Page 93 of Puck You
“Is he speaking with the dispatcher?Did they say when the paramedics would arrive?”
Gabby sniffled and said, “They should be here within the next few minutes.He’s talking to them.”
A small breath whooshed out of my lungs.“That’s a good sign, Gabby.He’s alert and speaking.”
“I’m so scared.”Her words were barely a whisper.
“I’m right here.I’ll stay on the line until they get there, okay?”
Silent tears streamed down my face, but I couldn’t let her sense my distress.Right now, I had to stay strong for my little sister.
“Okay, they’re here.”
There was an onslaught of muffled voices coming from the line.With shaking hands, I put the call on speaker and sent an SOS text to Sam.I could hear bits and pieces of the conversation, though it was hard to make out more than a few words through the phone.When things quieted down, I called Gabby’s name.It took three times before she finally answered.
“They’re taking him to St.Jude’s.They said I could ride in the ambulance with them.”
Thank goodness.
“I’m going to have Sam take me straight to the hospital.I’ll be there in under two hours, okay?”Though I couldn’t see her, I imagined Gabby was bobbing her head up and down in a nod.“Call me if anything changes.”
The line went dead a moment later.I pulled the phone awayfrom my ear just as Sam flew through the bathroom door.“I can’t believe Gabby called—”
“Heart attack,” I croaked.“My dad is having a heart attack.They’re taking him to the hospital now.He’s alert.”
Sam’s eyes grew wide and then she was asking me questions about his vital signs that I didn’t know the answers to.At the same time, she took off her sweatshirt and pulled it over my head.I told her what I knew, starting with the fact that he was alert and talking to the first responders.Again, she inquired about his vital signs, but I just shook my head and asked if she would take me to the hospital.
“Can you let Caroline and Lydia know we’re leaving?”
“Of course.I’ll be right back.”
I followed Sam out of the bathroom and watched her run toward the rink entrance.The concourse was silent, save for the echo of her shoes smacking across the floor.Wiping the tears from my face, I braced myself for the oncoming wave of shame.It had been weeks since I’d spoken with my father.My phone contained countless unanswered texts and missed calls from him.I couldn’t deal with the truth about my mother, so instead of talking to my father like an adult, I’d ignored him.I packed away the hurt and shoved it down like I did with all the other feelings I couldn’t face.
In the distance, a door slammed.Craning my neck, I peered down the empty concourse as a figure came into view.With each slow step he took in my direction, it became easier to make out the familiar shape of Sebastian.But as he grew closer, I noticed there was blood crusted on the corner of his mouth and a light bruise forming across his cheekbone.He looked absolutely worn down, like the life had been sucked right out of him.His browswere pulled together, green eyes unfocused as he walked with his hands hanging limply at his sides.I knew once our gazes connected that something was terribly wrong.I’d only just begun to call out his name when Sebastian’s mouth curled into a snarl.He wasn’t looking at me the way he normally did.Even months ago, when we were feuding over the training space, I’d never seen such brazen hate behind his eyes.A stranger stood before me.
“I should have listened to logic,” he said with a shake of his head.“I should have trusted my gut when it told me you were nothing more than a pretty distraction.”
I took a step closer, but Sebastian flinched away, as if he couldn’t stand the thought of touching me.What the hell was going on?
“What happened?Were you hurt—”
“I can’t do this anymore,” he snapped.
Is this some sort of joke?
“That’s not funny, Sebastian.”
“I’m not being funny.I’m being honest.I know that’s a hard concept for you to understand, but not everyone is afraid to speak the truth.”
“You don’t mean that,” I said, trying to convince myself as well as him.
There were footsteps in the distance, someone coming up behind me.I searched his face, my eyes traveling over the slope of his nose and the familiar set of his lips for any sign of affection.I couldn’t see anything past the fury burning in his eyes.
This was all just a terrible nightmare.It had to be.
“I’m so sorry about last night, and I’m sorry I made you feel used.Please, just hear me out.You have to hear me out.”
His voice was low when he spoke next, but there was nomistaking his words.“You were a mistake, and whatever you thought we had, it’s not real.”
