Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2)(51)

Mercedes Benz of the Gulf Coast





Chapter Twenty





Marcus



I couldn’t find Willow anywhere. She wasn’t answering her phone or responding to my texts. Her class was over hours ago. I searched through her things looking for her sister’s phone number. Nothing.

My phone dinged and I scrambled to grab it. A text from Amanda. Not what I’d been hoping for.

“Mom needs you. Hurry please.”

Shit.

I needed to find Willow. I didn’t have time for family drama. Dad no doubt had done something new and sent mom into a spiraling mess.

“Where are you Low,” I growled in frustration staring down at my phone trying to decide who to call. Who would know where she was?

“I’m here,” her voice was so soft I almost didn’t hear her over the chaos in my head. I spun around and found her standing in our bedroom doorway. She looked devastated.

“What’s wrong?” I asked rushing to her and pulling her into my arms. Red swollen eyes and a tear streaked face were just the beginning of what was wrong with her. Her arms didn’t embrace me in return. Instead she stood limp.

“Low, you’re scaring me,” I said into her hair needing some kind of reaction from her.

She didn’t respond.

My phone went off again and I ignored it. Tightening my hold on her I waited hoping she’d say something. Anything.

My phone started ringing. Frustrated I grabbed it and started to decline it when I saw it was Amanda. Something had to really be wrong.

“What Manda, I’m busy at the moment.”

“She’s taken something Marcus! Help me!” Her screams came through the phone so loud Willow jerked in my arms. She’d heard her.

“Who? Mom took something?” My heart was pounding in my chest. Oh God no.

“YES! She won’t wake up. I called 911 but I can’t find a pulse! Help me!” she wailed.

“I’m coming. Keep her alive Manda. You hear me! Keep her breathing. Do mouth to mouth. Something!”

Willow had stood back from my embrace and her face was chalk white. I needed to deal with what was bothering her but my mother’s life hung in the balance right now and I couldn’t.

“Low, I gotta go.”

She nodded, “Hurry,” she said frantically. I could see the horror in her eyes. She’d heard every word Amanda had said. She understood. I wasn’t leaving her. She knew that. I bolted for the door. Please God don’t let my Mama die.





Five hours later, my mother’s stomach had been pumped and she was being given fluids through an IV. My sister hadn’t been able to find a pulse because in her panic she wasn’t looking in the right place. But she had been right about one thing. Mom had taken a bottle of pain pills. The divorce papers had been signed by my dad and had been clutched against her chest when I’d got there.

Mom’s eyes flickered open and she focused on me. I moved from my stance against the wall where I’d stood for over an hour watching her, willing her to open her eyes. “Marcus,” she whispered. I grabbed her hand and nodded. Suddenly I wasn’t a twenty-one year old man. I was a little boy. Scared and in need of his mama to hold him and tell him everything was going to be okay. Seeing them lift her lifeless body onto the gurney and take her from the house was a nightmare I never wanted to relive.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Shh Mama. Don’t talk. It’s okay just promise you’ll never do that to me again. I can’t handle that Mama. I can’t.” I squeezed her hand and she let out a small sob. I didn’t want her to cry. Not now. She needed to recover.

“He left me. Took her with him. Moved to Mobile,” she said in a hoarse whisper.

I reached and got the glass of water and straw the nurse had left a few minutes ago. She’d said Mom would need it when she woke up.

“Here Mama take a small sip. I don’t want to talk about him. He’s gone. We’re all still here and we aren’t going anywhere.”

She obediently took a small sip of water and laid her head back against the pillow.

“I love you,” she said staring up at me with sad eyes.

“I love you too. Manda and I need you Mama. You can’t try to leave us again. We need you.” I spoke gently but forcefully. I needed her to understand that just because our father had cast her off we never would. She was important to us.

“I need you too.”

I nodded, “Good. Now take another drink.”

“You’re awake.”

I glanced back as Amanda ran toward the bed and hovered over our broken mother. “Oh Mama, you’re okay. You’re awake,” she gushed.

Mom reached for Amanda’s hand with her other hand and grasp hers.

“I’m sorry. I won’t do this ever again. I had a weak moment.” She explained slowly looking up at my sister. Amanda sniffed back tears before crawling up on the bed and curling up beside mom.

“My baby girl,” Mom cooed and kissed Amanda’s forehead.

They were here and they were safe. It was going to be okay. I could do this. I could hold this family together. I’d do whatever I had to do. Low would help me. Mom loved her. We’d make it through this.