Page 1 of Aftersome
PROLOGUE
Mal
Iwas holding her hand.
Tightly.
It felt like the right thing to do as both our minds were on the verge of collapsing. That at any given moment one of us would detonate and let the fear we had been holding in for so long out. Every now and then my hand would tighten around her small one whenever the sound of the emergency room doors opened. Out of the corner of my eyes, I would catch her tiny little frame go stiff, but when we both realized it wasn’t them, we’d relax.
Though we looked anything but relaxed.
Wren looked tired as hell with red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes, and an empty stare that broke my goddamn heart every time I glanced at her. I hated it.
I hated that we were here.
I hated why we were here.
I couldn’t let my mind wander, though. I couldn’t let my scarce hold on reality slip because I knew I would break.
And I couldn’t let that happen. Not when I had someone who needed me just as much as I needed her right now. When she cried, I held her. Tucked underneath my chin, I would try my best to comfort her. I wasn’t used to being the gentle type or had the right words to say like Hayes would, but thankfully what had come out, had worked.
Even if it was just to tell her to breathe. Or that everything was going to be okay.
“Hayes hates hospitals,” I blurted out, instantly regretting it but continued anyway. “He fell off his bike one day when we were kids and got a nasty cut on his knee.”
I could feel her stare heavy on the side of my face, but I refused to look at her. Already, I could sense the strain in my voice as I struggled to get the words out and I could only imagine just how worse it would get if I caught a sight of the brokenness.
“He begged not to go to the hospital, but his cut was deep as hell, and we all knew he needed stitches. Cried like a baby the whole way there.” I chuckled but instantly regretted it as I let my laughter die down. “He complained the whole time he was here and refused to go back to the hospital.”
And he thought I was stubborn.
She didn’t respond, but instead gave my hand a soft squeeze in acknowledgment. I didn’t need her to say anything, hell, I preferred it that she didn’t after all her crying and screaming. Her poor throat had to have been so damn sore.
For a second, we just sat in silence. Nothing but chatter from patients and beeping sounds filled the emergency room until I broke the quietness once again.
Abruptly.
“You think he knows he’s here?”
She flinched.
Fuck.
“I… I don’t know. I just hope he’s not suffering.” Her voice came out hoarse and shaky, causing my head to twist and to find her eyes focused on the ground. Even in her broken state, she was still the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on, but it was the last fucking thing I should be thinking about right now.
If ever at all.
But, then suddenly, I was torn from my thoughts when the sounds of shoes approaching captured both of our attention. At the same time, we both tensed as our eyes latched on to a nurse who appeared to be coming straight toward us. Everything seemed to have stopped around us. The sounds, the now dying tempo of my heart, I centered my focus on what we were about to be told.
Good or bad.
With a reassuring squeeze to my hand, I tried my damn hardest to prepare myself the best I could. Until a voice I recognized tore through the solid hold on reality I had and completely shattered it.
“Mal?” The one shattered voice I dreaded to hear materialized, causing my body to shoot out of the chair and rush toward her.
Hayes’s mom.
The sight of her helplessness nearly made me drop to my knees. A knife to the fucking heart and before I knew it, I had her in my arms as she broke. Painful sobs were drowned out in the hoodie Doe had already soaked with her tears.
