When The Page Turns| ✍︎︎

Chapter eighteen: Don't Leave Me.

"So, you wanna talk about it?" Lana asked.

"Currently, I don't want to talk about anything." I reply.

"Can you at least not be mad at me while you're driving?" She asks and placed a protective hand on her stomach.

"I'm not mad at you," I sigh and turn left towards her school.

I'm driving Lana to school because August has practice this morning and Lana doesn't have a license.

"You're not?" She asked as I pulled up in front of her school.

"No, I'm just, I don't like being pushed into things." I turn to her.

"I'm sorry, but you did need the push, you have been walking on eggshells around each other for months, it's clear that both of you want each other, you needed the push." She smiled.

"I know," I smile back at her, "cute dress."

Lana looks down at the sundress that she took from my closet a while ago, if you look close enough you can see the bump, but nothing can really hide it now, she is five months pregnant.

"Thanks, it's yours." She smiles goofily.

Movement over Lana's shoulder catches my eye, it's August and he's jogging towards us.

It's like he's in slow motion as my heartbeat quickens. He's wearing his football gear, my breathing stops for a few moments as I take him in.

Good god, I wish I had a photographic memory.

"You're drooling," Lana laughs.

I wipe my mouth and feel literal drool on my palm.

"See, I done you a favor." She kisses my cheek and gets out of the car.

August reaches the car at the same time and takes Lana's bag from her.

Then, he rounds the car to my side and opens the door, takes off my seat belt and pulls me out of the car.

"I missed you," he murmured as he pulls me into a bear hug.

His bear hugs consist of picking me off the ground and smushing me to him. I love them.

"You seen me like two hours ago." I smiled into his neck.

"I still missed you." He whispered.

He kissed my cheek and put me down on the ground.

"That was the cutest thing I've ever seen." Lana squeals.

"Thank you," Atlas pulls me into him again, "you have school today?" He asked me.

"No," I have an off day today, my school does that sometimes, the seniors get one day a week of their choice to have an off day. Plus I graduate in like a month.

"Okay, I'll come over after work." He smiles and kisses my forehead.

"See you later, Jade." He whispered to only me.

***

"Pops, I'm home." I call.

Silence.

That's weird, pops doesn't open the bookstore today until ten so he should be here, I check my watch, eight fifteen.

I make my way to the kitchen to see if pops is in his reading nook.

The light is not on. Pops can't read with the light off so that's a no.

"Pops?" I call again as I go to his room, he usually wakes up early and he hates to stay in bed.

"Pops?" I knock on his door, no answer.

I open his door.

No.

No.

No.

"Pops?" I run to his bed, he's still laying in it.

Eyes closed.

I check if he's breathing.

No.

My hands shake as I reach for my phone to call 911.

They said they're gonna be there as soon as possible.

"Pops?" I whisper as tears slide down my cheeks and nose.

"Pops, please wake up." I sob.

"I need you, pops, you're the only one I have left." I put my head on his shoulder.

"I need you pops." I repeat as my tears soak his sleeping shirt.

"Pops?" I whisper, "I love you so so much, you are the best grandfather in the world. Please don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."

***
Hey, hi, hello.

How are you?

Don't hate me.

I hate that this is a cliffhanger and I have to keep you guys waiting but sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I'm trying to update as much as I can, I promise, it's just that I'm moving right now and doing adult stuff ( no one told me that life after finishing high school is so hard, and I haven't even done anything major yet fml) so it's kinda hard to write right now.

I think this is the most I've shared on here so I'll go now before I embarrass myself.

K byeeee

I love you so much!! (My dm's are always open btw so you can always talk to me if you need to!!)