The Maia and Ross Diaries 2

C69 - Dark Grey, All Alone

"We can't just give up on each other, not after all this time... We have to stand together. We have to fight, because it's just us now. There were five of us and now it's just you and I and it can't be just me. It can't be. I will go down swinging for you, Ross. You know I will. But that means you can't give up. You can't give up on me even though it feels right. You can't."

I got a startling phone call at house dead. I was sleeping with my legs filling both sides of the bed and it was the most comfortable sleep I had in a while that I ignored that call and kept my eyes shut softly. The phone didn't waste time singing again, halting the peace of the house into a consistent ringing that made me shuffle out of bed.

I cursed and belittled the phone before grabbing it, and answering. I made little effort to open my eyes. "Hello?" I mumbled with so much attitude and grumpiness, Hitler could've arose from his grave. I sat back on the edge of the bed running my free hand through my Dartmouth sweater, assuming this was yet another needy call from Laura. "Is this Maia Lynch?"

"This is she." I whispered less annoyed. "Who is this?"

The voice had paused for a while and every time I heard the man try to speak, instead he had stuttered. "Look if this is Alex, stop-"

"This isn't Alex, this is Officer Valiska, and there's - I'm afraid, there's been an accident... your husband, Ross Lynch, and his band mates, were just shot at his concert, we don't know who shot him but it was from a high location toward the platform-" In an instant, I go numb holding the phone to my ear with my neck, tripping over my house shoes while tossing them off. I rush to grab the nearest coat, and ball it up by accident in panic. "Is he okay!"

"He was just taken away by the ambulance... He was shot in his brain."

Croaking through the phone, I'd been wide awake in a mindless buzz of horror praying that this was a nightmare. But I felt the familiar knot roaming my stomach, and the smells, and the touch of Ross running past my fingers until I lost all my breath in an instant.

The deep voice offered comfort, "Stay calm ma'am, I'm going to stay on the phone with you until-"

I'd already hung up. Throwing the phone at the window where I left my journal, the crack in the window made an impression stinging the silence in the bedroom. I rushed out of my room in my bare feet. My arms started to dangle like a dolls once I came into Peyton's room where the twins slept tonight. Rage and bitterness explored my mind, that I think I will explode. I think I will actually die right here.

"Wake up, wake up. Daddy's been hurt." I try to rub Peyton as lightly as possibly but by the time I've gotten to Shor I am shaking him with force. At this point I take it in. What I've been told and what my situation is, and I am scared. So scared. I make myself think that if I get there fast enough, we can see him and he'll be okay. 

"Mommy, what's wrong with Daddy?" Charlotte yawned. Peyton shot me a anxious look... and that's my guilt right there... that's when I realize what I have done to my family. That's when it sinks in that Ross had been shot at a concert... somewhere he loves to be while doing something he loves to do and I couldn't blame it on Ron this time . . . or his brother or anyone . . . someone shot my husband in cold blood, and now I was rushing down the hallway holding the arms of three.

  Help yourself, Maia I think to myself, get out of this line of fire. He's waiting for me... You know what to do, you just need the courage to do it. Go. Go. Get out of the house and go. Don't be too mean to the kids, act soviet in a crisis.