Page 12 of Silver Tears

“Eliza was with him,” I say out loud when I realise they must have been in the car together.

Emma nods her head and urges me to sit down beside her. “Yes, they’d left mine to head to a party, but the tyre blew out as they were going around Deadman’s bend.”

“Fuck man. You okay?” I look up at the sound of relief in Archer’s voice. My eyes land on Seb Collings as he walks towards his friends with both his arms bandaged. Archer hugs him. Rafe follows, pulling him in for a hug, careful not to catch his arms.

“You’re hurt,” I say, and unexpectedly, everyone’s eyes are on me.

Seb chews on his lip and nods his head. “Only a few burns, nothing major.”

“You were there?”

Seb shakes his head. “Archer called me, and we met them at the scene.”

I nod, still confused. “So why are you hurt?”

“Because he helped pull your brother from a burning car,” Archer snaps as he sits back down. He looks like he doesn’t know what to do with himself. “What if I’ve lost them both?” he mutters. Rafe takes the seat beside him and places an arm around his shoulder and talks quietly into his ear.

“Both of them?” I mutter more to myself than anyone else.

“She’s pregnant,” Emma whispers in my ear, and I gasp in shock. Eliza is pregnant! And my sister knew about it?!

As we wait, my eyes continually drift over to Seb and his bandaged arms. He saved my brother. His arms are wrapped in bandages because he helped Damon. The corridor becomes quite congested when Eliza’s brother and their housekeeper and her family arrive. I listen quietly as Archer tells them all what happened. It’s a long night for all of us. However, we eventually learn that Damon is out of surgery and in a stable but serious condition. I can’t tell you the relief I feel at knowing he made it through surgery. We also learn that Eliza is going to be okay. It seems she has no life-threatening injuries. I overhear Archer ask about the baby and the doctor shakes his head and quietly talks to him. I watch as his face collapses with the news; Seb and Rafe wrap their arms around his shoulders in support. It’s clear when you watch the three of them together that they are more like brothers than friends. I must fall asleep at some point. Someone coughs and I jolt awake. Panicked, I remember that Day is alive, and he is doing okay. Seb sits opposite me and when our eyes meet, he smiles sadly at me.

“Thank you,” I mumble. “Thank you for saving my brother.”

Seb shrugs his shoulders like it’s no big deal. “I did what anyone would have done.”

“No,” I say in disagreement. “You put your own life at risk to help get him out of the car. He would have died if you hadn’t helped him. I’ll be forever grateful.”

Seb smiles, his eyes still full of sadness. “Be careful. You might regret those words.”

I smile back as I understand he’s referring to our earlier conversation in my bedroom. That was only five hours ago, but now it feels like a lifetime ago. It goes to show how life can change in a matter of minutes.

I grimace when I remember that I’m supposed to be minding Charlie tomorrow for mum. Pulling out my phone, I text her a quick message. Do I tell her about Damon? He is her son, but she hasn’t laid eyes on him since the day she walked out of our lives. I opt not to. She could turn up here and that would be the last thing everyone needs right now. I decide to say that I have a friend who has been in an accident. It isn’t a complete lie, as I see Eliza as a friend. It’s still the early hours of the morning, so she won’t see my text until she wakes up.

Dad arrives shortly before six in the morning, and he pulls me into his warm body, stroking the top of my head. “Damon will be okay, doll.” He’d always called me doll, ever since I was a baby. He called me doll because he said I was tiny and perfect like a doll when I was born. The other side of the corridor is empty. The Aces and Eliza’s brother are all in her room with her. Because of his condition, we can only visit my brother in groups of two. It’s awful walking in that room and seeing my teasing, annoying brother completely silent, with all those wires attached to him. I sit and hold his hand and tell him I love him. Begging him to wake up so that I can bug the shit out of him when I start at the private school with him.

Dad orders me home at six in the morning and I reluctantly say goodbye to my brother and head back home with Luca. I’m scared that he might take a turn for the worst, and I won’t be there, but dad insisted we went home and get some rest. He assured me he'd ring us if there was any change with Day.

I shower when I get home and change into some fresh clothes, eager to get straight back to the hospital. Elle, my dad’s assistant, has recently hired us a housekeeper called Dana. I’ve only met her a few times, but she appears nice enough and she makes us all some eggs and bacon. I eat it under my brother’s watchful eye, even though I’m not hungry. My phone pings. I glance up at the inhabitants of the table with a guilty flush as I read the text from my mum. She’s angry that I can’t sit with Charlie. I text back and tell her that Peggy will have him if she asks her. Her reply is a curt, ‘Okay.’

* * *

It’s been two days since the accident. Damon remains stable but is in an induced coma. Emma has ordered me home and insisted I get back to school and normality despite my protestations. I’ve just got back from visiting Day when my phone pings. It’s a message from Ryan.

Come party with me tonight.

I frown at his text. Come party! Is he serious?

What part of my brother is seriously ill does he not get! Between working, school, and hospital visits, I’m exhausted. I haven’t been to see Charlie and mum this week. I’ve been sending money to mum via bank transfer. I’m hoping she’s spending it on bills and food and not alcohol.

I text Ryan back.

I’m too tired to party.

I watch the bubbles, showing that he’s typing a response.

You’re turning into such a bore.

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