𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑻 𝑾𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑺 | 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧

Chapter Thirty-Five

Evelyn Banks

The consistent beeping of the heart monitor is the only sound in the room as I rest my head against my folded arms. I watch my dad who lays still on the hospital bed, his face adorned with cuts and fresh bruises that make my stomach turn. I move to grasp one of his hands in mine, wincing at how cold he feels when our skin touches.

The last few days have been a blur, after the phone call Rafe rushed me to the hospital. The car ride was silent, I could feel him glance at me and his free hand lingered closer to mine but he didn't say a word. The rest of that night feels like a fever dream, the most I remember is him handing me a cup of water and rubbing my back as the doctor informed me about my dad.

"How's he holding up?" The sound of John B's voice causes me to lift my head, my hand still holding his as I look at the door.

"They said he's still in critical condition. The car accident really did a number on him" I exhale a breath of air, trying to fight the tears that line my vision.

"He's one of the toughest guys I know. He'll pull through" He reassures me and I give him a small smile, grateful for his optimism.

"Yeah, I hope so" I hum, pulling away to let John B get closer to the bed. I watch over them as he places his hand on top of my dad's while he talks to him.

It's not long before the others pile in, JJ and Kie who both hug me before talking to my dad. Pope and his parents who bring flowers and food from their restaurant for me, I'm grateful for the gesture but I don't have the appetite. Sarah almost suffocates me by tackling me in a hug and convinces me to have a break and go for a walk with her. They all say the same thing to me as they leave. He'll be fine. Your dad is strong, he'll recover.

I smile and nod, grateful for all of their reassurance but the dread still doesn't dull. It's a few more hours of visitors coming in and out of the room, including Barry who is the first person not to spin me the same lines I've been hearing over the last few days. Instead he talks to me about other things to temporarily take my mind off of my dad.

When it's finally just the two of us left in the room it's almost nine p.m. I distract myself by reading through his get well cards and briefly checking my phone. I grow tired after a while and choose to just sit beside him and hold his hand. I shift in discomfort as a memory seeps back to the front of my mind, my hand tensing as I relive it.

"You have to say goodbye now" My dad murmurs to me, his hand resting on my shoulder as he urges me closer to the hospital bed.

He has tears in his eyes, the colour around his irises red, but he doesn't lose his composure. I'm already a sobbing mess by the time I have to stand beside her, watching as she takes her last breaths.

She's barely awake, her eye lids half closed as she struggles to sit up straight. A weak cough leaves her lips, causing me to stumble forward hastily to grip her hand. Hoping it'll keep her from leaving me, I hold her cold hand in mine and plead her to stay.

Moments later I feel her hand grow limp in mine and the feeling of my dad's arm coiling around me, my tears warming my face as I stare down at my mother who was no longer alive.

"Evie" The feeling of someone gently nudging my shoulder causes me to stir awake. I let out a low sigh, blinking a few times to adjust to my surroundings.

Rafe stands beside me, his hand loosely resting on my shoulder as I finally sit up, the ache in my neck causing me to let out a groan.

"Did you just get here?" I question him, fully sitting up now. He retrieves his hand away from my shoulder and stands back to give me some space.

"Yeah" He trails off, watching me as I stand and check over my dad. Readjusting his blanket and making sure he's comfortable before I pull away.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier. I wanted to miss the rush with the other visitors"

"And I didn't know if you wanted me here" He continues, revealing the truth behind why he's visiting so late.

"My dad let you sleep on his favourite couch for a few days, I'm sure he'd want you here" I say, earning me a chuckle from him.

"He's a good man" Rafe states in a serious tone and I hum in response.

"How did he get into the accident?" He questions after a few moments of silence. I sigh heavily, picking at a loose thread on my sweater as I reply.

"He was high on cocaine and driving back from Barry's when he swerved off the road"

"Barry found him. It's a good thing he didn't make it far from his house before it happened" I sniffle, wiping away the tears that involuntarily stain the skin on my cheeks.

Rafe is quiet, the silence after my words heavy as we both stand beside each other, looking over my dad to avoid looking at each other. When he finally speaks I expect him to give me the same speech about how he's going to pull through and everything will be fine, but he doesn't.

"I don't know if your dad is going to be okay or if he'll make it through this but I'm going to be right next to you regardless of what happens" Rafe grasps ahold of my hand, the feeling of his warmth against my skin causing me to look up at him.

"I know you hate me right now but I'm not letting you deal with this alone" He continues, his words causing the tears to double. Soon enough I'm using my free arm to hastily rub away at my tears.

Rafe tuts as he pulls me into his embrace, his hand stroking circles on my back as he lets me sob into his chest.

"I can't lose him. I can't lose him too. I can't..." I hiccup, trying to calm my ragged breathing by inhaling the smell of his cologne and focusing on his warmth.

"I know baby. I know" He hums, his free hand brushing my hair back into place as he holds me close to him.

I pull away from him when my crying finally subsides, my head feeling lighter when I straighten up and face him. He takes in my appearance, his hand moving to brush away the stray tears on my cheek. I grasp ahold of his hand, pulling it away but still gripping it in mine as I talk.

"Rafe, I want you to get help"

"I need you to stop doing drugs, I don't want you to end up like my dad. I can't lose you— I won't" I shake my head, the image of him laying unresponsive in a hospital bed causing a shiver to run down my spine.

"Okay. I'll get help, I promise" He nods, and for the first time I feel as though he's being genuine. That the reality of its outcomes has finally moved him.

"I want to trust you again" I sigh heavily, my thumb stroking over his gold ring that's back on his finger.

"Then we'll talk about this, about us. About everything that's happened between us. I'll tell you the truth, I owe it to you" Rafe says eagerly, eyes full of hope as he examines my face.

"Tomorrow. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Just sit with me for now" I sigh, giving his hand a light squeeze before I lead him over to the seats beside the hospital bed.

Rafe stays with me for the rest of the night, keeping me busy by talking about everything under the sun. Rose and her trip to Europe, his friends recent antics and shows he's been watching. By the time we both lull ourselves to sleep we barely notice how we've leant into each other, my head resting on his shoulder while his hand rests on mine.