Page 39 of Laying it Bare Backstage

“Just doing my job. And I thought you would appreciate the update.”

“Well yes. Thank you for that. I appreciate it. But I meant thank you for sayingwhenshe wakes up, notif.” I swallowed around the huge lump in my throat. She was getting better because she wasn’t getting worse.

“I’ll be in touch. If you have any other information, please reach out to us.” With that he ended the call.

My arm slowly sagged to my side as I stared down at the phone clutched in my hand. So much to take in. My emotions were a jumbled mess. I needed to be with Serenity; I needed for her to open her eyes and show me she was okay. I was upset with myself for bringing her into this mess. If I had never met her, she wouldn’t have been a target. But fuck, I couldn’t imagine never meeting her. She was the piece I had been missing. And right now I was fucking pissed at myself for overlooking the security guard’s obvious reaction to her.

Dragging my feet along the tiled floor, I dropped into a chair and released a pent up groan of torment before ripping my hand through my already disheveled hair.

Ivy and Ascher rushed over and sat down beside me.

“What was the phone call about? Is everything okay?” Ivy placed her hand on my forearm and squeezed gently.

“Did the police have more information?” Ascher leaned around Ivy’s body to peer at me.

Taking in a shuddering breath, I looked first at my best friend and then my girlfriend’s best friend. My heart clenched in agony and aggravation at myself. “One of the security guards at the hall helped kidnap Serenity. He was the one who got her into Naomi’s car.” I balled the hand ripping through my hair into a fist because I wanted to punch myself. “I never should have ignored his strange reaction to her. I should have brought it to someone’s attention. I could have protected her from all of this.” My voice rose with my growing rage at myself for being powerless to prevent her injuries and pain and the terror she endured at their hands.

Ivy clasped my fist into both of her hands. “What would you have told them? Someone is giving my girlfriend a weird look, get him out of here? You had no way of knowing he was there for nefarious reasons. Don’t beat yourself up over it. As soon as you realized something was wrong, you acted and we found her. You didn’t ignore that little niggling feeling so we were able to get to her quickly. You can’t protect her from everything, but I love that you want to.” She gave me a small smile.

“But that was right in my face.” Unlike the other times.

“People toss out weird looks all of the time. You are not to blame for this. That psychotic bitch is and I still would love to get my hands on her.”

“You won’t get a chance to. He also called to tell me the bloods matched so they have evidence linking her as Serenity’s attacker. But the psycho hung herself. Not that I’ll shed a tear over her death, but the savage in me wanted her to die a slow, cruel death. It’s so wrong of me, but I wanted her to feel pain like she inflicted on my girl.” My throat clogged as tears pooled in my eyes and a few slipped down my cheeks. I blinked away my blurry vision. “Iwanted to inflict that pain.”

“I did too. And that psycho was a pansy. She was all tough when she was able to hide from notice. Then when she had to face up to her shit, she takes the coward’s way out. I hope she burns in hell.” Ivy swiped her angry tears from her face. “But that bitch deserves no more of my thoughts. I want to focus on my bestie waking up. I want this nightmare to be completely over.”

The rest of the evening passed with minimal talking or eating – even though Serenity’s parents brought me salmon for dinner. I ate as much as I could force down without risking vomiting. I sat with Serenity on three other occasions; grateful for the opportunities but craving so much more. I needed to be permitted to stay with her the entire time. But moreover, my heart demanded she wake up.

The next morning when I awoke, it was to a nurse nudging me in the shoulder. I blinked up at her.

She was young, probably only a few years older than me. Her brown hair was pulled into a messy bun and her brown eyes gave me more than a cursory perusal. “I wanted to let you know they are moving Serenity to her own room soon. In about an hour, you will be able to see her there and we won’t have to kick you out. She had a really good night. Her vitals are looking great and she has more color in her skin. And I’m not going to lie; I hope I get to hear you sing for her.” Cheeks blushing, she released a short giggle as she gestured to my guitar case. “I’m guessing that’s why you have that.”

Even though she was star struck, she was sweet about it and not over bearing. She couldn’t help her reaction, but she still maintained a professional demeanor. Although I had to wonder if the fact that I was sure I looked like shit and probably smelled just as bad helped her reign in most of her awe at being face to face with a rock star.

“Thank you.” I gave her a friendly smile, my entire mood brightening. “What room number so I can text her parents?”

“She will be in room five thirty five. Give us an hour and you can head on up there.” With a silly wave, she stepped away toward the hallway and turned right.

