2. Kalm Alexander Savage
KALM ALEXANDER SAVAGE
Isucked in a sharp breath, feeling Oasis’s nails dig deeper into my skin.
She had reached for my hand the second we sat down in Dr. Brothers’ office, and I understood why.
Ever since she was a little girl, my sister knew I was someone she could depend on.
I had been her anchor through many storms, and the one we were facing today would be no different.
The air in the room was thick with our racing thoughts.
I twisted the aura ring on my free hand while my right leg bounced to a tempo of its own making.
Every minute we sat waiting for the doctor to come in made it harder to breathe.
I was almost certain the room was getting smaller, and I would pass out if he didn’t join us soon.
I sighed in relief when I heard the door crack open, along with the steady footfalls that closed the distance from the door to his desk.
The moment I looked at him, I wished I hadn’t.
I could tell what he was going to say next would change our lives just by the way his eyebrows knitted together in concentration.
With a deep sigh, he set her medical file on his desk and slowly lifted his gaze to us.
“So, your biopsy has come back, and it shows Hodgkin lymphoma.”
Oasis’s eyes bounced to me, and I took charge of the moment. “Hodgkin lymphoma. . .” I repeated slowly.
Realizing that neither my sister nor I was familiar with the term, he cleared his throat and said the word that made the room begin to violently shake. “It’s a form of cancer.”
Before I could even take my next breath, Oasis fell apart beside me.
Neither of us had truly come in here expecting for the c word to be dropped, even though we knew there was something going on.
I felt the world open below my feet as I thought of how I’d been consoling her ever since that dreadful volleyball physical that started us on this path.
I told her that everything would be fine . . . that she would be fine.
Dropping to my knees beside her seat, I wrapped my arms around my wailing sister feeling every cry she released slice through my heart like a sharp blade.
This just couldn’t be. She seemed perfectly fine, so how could her body be fighting against her on the inside?
It was hard for me to wrap my head around at twenty-seven, so imagine what this bomb felt like being dropped on a sixteen-year-old girl who had a zeal for life.
A month ago, her only worries were if she’d get asked to prom, and now.
. . I couldn’t even finish the thought, because I would lose my fucking mind too, and it wasn’t the time or place for it. I had to remain strong for Oasis.
“I’m so sorry, Sissy. We’re going to get through this together, baby girl.
No matter what, I will be here to hold your hand every step of the way,” I assured her with a voice I could hardly keep leveled.
She refused to calm down, so I shifted my eyes to the doctor.
“This is a lot on her. Could we have a private conversation later?”
He nodded once, and I could see the sympathy seeping into the corners of his eyes.
It must be hard to have this kind of job.
How did one even walk into a room, knowing every word they said next had the power to break people?
Before he came in the room, my sister was a nervous sixteen-year-old, and now she was completely fucking devastated, and I had no clue on how to help her lift her head high enough to walk this path.
I realized we were about to enter one of those seasons when, sometimes, a child just needed their parents, but ours were gone.
Our brother Kaos and I were all she had now.
“Yes, of course. I know this can be very hard to hear. I will take some more time to review the notes and decide on the best course of action from here.” He shifted his attention to Oasis.
“Miss Savage?” She slowly lifted her head to glance at him.
He offered her a kind smile. “I promise to do everything within my power to ensure this is not the end of your life. You have much to live for, and by the grace of God, you will live to experience it all. Okay?”
She swiped at her watery eyes and simply nodded. A hiccup slipped out before she said, “Okay.” She sounded nothing like herself but instead like the little girl who would crawl into bed with our parents when life got too hard.
Dr. Brothers returned his attention to me. “I will be in touch with you. We have no time to waste on this matter.” I nodded my understanding, then he gathered his things to give us some time to ourselves.
The door shut softly behind us, and I still couldn’t release the breath I was holding.
I pressed the heel of my hand into my chest, hoping to ease the discomfort, but it didn’t work.
Glancing over at Oasis, I found her staring at the wall.
Tears silently slid down her plump cheeks, and I felt so sorry for her.
If I could take on this burden instead, then I would. That was how much love I had for her.
“How about we get out of here? You want to get something to eat?”
She shook her head; a soft sniffle made her shoulders quake. “No, I just want to go home, brother,” she admitted.
I nodded then slowly rose to my full height. Extending a hand down to her, I pulled her into me when she took my hand. I wrapped my arms around her to give her a hug I knew she needed but wouldn’t ask for. She began to bawl again, and I didn’t let her go until she was too weak to shed another tear.
I kept an arm wrapped around her shoulder as we made our way out of the doctor’s office. I stopped at the nurse’s station to see Dr. Brothers had scheduled our call for tomorrow at noon. I loved that he was empathetic enough to give us this day to grieve and come to terms with reality.
Once we made it outside, not even the sun could warm me up.
I felt empty and frozen on the inside—like completely numb yet somehow still operating on autopilot.
