Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82198 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Watching Jake open the door, I strained to see if he was still there. He was. This time he walked up to Jake and spoke to him. Nodding, he took the water pitcher from Jake and walked away. The door almost closed but Jake pushed it open.
“Just one second, sweetheart; Preston’s going to get you some water.”
Preston.
Preston is taking care of him.
Opening my mouth, I attempted to talk but Jake shook his head. “Shh, Harmony, let’s wet your whistle, okay? Don’t try to talk just yet.”
The door opened and Preston walked in. Pushing his hand through his brown hair, Preston set the pitcher down, but not before looking into my eyes. Something happened between us. Words couldn’t describe it, but I knew he felt it too because his mouth dropped open and his eyes pinched together as he poured a glass of water and handed it to my brother.
Jake reached behind me and lifted my head as I took a drink.
“Small sips, Harmony. We don’t want you getting sick from drinking too much.”
I couldn’t pull my eyes off Preston as I took a few small sips.
“Um…I’ll just wait outside.”
Jake turned to him and said, “Thanks, Preston. You’re not leaving, right?”
Pulling my lips from the plastic cup, I spoke. “Wait.” My voice sounded strained. As if it had been months since I last spoke a word.
Preston froze, as did Jake. Preston stood with his back to me. “Please tell me. TJ, is he okay? Is my baby okay?”
Jake’s lower lip trembled as he pulled back and set the water on the table. My heart raced, nearly exploding. I began to gulp in breaths…the feeling of not getting enough air was beginning to scare me.
Jake’s expression turned slack as his eyes began to get wet.
“Jake…where is TJ? What about Trey? Is he okay?” Tears fell freely from my eyes as I watched my brother turn white as a ghost.
My eyes darted to Preston’s back. “Preston. You…you saved him, right? It was you? I remember…you saved him, right?” My body shook as sobs took over. I didn’t even care that everything on me hurt.
Preston slowly turned around, his movements lacking the energy to even move his body.
The moment his eyes captured mine, I knew. “Please tell me you saved him. Please.”
Jake’s head dropped as he cried. Preston looked at Jake and then back to me. As he took a step forward, his eyes never left mine.
“Harmony, I tried with everything I had…but…I couldn’t…I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to…to…”
Shaking my head, my lower lip trembled as I whispered, “No.”
Closing his eyes and dragging in a deep breath, Preston whispered, “I wasn’t able to save your son.”
Covering my mouth with my hand, I let out a scream as Jake quickly wrapped me up in his arms. Pushing him away, I began getting out of the bed. “No! I don’t believe you. Please take me to him!”
Preston grabbed me before I fell to the floor. “Harmony, please get back into bed. You can’t be getting out of bed.” Looking into Preston’s eyes, I saw his pain and it about destroyed what little hope I had left. “I’m so sorry, Harmony. I’d give anything to take this away.”
Falling into Preston’s arms, I cried into his chest. “Please, please God, no.”
Preston held me tighter to him as he whispered, “I’m so sorry, Harmony.” I lost all control. The door to my room opened and two nurses came rushing in.
“No! My baby! Not my baby! Why? Dear God, why?” I screamed out as one of the nurses attempted to place me back in the bed.
“Go get a doctor, quickly. We’re going to need to sedate her!” the nurse called out to the other nurse. Turning to look at Preston, I noticed he was crying and my heart broke even more knowing he was in pain as well. I heard it in his voice. I saw it in his eyes.
Shaking my head, I closed my eyes and went limp as I called out one last time, “Not my baby, please not my baby.”
The room was dark. The only light that could be seen was coming from the flashlight on his phone that he must have turned on to read with. Staring at him, I took everything in. Preston held a book in one hand and his phone in another. Both looked like they would slip from his grip at any moment. His light brown hair was a mess. His body looked cramped as he slept in the chair. Turning away, I stared at the ceiling as the realization hit me again. I had lost them both. As I’d been dealing with the shock of losing my son, Jake had told me that Trey died on impact. My heart ached more than I could have ever imagined. Shaking my head, I slipped into a memory.