Page 79 of When You're Home
Fielding pulled her in for a brief side hug, kissed the side of her head, then released his hold. Jake didn’t drop her hand the entire time.
“Hey, Tori? We’re here.”
Jake’s words interrupted her racing thoughts. She glanced up and recognized the blooming lilac bushes in front of her house on Sunset Drive. “I’m going to go in with you and hang out until your dad gets home, okay?”
She felt tears begin to form in her eyes as she thought about telling her dad about the bloodwork. He had already lost a wife. Now he’d have to grapple with the very real possibility of losing a daughter, too.
“Come here,” Jake insisted, reaching across the middle console of his Jeep and pulling her into a suffocatingly tight hug. Tori let him engulf her body. She didn’t need the comfort, she couldn’t feel it anyways, but she knew it would make him feel better.
A sob rippled through her chest unexpectedly. She hadn’t cried yet. She hadn’t let herself cry on the phone or in front of Fielding. There would be plenty of time for crying. The sob surprised her, but she knew it came from a place of appreciation. She was so grateful for Jake’s friendship, for the way he showed up for her and subbed in when his best friend wasn’t around.
“I can’t do this alone,” she cried into his shoulder. Her tears mixed with her mascara and left inky black stains on his T-shirt.
“I know, baby. I know.” Jake tried to comfort her by running his hand up and down her back and squeezing her even tighter. He was trying his best, but she knew she wouldn’t feel any semblance of true comfort until Rhett was the one holding her.
She had always planned to cut out the cancer from her body just like she had planned to cut out Rhett from her life: to remove them both before either one could change her forever. But now nothing was going according to plan. The feeling of powerlessness consumed her. She wasn’t surprised when Rhett told her he was coming home. She knew he wouldn’t hesitate. But she hated herself for asking so much of him. She felt equal parts ashamed and angry that she had put so much effort into pushing him away for so long, only to cave this easily.
“I can’t do this without him,” Tori clarified as the tears continued to fall.
“He’ll be here soon,” Jake assured her. All she could do was nod into his chest.
Rhett would be there soon.
Chapter 42
Rhett
Rhett’sphonewasinhishandbeforeheevensteppedfootoutsidethebusinessbuilding.Thelasttwoandahalfhourshadgonebyinablur;hecouldn’trecallasinglequestionfromhisfinalexam,buthewasconfidenthehadpreparedwellenoughthathehadatleastpassedthetest.
He hit Jake’s name on the screen. He wanted a full report of everything that had gone down today.
“How is she?” he asked in greeting.
“It’s not good, Rhett.” He knew Jake wouldn’t bullshit him. He knew it wasn’t good, and yet he still felt something cold pass through him upon hearing his response.
“I think she’s in shock,” Jake explained. “When I first got to Fielding’s house, she was having a panic attack. She keeps going in and out of it. It’s like she’s been in a trance all afternoon.”
Rhett growled his frustration into the phone but said nothing else, allowing Jake to continue.
“I couldn’t get her to eat. Don’t get pissed at me about that. I swear I tried,” he defended before Rhett could lecture him. “Her dad got home about half an hour ago, so I just left. I talked to him for a few minutes. He got the drift of what’s going on. He has to work tomorrow, so I’m going back in the morning. I’ll stay with her until I have to leave for my eleven a.m. shift, then Field’s gonna take over…”
“No!” Rhett barked into the phone. “Fielding can’t be part of this.”
“Rhett…” Jake said his name with hesitation. “Look, we might as well get into this right now. There are things you need to know about Tori and Fielding.”
He made his way toward an empty bench on the path to the Quad. He needed to have something sturdy to hold onto to keep his cool.
“Tori and Fielding are friends. We’ve been hanging out a lot together, the three of us. They hang out separately, too. Field has been there for Tori since spring break, but not in the way you might think. She hasn’t been having the easiest time with your absence, but she’s happier when she’s with him.”
A sick feeling rose up in his chest. He hated that his best friend was defending Haas right now. He felt even more despondent as he realized how blind Jake was to the other man’s true colors. He wouldn’t be singing his praises once he told him what he knew.
Honestly, he hadn’t expected Fielding to still be around. The fact that he was meant that the other man was obviously trying to weasel his way into Tori’s life. Rhett knew his intentions. Fielding had made them loud and clear that night in the hot tub. He also knew that Fielding had scored the night of the party, although part of him hoped it would have been a one-time thing. If Rhett was coming home for Tori, whatever Fielding and Tori had going on was over. He knew himself well enough to know he couldn’t keep his cool and be her calm with Haas breathing down his neck.
“Jake, I know you like partying with the guy, but Fielding Haas is not good people. I didn’t have any right to say anything before, but now that I’m coming home for her, I’m standing my ground. He can’t be involved with this. Keep him away from Tori,” he commanded.
“Rhett, I’m telling you, he’s fine. If I say he’s good, you’ve gotta believe…”
“No,” Rhett cut him off. “You don’t know what I know.”
