Her Heart

Chapter 37

Carter's POV

I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. It's about 2am but I can't sleep. Riley and I basically spent the whole day in our room. I didn't have the energy to do anything else. Her arms are wrapped around my waist keeping me close to her.

I can't sleep when my mind is storming with so many things. What could possibly be going on with Jayden that he's acting like this.

I know who would know the answer to that. I slowly get out of bed getting free of Riley's hold.

I tiptoe out of the room and walk down the hallway to Olivia and Sofia's room.

Please don't be naked please don't be naked.

I open the door slowly and peek inside, relieved to find them both asleep under the covers. Olivia's back is turned towards me, and Sofia is curled up next to her, her hand resting protectively on Olivia's stomach.

I take a deep breath, trying not to wake them, but I know this conversation can't wait. Quietly, I approach the bed and gently tap Olivia's shoulder.

"Liv," I whisper, hoping she won't be too annoyed by the late-night intrusion.

She stirs, her eyes fluttering open, blinking a few times before focusing on me. "Carter?" she mumbles, her voice groggy with sleep. "What's wrong?"

"Can we talk? It's important," I say softly, glancing over at Sofia to make sure she's still asleep.

Olivia looks at me for a moment, then nods, carefully slipping out of bed without waking Sofia. She looks back at Sofia and kisses her cheek fixing the covers on her again.

Then she reaches for a hoodie that's on the ground and puts it on. Olivia motions for me to follow her out of the room, and we quietly step into the hallway, closing the door behind us. She wraps her arms around herself, a mix of concern and curiosity on her face.

"Carter, what's going on?" she asks, her voice still soft but more alert now.

We both sit on the ground in front of their door in the hallway.

I take a deep breath, trying to figure out where to start. "You heard about what happened with Jayden right? How he tried to umm"

"Yeah, I heard," Olivia cuts me off, her eyes softening with concern. "Aunt Kai told Sofia and she told me after."

I nod, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "That's why I'm here. I couldn't sleep. I keep thinking about what Aunt Hazel said—about the meds, and Jackson. If Jayden's on something and it's not being managed right... I need to know what's going on."

Olivia's facial expressions change to a knowing look.

"Oh." Is all she says.

"What is it? Tell me." She looks like she's fighting with herself whether to tell me or not.

"A while back like a year ago Jayden was getting angry a lot which isn't common for him. He's always been more of a playful guy than a serious one. So Aunt Hazel and Kai took him to a psychologist."

I can't help but frown, "What did they say?"

"He has bipolar but it's different than normal. His manic episodes are extreme he gets really aggressive and can't control himself. They gave him medication and he was better up until recently."

Olivia's words hang in the air, heavy with the gravity of the situation. I try to process this new information, my mind racing with questions and concerns.

"So, he's been off his meds recently?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

She sighs, rubbing her eyes as if trying to chase away the lingering fog of sleep. "Jackson was supposed to keep an eye on him, make sure he was taking his meds and all that."