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Then nothing.
Why am I moving?“Gracie, wake up!” I feel someone shaking the crap out of me. I open my eyes to Gray’s face. Startled, I sit upright and scoot back on the bed until I’m up against my headboard.
“Gray, what are you doing? Why are you in my room?”
He lets out an exasperated breath. “You were screaming in your sleep. ‘Mia, no stop. Mia, please don’t,’ then you let out an earth-shattering scream. Scared the hell out of Mom and me. Want to tell me what's going on?” he asks.
“Pretty much the same as before. I have super vivid nightmares, or maybe they are memories of that night. But Mia would never try to hurt me, right? You said it’s just a side effect of my injury. But why do they get more detailed every time? It’s like my brain is trying to tell me something.”
He glances down at the floor for a few moments before looking at me with guilt and tears in his eyes.
“Gracie, I’m really worried about you. You look like you haven't been sleeping, and you're losing weight again. I think maybe we should talk about sending you somewhere for a little while just until you get better. Mia loved you and would never hurt you. I know you know that.”
I look at him, really look at him. “You mean like she loved you?” The words come out before I can even think about what I’m saying. Where did that even come from? But from the look of shock on his face and the way his skin pales, I know I hit a nerve.
He stands suddenly, heading toward the door. “I don’t know what you’re implying, Gracie, but Mia was like a little sister to me. Your injury is making you delusional. Anna and I might be fighting right now, but I love her, and I would never do anything to hurt her,” he says, then he’s gone. He runs out of here like the hounds of Hell were chasing him. And a door slams from down the hall.
“What just happened?” I say aloud. Can I even trust anything he says? Maybe I am losing my mind.
I check my phone and see Dom has sent me a few messages. It’s still early, and I need a distraction. I grab one of the cold chicken tenders and nibble on it as I call him.
“Hey, if you’re not busy, do you want to come over?”
Grayson
Leaving Gracie’s room as fast as I can before she questions me anymore, I run to the restroom down the hall feeling sick. I slam the bathroom door behind me and rest my back against it to try and catch my breath.
Fuck, fuck fuck fuck! This is so bad. Even gone, Mia is still ruining my life. Moving toward the sink, I splash some cool water on my face. I feel the nausea dissipate with every deep breath I force into my lungs.
I have to do something. Gracie can't learn the truth. It may kill her.
That’s it.Final term paper ever, done. I’m so ready to graduate and start working at the family practice. College has been great. I made lots of friends and met my wife. But I seriously hate school. I prefer hands-on work instead.
Closing up my laptop, I slide it into my bag and get up. I’m ready to head back to the house and celebrate with Anna.
“Gray, man, you done already? Mr. Overachiever here, ladies and gentlemen,” my best friend Colin says loudly from across the room, getting nasty looks from other people in the library. I make my way over to him so that he stops disturbing everyone. He shoots me his signature grin.
“Please tell me you got permission to come out with the big boys tonight?” he asks before I even sit in my seat.
“Shit, man, I forgot to ask. I’ve been so stressed trying to finish my dissertation. I’ll text her now. What were the plans again?”
“Well, B Dog is having a huge party at his frat house to celebrate graduation coming up. One last hurrah as President. Was gonna hit that since it's probably the last time we will all see each other, you in?”
I wait a beat until I feel my phone vibrate, then glance down at Anna's text. Wow, um, okay? Did she forget we had plans tonight? Not that I'm complaining since I have a free night now, but seriously canceling because her sister broke up with Todd again... It's like a weekly occurrence.
“Yeah, man, I'm in. Brad still got that extra room there? I'll probably crash at the frat house since Anna’s staying with Julie.”
“Fuck yeah, man, let’s fuck some shit up!” he shouts, then grabs my arm and drags me from the library.
I shouldn't have gone.That night changed everything.
I look at how pale my face is in the mirror. I remember how gaunt Gracie looked after she came home from the hospital. So scared, so broken. She’s doing a lot better now, even though I tell her otherwise.
Her nightmares are not nightmares; they are memories, and if she figures that out, she could ruin everything. Anna and I are almost back on good terms again. We had hit a rough patch for a few months before and after graduation, and then again with the pregnancy hormones. Too many changes happening all at once. I made so many mistakes. Things I wish I could take back.
That’s it.I’m done. I've had way too many shots. I need to remember where the room I’m staying in tonight is. Using the wall as support so my face doesn't meet this disgusting floor, I stop for a few seconds, letting the dizzy spell pass.
Ah, there’s an empty couch right there with my name on it. Moving over to my salvation for the moment, I plop down with a sigh of relief. I could just stay here instead of finding a bed. I'm just going to close my eyes for a few minutes.
