43. Chapter 43
Seren
I opened my mouth, the answer on the tip of my tongue. I wanted him to know that I’d never give up on him, that my heart was racing right now for him. I wanted nothing more to be all in with him too.
“Jake—”
Then, my phone rang.
The sound was loud and shrill in the quiet of my kitchen, slicing straight through the moment. I flinched hard enough that Jake’s hands tightened on my thighs like he thought I was pulling away. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to.
“You don’t have to be perfect,” I said, trying to ignore the ringing and vibration above us on the table. “We just need you to be you—”
The second the ringing stopped, it practically started again. My head fell onto Jake’s chest with a grumble. I swear to god, if this was Derek again, I would block him. “I’m sorry. Let me just turn that off so it doesn’t wake Cai.”
Reluctantly, I rose to my feet, grabbing my phone from the counter. The screen dimmed as soon as I got there with my mom’s name. The previous missed call was from her, too. Jake followed me to stand, his hands moving behind his head as he inhaled.
“Sorry, it’s my mom…” I opened our thread to text her that I’d call her back shortly, but she called again before I’d even finished typing. I answered on the second ring, shooting an apology glance to Jake.
“Hi, Mom, is everyth—”
Her voice hit me like a blow.
“Seren. Oh god, sweetheart. It’s Nate. He’s…Nate’s been—He’s—You have to go there. We’re too far away…” She wasn’t making any sense, words overlapped and contorted together.
“Mom, I don’t understand.” My brow furrowed. “What happened?”
“Nate’s been in an accident.”
The room tilted. The counter dug into my hip. Jake’s hand slid around me fast as I wobbled.
“Baby, what is it?” he rushed out.
Mom kept talking, frantic words tumbling over each other, but all I could hear was the roaring in my ears and the random words Mom had said. Accident. Motorcycle. Hospital.
Jake moved in front of me, his face close to mine. “Look at me.”
His eyes searched mine, and those big blue depths caressed me in a way that allowed the air to return to my lungs.
Warmth covered my hand and phone, then I realized he was taking it. “Give me the phone. Let me help.”
My fingers gave way as he took the phone gently, his other hand sliding to the back of my neck, pulling me into his chest.
“Hi, Mrs. Davis, it’s Jake,” he said, calm in a way I didn’t feel. “Okay, I hear you. Which hospital?”
My stomach lurched as I tried to keep my knees from giving out.
“We’ll head there, don’t worry. Okay, yeah, I’ll call you.”
He hung up and wrapped me in both arms, letting me fold into him. He didn’t say anything, one hand spread wide across my back, the other tucked into my hair, his body solid around mine while mine forgot how to stay upright.
“We’re going to Solterra General. That’s where he is, okay?”
I nodded, clinging to him. “He’s my big brother.” They were the only words looping in my head.
“I know, baby.”
His thumb brushed under my eyes, catching tears I didn’t remember letting fall.
“I’m going to grab a bag with some things, and then get Cai, okay?”
“Cai,” I breathed, panic punching into the mess of my mind.
Jake cupped my face again. “We’ll take him for now to get to the hospital quickly. Then we’ll figure out the rest on the way. I can call Derek to get him.”
I stared at him. He was already thinking three steps ahead when I couldn’t even find the floor beneath my feet.
He moved fast after that, grabbing Cai’s backpack from the hallway and creeping into his room to fill it. Making sure he had chargers and a few toy trucks. He even grabbed Cai’s favorite packet of crackers from the pantry. I stood there watching him, useless and shaking.
Nate was hurt, and I was frozen.
Jake zipped Cai’s bag and came back to me, slipping his hoodie over my head. “You’re doing good,” he whispered.
I let out a broken sound, knowing I wasn’t doing anything. The tears fell again, or maybe they never stopped, but he pulled me into him all the same. I knew the only way I could make it through this is if he was with me the whole time.
“I’ve got you, mama.”