a choice had to be made, I’d take his place in a second. Just like I always swore I would have taken Lita’s.
