I hang up the phone, not bothering with a response as I run through my house. My footsteps mock me with every step I take.
This. This is why I didn’t want to stay away, because when I stay away I have no clue what’s going on. I can’t control a situation when I’m a ten minute drive from the hospital.
I drive to the hospital with my windows down, letting the bitter winter chill slap my face as I whip my way past cars. Breaking every law on the short distance, but getting a ticket for reckless driving is the least of my worries right now.
I pull into the parking lot, throwing my truck into park, taking up two spots. Oh well, fuck it. My windows are down, and I don’t bother to roll them up. We’ve been in a drought, and there’s no forecast for rain.
Raiden took the rain with him. He took the storms and all their beauty.
Sprinting through the hallways, I’m hit with the antiseptic smell that I’ve grown used to. It’s settled in my pores like a normality.
When I finally get to Raiden’s room, Hollis and Connor are both standing outside of it with my parents. The distraught look on all of their faces has my hackles rising.
“What the fuck happened?”
Hollis tries to step in front of me, and I shove him to the side. Intent on walking into Raiden’s room and figuring it out for myself. This is all their fault. Whatever happened to Raiden while I was gone, I’ll never forgive myself for not being here. And I’ll never forgive them for keeping me away.
“Chill the fuck out, Coco. You can’t hulk out right now.” Connor pushes me back against the wall with his palms on my heaving chest. My parents watch in silence and I glare at them. Standing there watching while they know I’m two seconds away from crumbling.
“Tell me what the fuck happened,” I snarl. Ready to bite Connor and Hollis’ heads off, and they’re two of my best friends. But I won’t let anything stand between me and Raiden.
“You need to calm down and then I’ll tell you. The important thing is that Raiden is alright.”
A breath whooshes out of me, the anger that was boiling over dissipates as fast as taking a pot off the stove.
Raiden is alright. He’s fine. He’ll be okay.
My mantra calms me down farther and I gently push Connor’s hands away from my chest.
“Then why did Hollis sound scared shitless on the phone when he called me?”
“Fuck you, Coco. I wasn’t scared shitless,” Hollis mutters but takes a step closer to my mom and she rubs a hand down his arm. He’s basking in her attention, and I can’t be mad at him for it when he confided in me the troubles he’s had with his parents. I can share my mom with him, even when my irritation is at its rope’s end.
“Sweetheart, there’s something we need to tell you before you walk in there.” It’s my mom speaking this time, her voice gentle. I cut my eyes to her, questioning why she’s treating me like I’m about to freak out. I already had my minor freak out, but they said Raiden was okay. That’s all that matters to me.
“What your mom means to say is–”
There’s a commotion inside of Raiden’s room, a woman yelling and a high pitched sob.Ema.She’s sobbing.
“Jericho!” My dad calls my name, but I’m pushing past them to throw open the door to the hospital room.
I’m hit with a sense of wrongness. The presents fromRaiden’s birthday are all gone. His decorations that the nurses and all of us have put up are all gone. Everything is gone, down to the wooden daisies I carved for him and hand painted are missing from their place on his nightstand.
“Long time no see, Jericho.”
The bane of mine and Raiden’s relationship is sitting on the edge of Raiden’s bed. Looking way too smug and put together for a man who has norightbeing here.
Time has done Josh well. His face is more defined, gone is the young boy and in his place is a man. His sharp jawline with a hint of stubble and beady brown eyes that rake over me, leaving a trail of disgust in their wake.
What thefuckis going on here?
Ema and Rodney are clinging to each other, Ema’s bony fingers are white with the pressure she’s using to clutch onto Rodney’s shirt.
Josh is smiling at me, an all-knowing and bone chilling smile that has the hair on the back of my neck standing up. I should have taken Ema and Rodney more seriously when they were talking about Josh reaching out. I should have made them recite every word until they’re ingrained inside me so I could have prepared for this.
But would anything truly have ever prepared me? To see him, sitting on the edge of Raiden’s bed. Like he belongs there. After all the destruction he’s caused to Raiden’s life, he doesn’t get to walk in here and look happy to see us.
“What are you doing here?” My words are one breath away from a snarl, my upper lip curling in utter hatred.