Pulling my phone from my pocket, I glanced at the time. Well, shit, it was only seven. Although I wasn’t upset at all for being woken up for that kind of news. I could go stay with my girl. And hopefully really soon, she’d open her eyes for us. I sent a text to her parents first with the update and room number and then to Ivy. Then I stared at my phone and watched the minutes tick by. After an eternity had passed and my phone said eight fifteen, I concluded I had given them enough wiggle room and I was on my way to her new room.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I grabbed the handle of my guitar case and stood up. On my way to the elevators, I decided I would ask if I could use the bathroom in her room to take a quick showeraftershe woke up. Even though I was getting the chance to stay with her, I wasn’t wasting a second of it. I lifted my arm and ducked my nose to my pit and took a whiff. Eww. I was surprised the nurse was able to stand that close to me without wrinkling her nose in disgust. Although this would definitely help sway them to allow me to use the shower. Anyone with a sense of smell would strongly urge granting me permission.

When I stepped onto the fifth floor, I hurried my strides to her room. I paused briefly at the nurse’s station to make sure she had been moved and also used that moment to ask about the bathroom. The two nurses chuckled when I warned them I might start offending others with my stench and assured me it would be fine. Intense eagerness had me practically sprinting to her room. I quietly slipped inside and closed the door behind me with a soft click. I didn’t want to bother the other patients. Although it wasn’t like I was planning on rocking out to my hard core stuff. The only song I would be singing was the one that shared her name. I wanted to make sure she knew I was here and be reminded of what she meant to me. Not that I worried she had forgotten how much I loved her, but I was positive hearing me sing her song would help soothe all she had been through, accelerate her healing, and encourage her to come back to me.

Walking over to her bed, I set my bag on the floor beside the chair before settling in it and taking her hand like I did every other time I had visited her. This time her hand was much closer in temperature to mine. As my gaze traveled down her body, I felt a huge weight lift off of my chest and I was able to take a deep breath without feeling as if my lungs were caving in. Her cheeks had a bit more color to them and I didn’t have to focus intently to see the rise and fall of her chest. It was as if she was breathing much easier and steadier and now only looked like she was in a deep sleep, not struggling to stay alive. That thought caused me to swallow hard, but I shoved those negative thoughts away. She was doing great now. She was only hooked up to two machines. And there was only a line for her IV and one delivering her oxygen through her nose. I kissed her palm and then each one of her fingers, before returning her hand to her bed.

Then I unzipped my case and pulled out my guitar. Arranging it in my arms, I leaned back in the slightly more comfortable chair than the previous ones I had been occupying and allowed my fingers to strum over the chords. When the words to her song fell from my lips, I lost myself to the emotions she invoked inside of me. Softly, I crooned the beautiful lyrics while I gazed at my lovely girl. I still prayed for her to open her eyes, but sitting in the room next to her and using my music to show her how much I loved her, brought a slight peace to my broken and aching soul. The only time I paused was when I took a break to use the restroom or eat a little something or when others came in to visit. But during those times, it was only if they had wanted to talk to me too. If not, I was content to continue singing to my girl.

When it got late into the evening, I didn’t want to disturb others who might have been trying to get some sleep, so I tucked my guitar back into its case and slouched into the chair hoping to find myself some rest as well. The nurse who had informed me of the room change had brought me a pillow earlier, so I propped it as best as I could along the back and arm of the chair and closed my eyes. As I drifted off to sleep, I prayed that tomorrow would be the day Serenity opened her eyes and told me with her own voice that she was okay.

The next morning, I didn’t so much jerk awake as shudder. My neck and back still hurt like a mother fucker, but it didn’t feel as if the pains were getting worse. The pillow and slightly better chair might have helped, but I was sure it was more the fact that I had been sleeping in the same room where Serenity was resting that made most of the difference.

Per the usual, her parents brought me breakfast and coffee and visited for a while. Ivy and Ascher popped in about an hour later. I engaged in small talk, but mostly the lyrics for her song fell from my lips, not minor conversation. We were entering the third day of her being unconscious and I needed to concentrate on something other than that concern.

After the lunch time visit, the staring at Serenity and at one another – and maybe the same song on auto-repeat – had Ivy crawling out of her skin. She had been feverishly pacing about the room – her hands tugging through her hair in a frenzy or viciously rubbing up and down her arms – before unceremoniously dropping into a chair. “I don’t want to leave her, but I know she won’t be alone. However, I also don’t want to be wigging out when she comes around. She’s going to need us calm for her. I’m sorry. I need to get out of here for a bit.” Her wild eyes met mine across Serenity’s bed. “Please text me immediately, if she wakes up while I’m gone.”

“I will.”

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