There's Something About Him (Complete)

Chapter Fifty Two - Rise And Fall

Heath's POV

By the time Alira's parents arrived, I had almost worn a hole in the floor as I paced the length of the hospital's waiting room. I wasn't sure how long I'd been left standing there but I knew that if someone didn't come out soon to tell me how she was going, I would begin roaring at the nurses who occasionally came by to flutter their eyelashes at me.

I'd forgotten for a moment that my face was easily recognisable if you'd ever followed the UFC or seen the high budget film I'd participated in. It was fucking annoying to say the least. I had come in with a girl who was in serious danger, a girl who was mine.

I heard the sound of a woman running in heels before the swinging doors flew open and Mr and Mrs Heath came charging through, their faces lined in worry and anger.

"Heath!" Her father almost bellowed, his panic in every suddenly pronounced line on his face. "What is going on? We got a phone call from both the principal and hospital saying that Alira had been admitted for a drug overdose."

Mrs Heath couldn't hide the fact that she had been crying as she gave me a tight hug, the both of them not bothering to ask why I was wearing nothing but a pair of running pants.

I tug viciously on my hair and swallowed down the lump in my throat, "I don't know anything more than you. I called Alira and when she answered I knew that something was wrong, that she was scared. I couldn't get through to River so I drove to the school..." I had to pause and clear my throat, "The ambulance was already there and working on her."

"You got in the ambulance with her?" Mr Heath asked. "What did the paramedics say?"

I could only shake my head, "Nothing. It seemed bad though. She was convulsing and her heart rate dropped. God," I yelled, turning away from them to punch at the nearest wall. "I never should have let her go."

"Where is River?" Her mother asked gently, her hand encircling my wrist as a way to stop another useless outburst.

I could feel my face turn red as rage boiled through me. No matter their reasoning, they had both purposely planned a way to deceive me when I had made sure to tell my brother that I wouldn't stand against him meeting up with Camilla. But he'd known that I would have demanded to go along and that, apparently, hadn't been good enough. I could imagine what he wanted to do with her in private and it only made me want to tear him apart even more.

His best friend had been dying while he'd been out getting laid. With a girl who'd torn his life apart, nearly torn our family apart.

"I don't know," I gritted out. "No one knows where he is."

I could tell from the way that his eyes flashed that Alira's father had some clue as to what might have happened and his emotions were as tempestuous as my own. A sign of bad things to come for my brother.

"I should have never called Lee and Thorn off her protection detail," He bit out, his arm wrapped around the trembling body of his wife.

"You were having her followed?" I asked in surprise although I knew that I shouldn't be. "I never even noticed them."

"Then they were doing their jobs properly," He replied, his eyes restless. "I only pulled them off her was because River said that neither of them would be leaving the hall and he would be glued to her side all night. I'm going to have something to say to your brother when he shows up." The last was a growl.

I showed him my teeth as I grimaced, "That will only be if there's anything left of him when I finally catch up."

About to suggest going to find someone able to tell us something, we were interrupted by the doors swinging open again, this time to reveal the worried faces of my own parents.

"Baby!" My mother cried, tearing away from Dad to hug me.

As soon as I had been pulled away from Alira's side I had made the call to them, admitting to them what River had done. Unbeknownst to him, he was going to be facing hell on earth when he finally pulled himself away from that bitch's clutches.

"Thanks for coming, Mum," I murmured. I would never be too old or too chicken shit to admit that I needed my mum to hold my hand sometimes.

Looking up, I watched as my father introduced himself to the Heath's, their faces all drawn.

"How is she?" Mum asked in a whisper, tears filling her eyes.

"I don't know," I answered, my chest filling with dread once more as I ran through everything that could go wrong. She was so little.

She pulled away, patting my bare chest before turning to Alira's parents. "I'm Keira. I don't even know..."

Mrs Heath smiled even though her lips wobbled, "I don't think there are words for this kind of thing. Please call me Alexis and this is my husband, Timothy."

Mr Heath stepped forward to clasp Mum's hand between both of his own, "I'm sorry that we couldn't have met under better circumstances. We've both been looking forward to introducing ourselves." He sighed, "River and Heath have done wonders for our daughter's happiness."

Dad wrapped an arm around my shoulders, his strength something for me to lean on just like when I'd been a little boy, "Just as Alira has been a joy to have around. If there's anything that we can do..."

A quick knock on the door silenced the door as a weary doctor trudged through, his expression severe as he took us all in. "Mr and Mrs Heath?"

"Yes?" Alexis replied, her hands visibly shaking as they grabbed onto her husband. "How is she?"

The man smiled grimly, "Alive. We nearly lost her whilst trying to combat the GHB in her system but she's a fighter."

"Oh God," My own mother sobbed with relief as my knees finally gave out.

I sank to the floor and bowed my head, ashamed as I lost the fight over my fear. She was alive!

"Son," Dad chuffed, his hand curving protectively over my shoulder.

"It will be a little while before she can start to receive visitors but I just got a call from security. I'm afraid that someone has caught wind of what happened and the front of the hospital is filling up with reporters. Apparently, Miss Heath's attack at the school was leaked. What would you like for us to do, Mr Heath?"

"I'll handle it," He replied blackly, as my chest completely caved in. This was the one thing that she had never wanted and now the whole world would know who she was and how much my brother and I had failed to protect her.