Unexpected Gift(8)
I don’t know why it bothers me so much because he is right. I know I have my looks going for me. Women and men alike love my face, my eyes, my body, and my hair. Regardless of how I look, I want the big love one day. The one that changes my life for the better. I want a woman that I can have children with. Kiss and hug whenever I want. Make love to whenever we want. I don’t like that he assumes I wouldn’t want that.
“Just because I’m prettier than you, doesn’t mean you have to be bitter about it.”
“Ha! You wish you were as pretty as me. Have you seen these eyes? Way greener than yours, pal.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket again. I groan, annoyed with Molly. What the hell could she possibly want? “Hold that thought, asshole.”
His snicker doesn’t hold the sass it usually has because of the exhaustion. “Take your booty call. I’ll be right here.” He settles on the floor, leaning his head against the door and shutting his eyes.
A bed sits five feet away from him, but he sits on the ground instead. I want to tell him, but he knows it's there, so he must just be that tired. I feel that. Right in my damn bones. I pinch the bridge of my nose and take my phone out of my pocket, wondering what the hell Molly wants. I bet it is just to tell me how gross I am, which I’m not. I have a clean bill of health. I swipe away all the messages, press the voicemail notification, and push play. I pocket my right hand in my lab coat and wait. She has a natural rasp in her voice, but once the message starts, I know something has to be wrong. She sounds sick, and for a split second, I think she is calling for medical advice, but that is shot to shit when I listen to the rest of her message.
“Caden, it’s Molly. Brandon and Amelia were in a car accident. Things are really bad, Caden. I’m on my way to Glendive General. I’ll see you there. They told me to prepare myself, so I suggest you do the same.”
“What?” The words take my breath away as I collapse on the bed and play the message again. “Caden, it’s Molly…”
And again. “Caden, it’s Molly…”
And again. “They told me to prepare myself, so I suggest you do the same.”
I glance around the on-call room and revel in the silence. Besides Charles and his snores, no other sounds are made. It is just me, my thoughts, and my emotions. I don’t know how families do this with a crowd around because at least I have privacy with my grief. I shake my head with disbelief. This can’t be right. Molly has to be wrong. If she is pulling some stupid joke because she doesn’t like me, this is not funny. She has taken it way too far.
But then I remember the sob at the end of the message. A sound that I never want to hear again because it is so heart-wrenching. She can be cruel, but she can’t be that cruel. She loves her brother. They are close, and there's no way in hell she would ever pull something as shitty as this.
I know I need to move. I need to get going, but I have to take a minute to compose myself. I can’t drive right now. Everything is messed up. Brandon and I planned to get together this weekend to get some drinks and play a little golf. Two days from now. Our plans are two days away, but now this happens?
I’ve never been on the receiving end of bad news, but now that I know what it feels like, I never want to deliver it again.
Chapter Four
Molly
We burst through the doors of the hospital, and I don’t see my parents, Amelia’s parents, or Caden. Where is everyone?
“Glendive is a few hours away from where everyone lives. They will be here,” Kenna says, reminding me my brother had to go and be a pain in the ass and move away from everyone, just to be in this small town.
The energy of death surrounds me as we slow our gait, heading toward the front desk. My body quakes from the impending doom closing in around us. “I’m so scared, Kenna.” My body temperature drops from the negative amount of warmth the place holds. I start to shiver.
“I know, Molls. I’m here for you, okay? Whatever happens, I’m always here.”
The nurse glances up from her clipboard and greets us with a smile. “How may I help you ladies today?”
I clear my throat, trying to figure out what to say. “A doctor called us a few hours ago saying my brother was in a car accident. His name is Brandon Lowell. Is he okay? Was the baby with him? And Amelia? How are they?” The questions keep spilling out of my mouth.
“Have a seat, dear. I’ll find out everything for you, okay?” Her name tag says, Grace. She has silver hair and a wrinkled face that shows just how much life she has lived. I hope my brother will be able to look like that one day. I find it beautiful.
Grace’s eyes hold sympathy as I nod and turn away, sitting slowly in the used, grey chairs. A million people have sat in these. People that have worried about loved ones dying, cried from relief, and maybe even laughed have sat here before. Everyone reacts differently when they receive life-changing news, and the cloth in these seats hold the past, present, and future. It overwhelms me.
“Molly!” My mother shrieks from the entrance of the emergency room.
I run to her, and we collide in a hard hug. When she pulls away, I notice that her eyes, like mine, are red and swollen from crying. My dad seems a little more put together, but I know on the inside, his emotions are wrecked.