Tipping The Scales: Knox (Mate Craze)(30)

“Gran? Do you know who I am?” I was hoping she was going to say I was someone from the news because that would make sense, and after she fully came to, she’d be fine. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.

“You’re one of Them.” The venom was back, full throttle. Them, whoever they were, they were evil in her eyes.

The sweat was still coming, and it was all I could do to keep my voice light and calm. We had been here before, just not to this extent. Usually it was her thinking I was my mom just after she had announced her pregnancy with me and my father’s lack of actually wanting to… you know… father. That, I at least knew how to handle, after going through that roller coaster more than once. But this was all new territory.

“Gran, I’m Kallie, your granddaughter.” I reached across her to press the nurse call button, hoping she wouldn’t freak out even further by my closeness. I dared not leave the room to get help at that point. “Let me call the nurse.” Not that she had a choice. She needed a sedative and pronto.

“You are no granddaughter of mine.” Her feeble hand reached out to poke mine, accentuating each and every word. I instinctually took a step back and out of her reach. “You’re one of them. A disgrace to the family line you are.” I reached over and pressed the nurse call button again. What was taking them so long to respond? It wasn’t like we called every time she needed a drink of water or a tissue.

“I’m calling the nurse, Gran.” When her eyes met mine, I saw for the first time why my mother grew up so terrified of her. If her eyes were even the slightest inclination as to what was in her heart, she had nothing but hatred for who she thought I was. “Calm down and all will be right.”

Before I could think of what to do next, the nurse responded to my call with a mumbled question through the call box. I assumed she wanted to know what we wanted, and I hoped they heard better on their end then we did on ours.

“My Grandmother woke from a dream and is not okay,” I called back slowly, using every diction skill I learned in my public speaking class. They mumbled back what I assumed was a promise to come and help before the light on the call box went out indicating they were no longer there.

“Gran, please, lay back down.” He body was rigid and at an odd angle as she tried once again to poke me. She was going to feel the pain from this episode later that night, to be sure. “You heard the nurse. She’ll be here in just a moment.”

“Get out.” She reached out for me, almost tumbling out of bed. How bedrails became “restraints” was beyond me. Falling out of bed was worse than needing to press a button to lower the bedrails. “You disgust me,” she shouted just as two nurses rushed in. They must have heard more than I thought to be bringing back up, and I was glad. The last thing anyone needed was for a nurse to get hurt on top of everything else.

“Ma’am, we have her now.” They shooed me out, and I was grateful for it. “Please wait outside and we’ll find you when she calms down.” By calm down, I knew they were going to drug her, which was honestly for the best. She had been so lost lately, not here in reality, that being medicated was probably the safest option.

“Leave me alone.” She swatted away the nurse who was about to hold her down for sedation. You had to give it to Gran, she was nothing if not strong willed. “She’s the one you should be getting before she mates with that evil.”

At the time, I thought it was all her crazy coming forward. Mates with that evil. Who talks like that except someone losing their mind? I had thought about it a few times since then and always assumed she was once again thinking I was my mother throwing her life away on some illegitimate kid. After today, I knew better. She knew about Knox or maybe not him, but me.

I whipped out my phone, very relieved that Rhi found something or someone to occupy her time. I sat criss-cross applesauce on my bed breathing in deeply before I got the courage to type.

Am I human?

I felt human. I stared at my hands as if they held the answers. I was human. I was sure of it, but three hours ago I was sure Knox was human, too. One of Them. Who was Them? Maybe she meant because I would meet Knox, but that was ludicrous because how could she have known?

Of course you are.

His words were brief and to the point. He was on edge. Not that I blamed him. He opened himself up to me in a way that showed more trust than I had earned. After all, I could have easily snapped a photo or called the press. Not that I would have, and he could literally have burnt me up, or maybe that part was a myth. There was so much I didn’t know and yet everything I did know about Knox felt honest and true. Maybe I was as crazy as my Gran.

Are you evil?

I typed it quickly before I could change my mind. If Gran had been talking about Knox, I needed to know. He wasn’t though. I knew that to be true deep in my soul, yet my stupid brain had to ask and it was already delivered by the time I wanted to take it back. Maybe typing quickly was a bad plan. At least we weren’t face to face when all the words would come out.

No. I’m not perfect, not by a long shot, but I’m not evil. Can I come over?

My body screamed YES, my mind screamed slightly louder a resounding NOOOOOO. I fell back on the bed, letting my feet hang over the edge. Should I or shouldn’t I. If he came, I would get lost in his scent, his smile, his eyes. With him not here all I could think about was his scent, his smile, his eyes. I was doomed either way.