Page 76 of Steeling Her
“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not,” TJ mumbles into his open bag of chips as he munches on them with no mercy, stuffing handfuls of them into his fat mouth. I stare at him in awe that he’s able to fit that much food in. It’s not the first time I’ve seen him eat like this, but every time he does, it still stuns me. “What?” he asks innocently as he continues to chew what’s in his mouth.
Shaking my head again, I lean back to close my eyes for a while, not realizing I had drifted off.
“Nick, Nick!” I feel someone shake me out of the wonderful dream I was having. I open my crusted eyes to see Carter’s mom sitting next to me with a blanket in her hands. I rub my eyes so I can see past the blurriness in them and adjust to the bright lights even though it’s still dark out.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I fell asleep.” I let out a large yawn to her while covering my hand over my mouth.
“It’s fine, maybe you should all go home. You all look tired. I’ll be here for the night with Rodger. I’ll message you all if I hear anything more, but the doctors said that she’ll be alright. A day later, and it would’ve been too late. You saved her, Nick. I can’t thank you enough for saving my baby girl! She wouldn’t have made it if you waited any longer!” Her tears drips down her cheeks, and I bite my lip, feeling awkward in this situation. I never know how to comfort a girl when she’s upset and crying. I usually just hug them so I don’t have to see how upset they are. It usually works, but it’d be weird if I did that to the mother of the girl I like.Wouldn’t it?
“No, Mrs. Steel, I didn’t sa—”
“You did, Nick. If it weren’t for you and Danielle she . . . I can’t think about that because she’s still here, with me. She’s still here because of you. Thank you so so much.” She stands up and squeezes my hand—a tight warm squeeze. It reminds me of my mom. “Oh, and I know my husband talked to you. You don’t need to worry about me, I know he threatened you with that one. I can go all mama bear on her like I do with my boys, but I think I you’re different.”
She winks at me and turns around again only to face a bored looking TJ. She can only talk to me because the other two are still asleep; Haley sleeping on TJ and Danielle sleeping on Chris, who is also asleep. “You guys need to get some sleep! Come back when your classes are finished tomorrow. You’re welcome anytime, even outside of visiting hours!” She bounces her hip off the door, going back into Carter’s room. I watch the door voluntarily shut behind her.
“She’s right, we should take them back and get some rest,” TJ agrees out loud, and we both stand up. I walk over to tap Danielle awake and she opens her eyes and begins to panic again.
“Is she alright? What happened? What’s going on? W—”
“It’s alright, she’s good. We’re just going to bring you home so you can get some rest. Mrs. Steel said we can come back tomorrow after classes to see her. We can’t stay here all night, Danielle. You look really tired.” She nods without arguing with me on it. She’s exhausted; we all are. After all the emotions that were swimming around after the scare we had, it’s taken its toll on us. The effects are visible on our faces.
I tap on Austin to say goodbye to him and ask him to keep me updated on his sister to which he nods tiredly at me in response. I need to know she’ll be alright if I want to get any rest for the week. I’ll be up all night if I don’t get anything. It seems like he knows this, because he sends me a small smile communicating something I don’t understand. I don’t ask, I just walk away and leave it.
Once we reach the cars, Haley sits with me while Danielle goes with TJ. Sighing for the nth time tonight, I stare mindlessly out my window, wondering if sleeping beauty will be alright. I’m emotionally and physically exhausted from it all. Starting the engine up and strapping myself in, my lights beam in the underground car park surrounding us.
What a day.
Chapter Seventeen
I Just Did What I Had To Do To Not Lose You
Nick
Tap. Tap. Tap.
That’s the sound my foot is making as it bounces up and down. I’m trying my best to get out of this lecture as quick as possible. The minutes drag on as I stare at the clock, the arm moving in slow motion as I glance back at it. It feels like hours went past me but only a single minute drifted by. My leg continues bouncing until Reggie’s hand smacks my thigh.
“Quit it, Jackson.” He grips my upper leg, but I’m still waiting for the clock to signal this torture to be all over.
A bubble gum pops, and I look over to see that girl who I spoke to briefly on the first day.Well, more like she spoke to me.Winking at me and trailing her tongue seductively along her bottom lip to gather her bubble gum, I turn my head back to the lecture that I haven’t been paying any attention to.Classy,is my first thought.Carter wouldn’t do that with a random guy,is the second one. I lean forward on my elbows, wanting this shitty lecture to be over and done with.
Come on. Come on.
Fifteen minutes. Three blocks of five minutes each. Or five blocks of three minutes each. I’ll go with the latter, it’s easier to think about.
It’s been three days since Carter was rushed to hospital, and I haven’t spoken to her since then. Mainly due to the fact she’s asleep every time I come visit her. I want to see her awake and talk to her.
I got a text from her mom this morning that says Carter’s awake, right before my last class of the day. That is why I’m like this. I’m itching to see her, in case you can’t already tell. My nerves are heightened, and I’m so excited to hear her voice. The past three days of not being able to talk to her have been hell. I miss her voice. I miss her.
She’s been knocked out heavily on the antibiotics she’s been given so she can fight off the viral infection. Even though exams are nearing, Carter needs all the rest she can get. I’ll help her out because I know she wants to do well. Haley has been talking to her professors about the situation and they all agreed to give her extended deadlines in order for her to complete her assignments. They even offered to give her alternative assignments instead of the exams she’s missed to make up her percentage. I’m sure she’ll gladly take them, seeing as she’s the only person who missed them, and the professors have been very understanding about it all.
Ten minutes. Two sets of five minutes or five sets of two minutes. For four sets of two minutes and thirty seconds.
Her mom has been keeping us all in the loop of what the doctors have been telling her and the rest of the family. I’m so happy she’s willing to share with me about Carter’s health. I’ve visited her everyday for the past three days while she was in there. All those times, she was still knocked out cold. I watched her sleep and it was the best thing in the world.
The little noises she made as she stirred in her sleep; the small smiles that would be painted on her face at the dream she was having. And while she was away in dream land, I’ve barely slept for the past few nights, wishing I could join her.
My games have been affected greatly, and Coach is about to put his foot up my ass if I don’t get it together. Everything is off; my passes, my play. I can’t remember any of what I learned in practice and I’m slipping up badly. Bulldog has been on my case for the past few days about it. He even went as far as telling me to leave the field for a day. I was so pissed off and the guys were not happy with me. Not one bit.