Fetching my keys from my pocket, I unlocked the doors to my black-on-black Trackhawk and opened the passenger door for my sister.
She wordlessly slid inside and began to put on her seatbelt.
I slammed her inside then slowly made my way around to the driver’s side.
The ride home was so quiet I wasn’t even sure if either of us were breathing.
My truck beeped, dragging my attention to the dashboard to see I was low on gas.
I figured it was better to fill up now than end up on the side of the road later because it slipped my mind.
I saw the sign for a Shell up ahead and put on my turning signal to turn into the parking lot.
I eased up next to a pump then turned to Sissy.
She was staring out the window, not moving or making a sound.
I was worried about her but knew it wasn’t the time to pressure her into speaking.
She would come out of it when she was ready to deal with it.
Instead, I opted to ask her if she wanted anything.
She said no, so I hopped out and made my way into the store.
My feet felt heavy, but I pushed through it to grab myself some chocolate-covered donuts and a water.
My mouth felt so dry I was afraid my lips were going to start cracking.
My mind filled with a thousand thoughts I could hardly process as I made my way to the register.
I refused to let myself even consider any worst-case scenarios.
I couldn’t lose anyone else I loved. . . I just couldn’t.
I set my items on the counter. Going into my back pocket, I pulled out my wallet. “Is that all?” The cashier asked me after scanning the other stuff.
“Nah, let me get $100 on pump two,” I told her.
“And $20 on pump three,” an unfamiliar voice said from close by.
I glanced to my right to find the prettiest woman standing there with curiosity in her brown eyes. I licked my lips, eyeing her up and down in shock. I was so out of it that I didn’t even notice she’d walked up on me. If this was my hood, being caught lacking like that could mean death.
Her oval head tilted to the side when she noticed me studying her.
She was around 5’7 and maybe weighing 150 pounds with ass, titties, and a slim waist. Everything was tight and proportioned well in the red halter jumpsuit she wore.
Her supple espresso skin was flawless, along with her arched brows, long and dainty nose that housed a stud earring, and chiseled cheekbones that flushed with a natural rosy color.
Not even the red outline tattoo of a heart resting beneath her left, almond-shaped eye could dim her beauty.
The body wave hair she wore framed her face perfectly and made it hard to not want to run my fingers through it.
Her full, glossy lips spread open to reveal a beautiful smile that almost made me forget how to breathe.
The longer I stared at her, the warmer my face became. The only reason I snapped out of my daze was the fact someone cleared their throat from behind us. Turning to the cashier, I saw her waiting on my response.
“Make it $40 on pump three,” I said. I returned my attention to the woman and asked her, “You want anything else?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” she replied, batting her wispy lashes.
This time, when she spoke, my brain downloaded her silvery and soft voice to memory.
She turned toward the merchandise, and my eyes tracked her every place she went from picking up snacks to grabbing something to drink from the cooler.
The other people in line began to grow impatient, but I paid them no mind.
Once she had everything she wanted, she came back and piled it on the counter.
The cashier raised an eyebrow as if to ask me if it was okay. I nodded once, and she began to add it to my tab. I tapped my card against the reader when the total popped up, not thinking twice about it. “Thanks,” I told the cashier after she bagged everything up.
I turned to the woman and handed her the bag with her snacks. “I appreciate that, handsome.” She winked then sashayed out of the door without a backward glance. When she spun around, I caught a glimpse of some kind of tattoo on her neck that I was curious about.
My body moved of its own accord as I raced out the door behind her. “That’s how you gon’ do me, Pretty? You should at least let me take you out on a date or something.”
She spun toward me, making her titties bounce in place. She was so damn pretty to me I almost stumbled over my feet when we made eye contact. I watched her give me that same mischievous look from the store when she’d boldly demanded gas on my dime. “If I see you again, I’ll go on a date with you.”
Never one to be thirsty or pressed about a woman, I simply chuckled, accepting defeat. “Well, can I at least pump your gas for you, Miss. . .” My voice trailed off as I waited for her name.
“Charisma,” she replied.
“Charisma,” I repeated. “That fits you.”
She gave me a toothless grin. “I’ve heard that before.
” I didn’t say more as I closed the distance between my Trackhawk and her Lexus.
Realizing what she was driving, I wished I paid for more gas to fill her up, but hey, I was already out of my comfort zone right now. My little $40 would have to do.
Charisma climbed into her car to wait while I pumped her gas for her.
It didn’t take long, so when I finished, I put the pump back and closed her tank.
She waved at me through her windshield while I offered a quick head nod.
I stood next to my truck, watching her pull away from the gas station.
The second her car was out of sight, the darkness from before came crawling back into my heart.
“Who was that?” Sissy cracked her door open to ask.
I shook my head at the same time my phone began to vibrate in my pocket.
Seeing it was a call from my brother, Kaos, I quickly answered and waited for the automated voice as it began reciting the usual script.
Just that quickly the pretty woman was forgotten, and reality came crashing back into me at full force.