Garlic Is For Vampires (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 22: A Beating Heart

I began to cry uncontrollably and then Brendon's arms were there to comfort me. After my discharge from the hospital-yet again-I simply fell asleep and didn't want to be bothered with for the next few hours. That was a couple of hours ago and now waking up in the early morning, I wasn't sure what to do now.

Paramedics found me and Brendon, who was actually still alive. Then they rushed us to the hospital and stitched Brendon's ribs back together since a few were broken, but he was healing. And I tossed and turned worriedly, thinking he was dead until I suddenly woke up and discovered he was indeed alive. Police hadn't found Dylan's body, but I knew he was dead. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I was free. But there was still one more thing I had to do. Find out who my biological father was.

"Bree-lee, I already told you I was fine," Brendon muttered. I didn't listen to him as I sniffled and soaked his T-shirt in tears. He was supposed to be resting at home but because of the big baby me, I didn't want him to leave. I needed time to understand that he was actually alive and not dead like I thought he was. He wasn't even breathing when I held him in my arms! How was that not going to traumatize me? He probably saw lots of death because of his job, but I was just barely getting used to it.

Police still weren't sure what to call Tuesday night's attack. A terrorist attack, a mafia? They were still piecing together pieces of the story. And what about that part where Dylan threw Brendon's car into the air and ripped off a man's head? They said he was on drugs, but they were asking me if I knew anything about it, and I told them hundreds of times I didn't.

Now I was simply resting, or at least trying to, with Brendon sitting on my bed, letting me sob to my heart's content. I was tired of crying but after what happened, I was going past the final straw. I was sick and tired of this. But Dylan was dead now. And all I had to deal with was finding my biological father, the clue to my puzzle.

That meant I had to work harder.

"Any luck calling your parents?" Brendon asked me once I wasted another box of Kleenex in snot and tears. I shook my head. I hadn't even called my parents yet, and just the idea of them finding out what I'd been involved in the past couple of weeks would give them another reason to stay away until I was in my twenties. The media was burning hot with this new story and everyone was sinking their teeth into it, and that was making me nauseous. There was a lot of teeth-sinking-into-things lately.

"I haven't called them yet," I said. "They haven't called me either. So I guess I can say now would be an interesting time to do so." I sat up and reached for my phone on the nightstand. Brendon looked out the window with a thoughtful look on his face. Whatever he was thinking about, hopefully it didn't involve fangs.

Once I convinced myself I had to get my day started early. So I decided to take a bath.

"Brendon, help me to the bathroom?"

He hoisted me up and was careful with my knee as he carried me to the bathroom. I grabbed my towel off the back of my closet door and wrapped one arm around his neck. He sat me down on the toilet and then stepped back. I looked up at him.

"The tub would've done. Now it just makes it more difficult to turn the water on." I leaned over and tried reaching the knob but Brendon beat me to it. He started fixing the knobs and apologizing. While he was faced the other way, putting bubbles in the tub like I was four again, I took off my clothes and wrapped my towel tightly around myself before proceeding to getting the brace off my leg. No such luck. I reached down and tugged. Then it came free and my leg started shaking uncontrollably. I sighed.