29. Veronica #2
Shit, she saw me on the verge of freaking out. How do I play this off? “No, I’m okay, I promise. Just something Stanley said about Noah leaving this morning that had me worried.” Let’s hope she buys that. It’s not technically a lie.
Her gaze fills with compassion. “How is he really doing? I know he tried to put on a brave face for us yesterday, but he didn’t fool any of us.”
I sigh once more. “Not great. I know it’s only been a day, but ever since we found out about her condition getting worse, he’s been spiraling.
All he does is drink no matter how much I try to get him to stop.
Apparently, he snuck out this morning before Gabe and I woke up, and he hasn’t responded to either of us since.
I know I need to give him time to grieve, but I’m worried if I let him go too much, he’ll just get worse.
He’s already started shutting me out…” I look down at my hands, trying to ignore the sting in my heart.
“I can’t imagine any of that is easy,” Morgan says as she takes my hand in hers.
“I wish I could give you some advice on Noah, but the truth is, we’ve never seen this side of him before.
He’s always been, well, a slightly calmer version of Gabe with us.
” We both giggle at that. “But this new quiet and withdrawn version is one we aren’t used to and don’t really know how to handle either. ”
“That’s what I’m most worried about. That none of us will know how to really help him.” I lean my head back against the seat, staring out the window as we zoom past parked cars.
“Hey.” She squeezes my hand. “We’ll figure it out, okay?
I do think giving him a bit more time is the right thing to do right now.
Everyone grieves and responds to rough situations differently, and if we try to push them out of that stage too quickly or before they’re ready, it will only make things worse.
But we’ll all step in to help when the timing is right. ”
“I know, I’ll try not to be too hard on him right away.”
“And how about you? How are you holding up?” I frown for a second, my mind instantly going to Victor and what happened last night.
But that doesn’t make sense; the girls aren’t aware of any of that.
“I know she was Noah’s sister, but she still meant something to you as well, even if it wasn’t for as long.
” Oh, she means about Trinity. Jesus, I really need to get a handle on my nerves.
“I’m… doing okay, I guess. I’m sad and all I want to do is cry when I think about it.
I’ll miss going to visit her, but I think she’s at peace now, and that’s what’s really important.
” I shrug, not really knowing what the right response to this is.
Sure, I’ve been going to see her regularly for the past two months and I grew close to her, but I also feel a bit guilty for being so upset that she’s gone when I didn’t know her as deeply as Noah did.
“You know you’re allowed to be upset about it, right?
” Morgan smiles tenderly, clearly reading my mind.
“It’s not because you only knew her for a short period of time that it means your emotions about the situation are less valid.
Just look at Em and how hard Maddison’s death is hitting her, yet she only knew her for barely two months.
Sometimes people walk into your life out of the blue and become important instantly.
The length of time that you’ve known them shouldn’t dictate how you feel. ”
“You’re right. And thank you for asking how I’m doing.” I squeeze her hand back before letting go.
“Of course, Ronnie. I know you probably still feel like the newest addition to our little gang, but we care about you just as much as any other. We’re family now,” she says softly.
“And family sticks together,” I whisper the end of their saying. I’ve heard them say this particular phrase to each other so many times over the past nine months that it’s impossible to forget now.
Morgan beams at me as her eyes gloss over.
“Oh God, these hormones are really getting the best of me. I swear, I’m tearing up every day.
” She quickly fans her face and laughs. “You know, I have no idea how we even started saying that, but it’s like we heard it one day, and it just stuck with all of us. ”
“I couldn’t tell you, but it’s definitely a beautiful saying and fits perfectly with this group.” I look at her and grin as she gazes back and does the same once we hit a red light.
“It really does.”
We start moving again and I decide to brighten the mood with a topic I know will have Morgan lighting up. “So, are you excited to see those two little munchkins again?”
I swear, her entire body glows instantly.
“So excited, but also super nervous. I don’t know why I get like that every time I have an appointment, even if it’s just a little regular checkup where we only get to listen to their heartbeats.
” She gets teary-eyed once more. “I guess I’m just terrified that if something goes wrong…
Clay and I have spent the past two years getting bad news every month, so now that it’s really happening, I feel like I need to expect the other shoe to drop at some point… ”
“Hey, none of that negative talk.” I take her hand once more.
“Nothing’s going to happen to those beautiful babies.
It’s finally your time now, and I’ll be damned if something goes wrong.
Hell, I’ll become your personal bodyguard if you want and walk around you with a baseball bat in hand around the clock.
I’ll even stand in the corner of your room while you sleep to make sure Clay keeps his hands and feet away from that baby bump.
No one messes with my nieces or nephews. ”
She laughs and wipes her tears. “Thanks, I might take you up on that. It would definitely help with all this stress and worry. Although Clay has been just as protective.” She radiates with joy instantly simply from speaking her husband’s name.
“I swear if it wasn’t for him having to go to his meeting today with a possible new sponsor, he would never leave my side. ”
“Hey, do you mind if we stop somewhere before you drop me off? I promise I won’t be long,” I ask Morgan as I climb onto the passenger seat after leaving her doctor’s appointment.
I’m glad I got to tag along and see those two little shrimps inside her belly.
It filled me with a strange feeling that wasn’t necessarily unwelcome.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m nowhere close to wanting or being ready for kids just yet, but I now understand the desire for it a little more.
It’s a feeling you just can’t experience any other way.
“Not at all, Clay won’t be home for another hour, so I have some free time on my hands.”
She pulls out of the parking lot, and I notice a black sedan backing out of a different parking spot seconds later. The same one that was parked across the street from the little café near the penthouse. That must be Marcos and Ricky.
When they go to exit the lot, a grey SUV slows down in front of them, and the driver nods at the black sedan before coming up behind us.
And that must be the guy following Morgan.
They’re following much closer than I expected them to, but maybe that’s the point, to act natural.
I just hope none of the girls picked up on it.
“Where did you want to go?” Morgan asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Um, to the graveyard. I know we were just there yesterday, but I feel like I could really use a little chat with Trinity right now.”
During Morgan’s appointment, I tried to call Noah three times and texted him a handful of messages, but he never answered any. I even called Gabe to see if he got any news from him, and he told me he hadn’t but that he’d try again.
“Of course, sweetie.” Morg smiles before driving us to our next destination.
Twenty minutes later, we arrive at the cemetery, and Morgan parks the car as close to Trinity’s gravesite as possible. “Take all the time you need.” She smiles and squeezes my hand before I open the door and step out.
As I walk over to where Trinity rests, I spot the black sedan once more in the distance, parking right at the entrance of the cemetery.
While the grey SUV goes all the way around and parks facing Morgan but farther back to not draw any suspicions.
The man even gets out of his car and walks up to a grave, pretending to pay their loved ones a visit.