Danger! Bad Boy(63)

Julie huffed and made to go back into the room.

I called out after her, “But, you may want to take some of the blame yourself, Julie, since Gianna would’ve never been in that cafeteria if you hadn’t forced us to sneak around behind your back!”

Not looking back, she shut the door to Gianna’s room behind her.

Chris’s eyes were tired and his face suddenly haggard. From the look on his face I figured he didn’t like Julie much more than I did. He muttered something about going to the cafeteria to get something for Chance when he woke up then he was gone.

My dad waited with me all day, running downstairs to get us magazines and food. I felt like crap, having not showered or changed my clothes since yesterday. Finally after dark, my dad was able to talk me into going home to clean up. Two hours later, I’d showered, packed a bag, picked up my car at the school parking lot and was back at the hospital.

Nearing room 626, the door was halfway open so I peeked inside. Julie obviously took Chance home after I’d left, because it was just Gianna’s dad in there, sleeping in the same chair Chance had earlier. The lights were off in the room, but the bathroom light was on, providing a soft glow.

I set my bag down inside the doorway and edged closer to the bed. Gianna was slightly turned to her side now, but at a couple feet away I was surprised to see her eyes were open. An involuntary sound escaped my lips and I quickly crouched down onto the floor beside the bed so we were face to face.

“Baby,” I whispered, not wanting to wake Chris.

Her eyelids dropped, but I saw the shine of tears trickle down. “Shh,” I awkwardly tried to soothe her. The tears fell faster, along with my own.

“Please look at me, Gianna,” I encouraged her softly.

After a long moment she opened her eyes and the pain I witnessed in them made me want to scream and rage, tear something apart. I swallowed it down, kissing her on the forehead.

Holding her gaze, I asked, “You know I love you, right?”

Her head jerked in a little nod, but she averted her eyes again.

I touched her gently on the head, stroking her hair. “I’m so sorry this happened, but I’ll do whatever it takes to help you through it. Whatever you need, baby.”

She didn’t move and I knew she couldn’t respond properly with her jaw wired shut. The nurse came into the room to administer more painkillers through the IV. Lying, I told the nurse I was Gianna’s cousin.

Her dad woke up while I was speaking to the nurse and gave me a look that let me know he wasn’t happy with my methods, but wouldn’t kick me out. I pulled up a chair next to Gianna’s bed and settled in.

After administering the drugs, the nurse left and Gianna drifted off to sleep. I was simply grateful for the time I’d get with Gianna until Julie showed up in the morning. It soothed my own demons to be near her again. But it’d be a long time before any of us were completely healed.





CHAPTER EIGHTEEN




“Immature love says ‘I love you because I need you.’

Mature love says ‘I need you because I love you.’”

-Erich Fromm



CALEB



Frustration wasn’t a feeling that was ever easy to deal with. Helplessness was often its companion. I understood where she was coming from, I really did. But I couldn’t help feeling that I should’ve been with her right now. Didn’t she need me as much as I needed her?

Gianna had texted that it was only temporary, just until her dad could close up shop in Houston and find a place in Denver. She hadn’t even enrolled in school there, but was getting her assignments faxed from school here. Trying to squash the panicky feeling that she wouldn’t be coming back at all was all I could do.

Spending time with my parents wasn’t helping. Hanging out with friends wasn’t helping either. Gianna back in Denver was the only thing that could make me feel better. It’d been two weeks since she was released from the hospital and the very same day she’d gotten on a plane with her dad and flown to Houston.

If I weren’t so freaking miserable myself, I’d find twisted satisfaction in Julie’s predicament. Her life had gone to shit like the rest of ours. My dad wouldn’t take her back because she obviously wasn’t going to change her stance on me. The divorce was moving forward.

Besides that problem, Julie had to deal with the wrath of Chris. While at the hospital, I’d overheard an entertaining conversation, well argument really, where Chris had laid into Julie and called her a bad mother. He’d also stated that she’d had her chance to raise their kids and obviously he needed to take over. I was all for his idea, but the man needed to bring my girl back.