I twisted myself in the stiff, plastic chair and curled myself against Nathan's chest. He frowned, wrapping his arm around me and rubbing my back gently. Placing a soft kiss to my head, he sighed. “I'm sorry, Taylor.”
I shook my head gently. “Please, don't say you're sorry. I'm tired of hearing people say it.”
He pulled away and tilted my head up so he could see me clearly. “I'm only saying it because I know you don't deserve to feel like this, okay? I wish that I could make things better.”
I felt tears spring to my eyes and I quickly ducked my head against his neck, closing my eyes tightly. I was so tired of crying, it was all I had seemed to do for the past year. Concentrating on the feeling of his hand on my lower back, I sighed and snuggled closer to him. We sat in silence, the soft footfalls of nurses as they passed through the hospital waiting room and the faint sound of a page in Jay's book being turned being the only sounds around us.
Upon arriving at the rehab center, we were informed that my mom was transferred to the hospital for treatment. It had sent me into a state of panic, but the staff assured me that she was going to be fine.
Luke had sat in an awkward silence in the waiting room for the first few minutes of our arrival before he was beckoned out of the room to submit a statement about how my mom had been acting before they threw code red. He had been gone for a while and I was beginning to think he wasn't coming back. I wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't stick around. It wasn't in his job description.
“Taylor?” Luke's voice drifted quietly through the room and I glanced up to see him standing in the doorway. He forced a small smile and nodded in acknowledgment, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. “You can see her now, if you'd like.”
Nathan and I moved to get up but Luke quickly shook his head. “They only want family.”
I frowned, glancing down at Nathan. “He might as well be family.”
Luke smiled sympathetically, shaking his head. “Sorry, if the two of you aren't at least engaged then he's not allowed through.”
Nathan sighed, grabbing a hold of my hand and bringing it to his lips. He kissed it softly, nodding encouragingly in Luke's direction. “Go, your mum needs you.”
I sighed, sinking back down into the chair and throwing my arms around his shoulders. He chuckled lightly despite the situation and circled his arms around my waist, squeezing me tightly. Pulling away slightly, I pressed a quick kiss to his lips before getting to my feet and offering Jay a small smile. Jay closed his book and smiled encouragingly, mouthing the words, “Good luck.”
I nodded before following Luke from the room. He glanced sideways at me as we made our way down the hallway, but I ignored him. I was in an understandably horrible mood and I didn't feel like playing nice with people I barely knew. As we were approaching my mother's door, Luke placed a hand on my arm and stopped me from going any further. Sighing in exasperation, I turned to stare at him expectantly. All I wanted was to make sure that my mom was okay.
He cleared his throat, releasing his grip on my arm. He glanced toward the door before returning his attention to me. “I should warn you, it's not one of the prettiest sights to see. Your mom really did a number on herself.”
My heart fell in my chest and I nodded stiffly, standing still as he stepped to the side and pulled the door open. I stared at the spot he had previously occupied, willing myself to move. I let my eyes slip closed and I breathed in a deep breath. Feeling my phone vibrating in my pocket, I furrowed my eyebrows and pulled it out, reading a text from Nathan, “You can do this. Just breathe.”
