Page 85 of After All This Time

GRAYSON

I have no idea

XANDER

I’d love to see you try and beat my ass, Gray

GRAYSON

Want me to set up a mat for when you get home then?

ME

Okay kids, this was fun and all, but I’m going to go now. Good luck beating the shit out of each other

I can’t imagine how my mom is feeling.

Annoyed that Dr. Miller hasn’t updated her yet.

Anxious.

Mad.

Upset.

And then there’s Grayson and Xander who are total dumbasses. All three of us are roommates. We live in the same apartment which is located off campus. I can attest they beat the crap out of each other on a daily basis.

There’s something that’s bothering Grayson because he’s been so testy lately. I don’t want to pry it out of him. I’m just going to have to let him tell me when he’s ready. It’s something that took a long time for me to get used to with him. Having patience.

“Hey, are you okay?” Dani pulls me back into reality.

“Xander has been at the hospital with my mom. He said they haven’t gotten any updates from Dr. Miller about Lizzie’s condition.”

I’m freaking the fuck out. What if she’s going to be like this for months? Years? What if she doesn’t wake up and she has to be hooked up to a machine for the rest of her life?

Throwing my napkin into the garbage, I rush out the door.

I need air.

I can’t breathe in here.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

dani

Throwing my empty cup into the trash, I follow Noah outside. He’s pacing back and forth.

“Noah, stop.”

He’s not listening to me, so I stop in front of him and place my hands below his shoulders.

He doesn’t make eye contact with me. Instead, he’s staring at the ground.

“Look at me.” I tilt his face up, so his eyes can meet mine. “Look. At. My. Face.”

Once his eyes land on mine, it’s game over. They’re glued on me.

He doesn’t say anything, and neither do I. We’re just staring at each other, speaking with our facial expressions.

---