Page 67 of Quiet Rage
“I thought we were done pretending?”
“My feelings for you are real,” he insists, but I can’t accept his words. They can’t be real, not after everything he’s put me through.
“I don’t believe you.”
“I’ll prove it to you,” he says with confidence in his tone. “I swear I’ll fix this. I’ll get you out of town, somewhere safe. You and your parents.”
Fuck. My parents.
Guilt slams into me thinking about my mom and dad. They are going to be so disappointed in me.
“Do my parents know I’m here?”
“Yes. I called them. They were going to close up the store and head over here,” Kellen explains, making me feel even more guilty. We really can’t afford to close down for half a day.
“I wish you wouldn't have told them.” Just the thought of facing them right now fills me with dread. I don’t want them to see me lying in a hospital bed.
“They deserve to know what’s going on, and someone needs to be here with you.” Kellen shifts in his seat before he adds, “I can’t stay here much longer.”
I don’t understand why his words hurt, why the thought of him leaving me here bothers me at all. My feelings towards him are skewed, and I can’t even begin to make sense of them. Curiosity gets the better of me and I’m about to ask him where he is going when a knock at the door stops me.
Anxiety about seeing my parents has me tense up. I stare at the door swinging open, breathing a little easier when I see a nurse appear on the other side. She is wearing light green scrubs and a pair of pink crocs, and her curly hair is bouncing in a high ponytail. A kind smile spreads across her face when she sees me. She walks into the room, carrying a tray of food.
“I figured you would be awake by now,” she says, when she is stopped next to my bed. “I brought you dinner just in case you feel like eating something.”
She places the tray on my bedside table.
“Thank you.” I force a courteous smile.
“How are you feeling?” the nurse asks.
“I…” I want to tell her the truth, but I’m unsure about what the truth is.How am I feeling?Physically, I feel okay. Emotionally, I’m a mess.
She notices me struggling to come up with an answer. “It’s okay, sweetheart, you don’t have to figure it out right this second. Let’s take it one step at a time. How about we sit you up so you can eat?”
“That would be great,” I agree, glad to be sitting up.
The nurse pushes a button on the side of my bed, making it move. She holds it down until I’m in a comfortable seated position.
“There you go. If there is anything else I can do for you just ring me,” she offers before leaving the room. The door shuts behind her, and once again I’m left alone with Kellen.
“Do you want to try a bite?” He points to the tray.
I shrug, unsure if I can get anything down right now. Kellen lifts the lid from the plate, inspecting the grilled chicken with a side of broccoli, and mashed potatoes.
“Looks…eatable,” he concludes, before putting the lid back on the plate. “I could go and see if the cafeteria has something better.”
I decline his offer with a shake of my head. He sighs but doesn’t press the subject further.
“I need to use the bathroom,” I announce when I feel the sudden urge to pee.
I kick the blanket off my body and swing my legs to the side. Kellen gets up from the chair and walks around the bed.
“I don’t need help,” I insist, but my words fall onto deaf ears.
Kellen grabs the IV stand and rolls it closer to me. Standing in front of me, he holds out his hand. Refusing to take it, I get up on my feet.
I regret my stubbornness immediately. I barely make it to a standing position when the room spins, and my knees give out. I fall forward, straight into Kellen’s waiting arms.
