Page 41 of One More Round

Chapter Twenty

Gia

My mom wakes us by calling me at a quarter past six in the morning. She wants me at the hospital by eight since that is when Todd can have visitors. I sit up in bed, surprised that I actually feel rested. I look over my shoulder and see him watching me through heavy, sleep-filled eyes. He quirks a smile at me and I can’t help but blush in response. He runs his thumb back and forth across the skin on my lower back, in the small gap between my shirt and waistband of my shorts. A shiver shoots up my spine with each stroke of his thumb.

After staring at each other with big goofy grins on our faces for far too long, we get up and moving. I can’t knock the giddy feeling that consumes me about what happened between us last night. However, the closer we get to leaving for the hospital, the all-too-familiar dread starts to claw its way through the happiness and lust, to take up residence in my stomach.

He can tell when my mood starts to shift, and he accommodates with less heated glances and lustful touches to supportive smiles and affectionate embraces. He holds my hand on the short drive to the hospital, and through the parking lot, and even when we find my parents in the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit on the third floor. He squeezes my hand in support when my mom barely even bats an eye at the fact that Simon Palmer is standing next to me. She finally gives him a sideways look.

“Simon, nice to see you. Gia, glad you were able to make it.” She leans in to give me a quick hug. I hug my dad before they walk us over to a small cove with chairs. Being in a hospital brings back memories of when I was in one not too long ago. I shiver at the memory and I receive a hand squeeze in return.

“So, Todd is going to heal just fine now that they got the bullet out. They currently have him here in PICU since he is mentally unstable. They are going to keep him here for a few more days to monitor his healing, and then he will be discharged. But instead of going home, he is being admitted to a hospital for psychiatric patients where he will stay for some time. His doctor says that Todd proved he wasn’t really ready to truly live on his own.”

“But he’s been living on his own for like two years now. He has an apartment, and a car, and a cat, I thought.” I break in here, as she hasn’t even taken a breath. My mom’s face saddens at my words.

“He had a cat but that didn’t work out. And yes, he has been on his own for two years now, but I guess he hasn’t been very forthcoming about the struggles he has been facing.”

I might not like being around my brother, but it hurts to know that he’s been struggling in silence for so long.

“We knew just recently that he was getting into some trouble, but he’s been spiraling for a while,” she adds. She leans back in her chair, looking at Simon for a hard moment.

“So, Simon, I was not expecting you to be here with my daughter.” She looks at him pointedly, like it’s his fault he hasn’t been in my life.

“Yes, ma’am. Morgan and my best friend are dating. Dex and I are on the same pro-gaming team, so Gia and I just kinda fell back into each other’s paths,” Simon tells her with confidence.

“I see,” she clicks her tongue, “well it’s nice to see you, dear. Can’t say that I ever thought I would again.”

I snap my jaw tightly shut and bite the inside of my cheek. Simon just nods his head and tells her and my dad that it’s nice to see them again too. But I don’t miss the flash of resentment in his eyes when he looks at my mom.

She gets up and walks off to check on Todd’s status, and my dad excuses himself to find some coffee.

“Wow, I’m really sorry about her. She is on edge, is she not?” I say as he chuckles.

“Yeah, but she has the right to be. Yesterday was a crazy day. I’m guessing you didn’t mention to her that I was hanging around?” He cocks his eyebrow at me in a knowing way. I sigh.

“No, I didn’t keep it from her on purpose. We don’t talk a lot. She mostly texts me. When she emails or calls, it’s only ever to talk about Todd. She hardly ever asks about me. When she does, it’s never been a good time for me to say ‘Hey, Mom! Guess who Morgan’s boyfriend’s BFF is? Simon! The boy you made me leave and suggested that I never talk to again.’” I roll my eyes and huff out a breath.

Putting his arm around me, he pulls me into his side.

“I understand, G. I really do,” he says as he places a kiss on the top of my head.

We sit there for a while, our heads leaning against each other, his arm around me, playing with each other's fingers in his lap. It's easy to forget where we are but then I hear doctors being paged overhead and I remember, and all I want to do is get out of here and be alone with Simon. As if she appears out of thin air, my mom stands before us.

“Gia, we can go back now. There is a two-visitor limit, and you can’t take anything back that could be used as a weapon, so I would just leave your purse and phone with Simon.” She turns on her heel and heads toward the double doors right past a small security station.

“Alright. Here goes nothing,” I say to Simon as I stand. He takes my purse and leans in to give me a kiss on the cheek.

“You can do this, I doubt you’ll have to stay in there for long.”

Nodding and giving him a small smile, I follow my mom, who is waiting for me at the door.

I let the security guard quickly pat me down and then my mother presses a call button and tells the answering nurse she is here to see my brother and gives him a four-digit code.

The doors pop open and she pushes through. I try not to drag my feet but I can’t help it. I don’t want to be here. She slows and puts her arm around my shoulder and gives me a side hug.

“You look happy, Gia. I’m glad you found your way back to him.” She gives me a rare smile and drops her arm.

I don’t get a chance to reply before we stop in front of a door with a small rectangular window. She places her hand on the latch and looks at me in warning.

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