Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
Hollie
Eighteen Years Old
Our fingers were entwined so tightly that my nails began to pulse from the lack of blood flow.
But I couldn’t let go—nerves kept me clinging to him.
Based on how my last conversation with my parents went, I wasn’t too confident that Garrett would be well received as my boyfriend.
They didn’t like that he was a bit older than me, and Mom just wanted to make my life hell in every way possible.
My parents should’ve been immediately on board, based on the fact that his niece was a good friend and she had a wonderful family. But they couldn’t think of anything but our eight year age gap.
Garrett was my future, and the sooner my parents made peace with that, the better.
I jammed the up button on the elevator with my free hand.
He smiled down on me. “Everything’s gonna be okay. You’ll see.”
He was so handsome—with his cropped blond hair, clean-shaven face, and piercing blue eyes. I smiled back. “I know.”
“No matter what happens, I’m not going anywhere.”
The elevator doors popped open and I yanked him inside. When they shut, I slipped my hands up his chest and went to my tiptoes. Our kiss was quick, dizzying. I opened my mouth and Garrett immediately filled it, his tongue heavy and hungry. His hands went straight to my ass.
As usual, he got too excited, and started taking things a little far. One hand sneaked up the front of my shirt while the other one sought purchase down the back of my jeans. Garrett walked me backward until we hit the wall of the elevator and he ground his hips into me.
I broke the kiss and pushed him off, laughing. “Garrett!”
He backed away with a guilty smile on his face.
“You waltzing in like that”—I gestured below his waist—“will not help the situation with my parents.”
“But I want you.”
“When do you not?”
He shrugged, the motion innocent and sweet. “I can’t help it. You’re perfect.”
My cheeks warmed. “You tell me that a hundred times a day.”
“Because I can’t say it enough.”
I huffed. “I wish my family felt that way.”
His eyes darkened with concern. “They’re blind.”
My life at home had taken a turn for the worse once Garrett entered the picture.
Whatever semblance of normal I’d maintained with my parents had completely shattered.
Suddenly, every moment of every day became a battle.
Between tiptoeing around the matrimonial tension in our home, struggling to raise my sub-par grades, practicing for regionals in March, babysitting the littles while my parents shuffled Peter to and from the hospital, and sneaking out to see Garrett…
the chaos in my life went full throttle.
Dad forbade me to ever see Garrett again.
But Peter was sixteen and he had a girlfriend.
So why did he hate Garrett so much? I lost it on my dad.
When I threatened to move in with Garrett instead, Dad put down his weapons.
But Mom pushed harder for my submission.
Her determination to keep me away from Garrett lit the flame under us, incinerating whatever we had left as mother and daughter.
Part of me wondered if she wanted me gone.
Garrett encouraged me to stand strong.
I gave him a sad smile. My eyes danced down his sculpted chest and then I chuckled. “We cannot get out of this elevator until you calm down.”
“We’ll ride a few more times.”
So we did. Up and down, making eyes at each other while scrubbed nurses, surgeons, and hospital visitors bustled in and out. Eventually, we exited on the fifth floor and searched the hallways for room 208.
My heart leapt to my throat as I stood in front of 208.
Soft voices and gentle guitar music filtered under the door.
I wanted to be everything Garrett believed I could be—mature, strong, and unyielding.
So I fought the tremble out of my lips. I blinked my welling tears away, wishing there was a nice way to tell Garrett to wait in the car for me.
His presence would only complicate matters.
I had tried to explain that earlier, but it didn’t go well.
He felt like I was choosing peace over him.
I wasn’t. I just…
What if this was the last time I saw Peter? According to the doctors, he was on borrowed time. The leukemia had ravaged his body so quickly. And the radiation had squeezed the life out of him. I should’ve come to the hospital before now.
Two days ago, Bea angrily confronted me in my bedroom and accused me of being too wrapped up in my stupid boyfriend to care about Peter dying.
I did care, but Bea wouldn’t understand.
I couldn’t exactly tell her Mom was set against me and Garrett because I’d pulled the plug on her long-standing affair.
To make things more complicated, Garrett was more sensitive than I expected him to be.
When I needed to choose between him and my family, he got his feelings hurt and sulked.
I hated that. Another thing I could blame on Mom.
I couldn’t respond to the nurse’s quiet questions as she helped us disinfect our hands and put on face masks to protect Peter’s suppressed immune system. Tears soaked the top of my mask before we even opened the door. Would Peter be awake? Or even know I was there?
What would my family say when Garrett walked in behind me?
With shaky hands, I swung open the door.
My entire family had seats around the room.
The Rockies baseball game played on the muted TV.
Vases of flowers lined on the window sill.
