Page 43 of A Brilliant Spring

“Hmm,” is all he says. Folding his arms across his chest, he turns to Collette and starts talking again about his mother and her newest philanthropic venture. I slam my laptop shut and shove it into my bag, planting my feet on the ground and springing up out of the chair. Both Collette and Theo stare at me like I’ve lost my mind. I punch my arms into my coat, zip it up, and toss my bag over my shoulder. I can’t sit here and look at Theo anymore, knowing that she’s moving on with him. My face is growing hot and my teeth are losing enamel by the second with how much grinding and clenching I’m doing.

“Well, Collette. Looks like you’ve got company now. I’ll leave you two be. I hope Elissa wakes up soon.”

I strut past them and continue on without looking back, because if I do, I might just break.

Chapter

Thirty-Eight

Brandt

Ever since I left the hospital, I’ve been going insane. Not knowing what’s going on right now with Elissa is killing me. I feel like I’ve been separated from my soul. And I have. She’s it for me. My other half. If anything happens to her, I have no idea what I’m going to do.

I’m back in the office and I’m trying to focus, but it’s extremely difficult. Rhys is still off on leave for a few more days to make sure Riley is okay, and I hate the friggin’ bastard. Okay, so I don’t actually hate him, but fuck him. Lucky sonofabitch. Why did things work out for him and not me? Haven’t I been patient enough? I silently send out vibes into the universe, hoping anyone is listening, and that they’ll send Elissa back to me.

I hear a knock on my door and I look up to see Liam standing in the doorway. I nod to him and notice his eyes are sad.

“What’s up?” I ask. He shifts nervously, digging his hands deep into his pockets.

“Heard about Elissa. I’m sorry, man. Anything I can do to help?”

“Nah, not really. I spent the last week by her side hoping she’d wake up, but I had to get back to reality. Just waiting to hear anything now, if I do…” Liam cocks his head, his brow furrowing.

“What does that mean?” My jaw clenches, and I reach up to rub the tension out of my neck.

“It means there was another guy that showed up today and is waiting to see if she’s okay. And he seems rather close to Collette, Elissa’s mom. So, I doubt I’ll hear anything if she wakes up. Especially since we’re not together.” Liam nods as if he understands. We’re both quiet for a moment, but he breaks the silence and asks if I want to shoot some hoops later tonight when I’m done with work. Not really feeling in the mood for it, I tell him I’ll text him later, knowing it would only be us two, as Rhys won’t leave Riley’s side.

He nods, and before he leaves my office he says, “Don’t worry, man. I’m sure you’ll hear something soon. Elissa’s a badass. She’ll wake up.” I give him a halfhearted smile, and although I appreciate his sentiment, I’m not feeling very hopeful right now.

The longest day drags on and finally comes to an end. I’m loosening the tie around my neck as I walk down the long, dark corridor to my apartment. The days are finally getting longer and warmer now that it’s mid-April, but not even that is shifting my mood. I feel like it’s still March, when Elissa left me. There’s a big, black hole in the centre of me. A piece of me is missing and I can’t fix it.

I finally realize that she’s moving on with that Theo guy, just as her mother wanted her to. She’s still doing things her parents want. Still trying to prove to them she’s who they wanted all along, and it’s killing me. And as she’s moving on with him, I don’t know if I’m strong enough to let her go. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to let her go. It’s like my body doesn’t know how to breathe or function without her. She’s all I see, all I need. But if she doesn’t need me, then what point is there?

I kick off my shoes and toss my bag and coat on the front hall table, shuffling toward my room, but making a pit stop in the kitchen. I grab a beer, twist off the cap, and toss it across the counter, where it clinks as it slides into the sink. Walking to my room, I down the bottle of beer and set the empty on my dresser. I change out of my suit and put on some sweats and a tee that clings to my body and shows every ripple of muscle. Running my hands through my hair, I grab the empty off the dresser and stalk back to the kitchen, where I grab another two beers, and then collapse onto the couch. Kicking my feet up on the coffee table, I grab the Xbox controller and turn on Call of Duty to kill some motherfuckers and take off the edge.

I’m about seven beers deep and in a frustrating round of killing zombies when my phone beeps. I look over at it sitting on the cushion beside me and Rhys’ name flashes up at me. I decide to ignore it, not wanting to talk to the happy fucker right now, not while I’m stewing in my misery. I flip my phone over so I can’t see the screen and also click the button to turn it to silent, wanting to disconnect from the whole world right now. A zombie attacks me at that moment, ruining my streak, and I toss the remote in anger across the room. It smashes against the wall and the battery compartment breaks off, sending batteries rolling across the floor.

I lunge off the couch and stagger to the kitchen to grab another few beers. I haven’t drunk like this in a while, but what else do I have to do? Elissa is safe with Theo and her mother while I’m here, fucking heartbroken again over this woman. My hand coils around the bottle and clenches until the glass cracks and shatters under the pressure. A sharp pain slices through my palm and I drop the broken bottle like it’s a hot pan. I lean over and rip a tea towel off the stove handle and wrap it around my dripping wound, stepping as carefully as I can around the broken glass. Grabbing the other two beers, I make my way out of my kitchen and into my bedroom to drown the rest of my feelings for the night.

•••

The next morning, my mouth is dry and pasty, and feels like I dumped a bucket of sand in it. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth and peels away like wallpaper off a wall. I open my eyes and my room spins. I can’t remember how much I drank last night. Using my hand, I try to push myself to sit up and I’m met with a sharp, searing pain in my palm. I blink in confusion and hold my hand up to my face. I see the blood-soaked towel wrapped around my hand, and some of the night comes back to me. I reach over to grab my phone from my nightstand and my hand knocks over a couple of beer bottles and they smash to the floor. I groan, gritting my teeth as my head pounds.

Fuck. I shouldn’t have drunk so much last night.

Finally able to grab my phone, I try to unlock it, but it’s dead. I plug it in, waiting for it to power up. I don’t even know what time it is, or what day for that matter. I think it’s Saturday, but I could be wrong. Fuck, my head hurts. My phone beeps and turns on. While I wait for it to load my home screen I look around my room to see about a case’s worth of beer bottles scattered around my room. How much did I fucking drink?

My phone starts dinging, one after another, creating a rapid chorus of notification sounds. Each of them letting me know it’s a message or a call from Rhys. Ignoring the messages, I click on my voicemail and wait for it to connect. Rhys’ husky voice greets me, and he only says a few words.

“Dude, answer me! Elissa woke up!”

Chapter

Thirty-Nine

Elissa

Something is gagging me as I come to. The taste of plastic coats my tongue. I finally open my eyes and my mother is hovering over me, sobbing, calling out for help. My eyes shift around the room and I don’t know where I am, but it must be the hospital. I try to relax my throat, but between the taste and the uncomfortable fullness hitting my gag reflex, I keep choking on the tube in my throat.

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