THE EVERLAST SERIES: Books 1-4

Chapter 14

14

My plan was to remain in bed until the world ended, or until Cheryl called back or came over and forced me out of my bed. If that didn’t happen, I would wait until the girls called 911 to take me to a psychiatric hospital where I would spend the rest of my life.

But on Monday morning, Adam called, yelling at me that I was late for work. What a familiar refrain. Then my mother called, saying how she was proud of me, of my plans for the future, of the person I was. If only she knew. But it was the hospital’s call that finally forced me get up. I had been chosen for the position of Patient Care Technician, and they wanted me to go there that afternoon to sign the contract.

Finally something good in my life. Perhaps it was a sign that not everything was lost, and I shouldn’t let the craziness in my life take over. A sign to let me know I would get through this. I would be a great doctor, and I would have money to provide a better life for my family.

I knew what could happen in the hospital, who I might meet there, but I tried to ignore that thought. I entered the clinic in the early afternoon and was escorted to human resources where I signed my contract. Suddenly, I felt almost hopeful, if not happy. The pay was much better than working at the café, and it would look much nicer on my resume. Plus, I’d be able to help people.

With a satisfied smile, I left the room and was heading out when I heard two nurses talking.

“She just died?” one of them asked as they walked past me.

“An hour ago,” the other one said. “Her grandson is in shock, poor young man.”

My heart squeezed. Oh no.

I was barely thinking when I ran to the elevator and went straight to the eighth floor. I didn’t know for sure who the nurses were talking about, but I had a pretty good guess. I didn’t stop to consider maybe Victor wouldn’t be in his grandma’s room anymore and kept running until I was at the door. I stopped, panting, and leaned against the doorframe.

As he stared at the empty bed, he looked like a statue in a crumpled T-shirt and jeans, hair messier than usual, and eyes bright with unshed tears.

I wasn’t sure if he had seen me yet, and I wasn’t sure what to do. One thing I was sure of though: I wasn’t going to leave him even if he was utterly rude to me.

“She told me to say goodbye to you,” he whispered, and my heart stopped for a second. He glanced at me. “Can you believe it? She barely knew you, but she said she had this intense feeling you’re a great young woman.” I couldn’t identify the tone of his voice. Jealousy? Rage? Sadness?

“That was kind of her.” I took a few steps into the room. His eyes stayed on mine. “I’m so sorry.”

He nodded, dropping his head. A loud sob escaped his tightly clamped lips.

I couldn’t take Victor—mine or not—in this state. Acting on pure instinct, I closed the gap between us and pulled him into my arms. For a second he was resistant, and I thought he would push me away. He didn’t. Slowly he turned into me, passed his arms around my back, and quietly wept, his head buried in my neck, his whole body trembling against mine.

My hands held him firmly, like they had done so many times in my dreams. He felt exactly the same under my touch. His body felt the same pressed against mine. He was Victor. Oh, I was so confused.

I had met Bianca Gianni only once, but I had heard so much about her in the last ten months I considered her a close friend, or at least the loved one of my loved one.

To calm him, I did what I always had done in my visions. I sang his favorite song—at least it was my dream Victor’s favorite song. It was an old song, but my dream Victor liked only oldies. Carefully maintaining my low soprano, I sang Walk On by U2, while slightly swaying and rubbing small circles on his back. His sobs slowed, and his chest stopped quivering.

“I’m alone,” he whispered in my ear.

“I know this might sound rather senseless to you now, but you’re not alone,” I assured him. Risking him running from me I continued, “You’ve got me.”

He didn’t run. It might have been my imagination or longing, but I thought his arms tightened slightly around me. I resumed singing.

Near the end of the song, a nurse entered and cleared her throat. At once, he jumped back and gave his full attention to her, practically ignoring me, but I could easily see he wasn’t absorbing a word she said. He was too affected to think things through.

So I stepped in and talked to her. Before I knew it, I was planning Bianca’s funeral and cremation, earning nods from Victor. It had been Bianca’s wish to be cremated and because she had no friends or family besides Victor, there would be no reception or gathering. Her funeral would be quick and simple.

In silence, we left the hospital. I walked next to him to the parking garage.

At his car, he stopped. “I can give you a ride home.”

“O-okay,” I said, surprised. I thought that, once we were out of the hospital he would push me away and be rude to me as usual.

The ride was quiet and tense. I could feel how depressed he was, how desolate. And there wasn’t much I could other than offering my shoulder to him.

And that was exactly what I did.

Once he stopped his car in front of my building, I turned to him. “Are you all right? I mean, not all right, really … you know what I mean.”

His eyes fixed on mine, he nodded. “I’m okay. Still have a lot to process and a lot to do, but I’ll be okay.”

I took a long breath, trying to be brave for my next words. “You … hm, you should come up with me. I can make you something to eat. I mean … you shouldn’t be alone right now.”

He seemed to consider it for a moment. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll be fine.” His voice was almost back to his usual harsh tone. Ouch.

I nodded. “Okay, then.” I hesitated, then pointed to the building behind me. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks,” he said.

A little hurt, for whoever knew what, I opened the door and turned away from him.

“Nadine?” he called.

Holding my breath, I pivoted back to him. “Yes?”

“Thanks,” he repeated, the shine in his eyes unusually gentle. “For being there with me and talked to the nurse and all that. I mean it.”

I offered him a small smile. “Sure.”

Then, without another word, I exited his car and closed the door.

Victor peeled away before I made inside my building and, like a stupid, heartsick girl, I stared after him until he turned the next corner and disappeared from my sight.