Bea sat on the sage green couch, her guitar draped across her lap.
Her soft strumming set a reverent tone for the room.
Mom leaned into Dad’s side and he had his arm around her.
My younger siblings quietly played Chutes and Ladders on a table in the room.
Sarah, Peter’s girlfriend, laid next to him on the bed, her fiery red hair a stark contrast against his pale skin. Tubes and wires were draped across her body, connecting Peter to the machines softly beeping. She gently tickled his thin arm with her nails and whispered to him.
Finally, I forced myself to look at my brother. His eyes were closed, lips slightly parted, his Rockies hat slipped sideways over his bald head. Oxygen tubes were in his nose and his arm was strapped with IVs and monitor cords and God only knew what else.
I stood in the doorway, frozen at the sight of him.
It had been a week or so since I’d seen Peter, but…he already looked lifeless. Garrett pressed his hand to the small of my back, gently urging me into the room.
Everyone’s gaze lifted to us.
My mother’s face tightened and she instantly looked away, focusing on Peter instead. Bea shook her head in disbelief. Dad rose from the couch, making his way across the room to us. Garrett’s hand on my back grew firm. If Dad asked Garrett to leave, I needed to stand my ground because I loved him.
Dad’s eyes were weary as he approached us. He wrapped his arms around me in a tender hug. His whisper brought more tears to my eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”
I sniffed, wanting to hang onto my dad for a few moments longer. But he pulled away to extend a hand to Garrett. “Hey, Garrett.”
I held my breath as he turned to me again, silent pain etched in his forehead. “This is a time for our family, honey.”
“But Sarah is here. She’s in the bed with him.” The words were bratty and entitled.
Dad narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t understand why he can have his girlfriend here, but I can’t have my boyfriend.”
He took a deep breath. “Because Sarah might lose Peter, too. She’s been a part of his life for a long time.”
“I graduate in three months and can’t bring a boyfriend? Garrett just wants to support me.”
Dad leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Honey, it’s not that. We want what’s best for—”
“Is there a problem, sir?” Garrett stepped into my bubble with Dad.
Dad’s response was hesitant. “Uh, yeah, Garrett. This is a time for our family. There’s really no reason for you to be here.”
Garrett nodded as his cheek feathered. “With all due respect, Mr. Thompson, I want to be here for your daughter.” Garrett’s fingers tensed on my back.
Was he sending me a signal—to say something or defend him?
My brain scrambled to find my next move.
I’d rehearsed some of what I would say, but the beeping monitors kept distracting me.
My words stammered, “I–If I’m here, Garrett will be here too.”
My soft, sweet Dad set his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment. “To be honest, I’ve got bigger fish to fry than”—he waved his hand in a circle around us—“whatever this is. I don’t want to be arguing when those monitors start beeping.”
He returned to his seat, leaving Garrett and I standing by the door. His fingers dug deeper into my spine as Bea restarted her strumming. He leaned toward my ear and whispered, “If they don’t want me here, I’m not staying.”
I looked up at him, relieved. “Yes, I think it would be best if you just waited. I promise I won’t be long.”
He scoffed. “Are you joking?”
“What? You said—”
“No, I meant us, Hollie. You’d let them throw me out, and not come with me?”
“No one is throwing you out.”
He shook his head, looking hurt. “You said we were in this together.”
“We are, but my brother is dying, Garrett.”
He gave me a half smile. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ll hang by the door. Take a few minutes then we’ll get some dinner.”
A few minutes?
I swallowed down the swell of emotion in my throat as Garrett moved to the door, placing his hand on the knob. My eyes darted to Peter in time to see Sarah straighten his ball cap. With feet like lead, I approached the bed. Sarah reached out her hand to me and I grabbed it.
“Hey, Holls.” Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, her nose and lips chapped. “I’m glad you’re here. I can move if you want me to.”
I shook my head. “Stay. You’re fine.”
Awkwardly, I scooped up his limp hand and hovered near the head of the bed.
“I love you, Peter.” He turned into a beige and blue swirl as tears rushed into my eyes.
A metallic click sounded, and I turned to see Garrett anxiously fiddling with the door handle.
Conflict roared in my chest. I wouldn’t be in the situation if it wasn’t for mom.
She was so set against us that Dad had to take her side in order to fix their marriage.
If it wasn’t for her, I could have Peter, Garrett, and my family. We could all be together.
A hoarse whisper escaped my throat as I leaned forward to remove his hat, pulled down my mask, and kissed the top of his bare head. “Hang on for us. You’ve got so much life ahead of you. I—just don’t go yet, okay?”
I pulled away to see Sarah. She whispered, “You can’t stay?”
“Not right now. I’ll be back.”
Then I retreated into my prison.