We are Forever (Book 6 in Nemi Forever Series)

Chapter 3

Nick

I woke up when I heard Demi's phone ring, but I didn't open my eyes until I heard the panic in her voice when she asked, "What is it?" & then again when I heard her gasp, quietly. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My heart was pounding in my chest as I waited to hear who was in trouble. It was obvious that it was someone we cared about by her reaction.

"Is there anything I can do?" Demi asked whoever was on the other end of the line. Her hand was over her mouth & she nodded a few times as well as said, "Mmm hmm" several times. "Yes. Please keep me posted. I will come to the hospital just as soon as I can. Thanks for calling me." Demi ended the call & stared at her phone.

"What happened?" I asked after a few quiet moments, that seemed to go on forever.

Demi's eyes were filled with tears as she turned her head to look at me. "Wilmer, Olivia & Gianna were in a really bad accident on their way home from the party."

"Oh my God. Are they okay?"

She shook her head & my heart sank as I feared the worst. I cared about them all. Gianna was just a child, a baby, really, with so much life ahead of her. Wilmer was a great guy & so special to Demi & her family. And he was such a good friend to Joe. I felt a lump in my throat as I thought about Olivia. I loved her once. I still do, just in a different way. She's my friend & just twelve hours earlier she was telling me how she regretted breaking up with me & I basically told her to get help. I was now, regretting, that I had said that to her. I certainly didn't want the last meaningful conversation I had with her to be me telling her to stop loving me & get professional help.

Demi's voice snapped me back to reality. "Wilmer's aunt doesn't know yet. She hasn't got to the hospital yet. She'll call me when she knows something more." She let a sob come from her mouth as her face fell into her hands. "I feel horrible. I was thinking about not hanging out with them as much anymore because she makes you uncomfortable & now they could be permanently out of our lives." Demi started sobbing & I put my arms around her.

"You didn't do anything. Don't feel bad. It's just bad timing, Love." I smoothed her hair as I held her against my chest. "Sshhh. I'm sure they're all fine. They're all fighters."

Demi kept crying as she laid on my chest. "It just scares me when something like this happens. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

"Ssshh, baby. Don't think about something that might not happen." I soothed. Eventually, I laid down on the bed & she laid with me. She fell asleep on me at some point & I fell asleep, shortly after.

My phone ringing in the morning woke both me & Demi. I answered it, in a groggy slumber. "Nick?" I heard a familiar voice, but I wasn't awake enough to put a name to it. "It's Aurora." Now, I knew. Olivia's sister.

"Aurora. Hi. How is Olivia?" I asked, sitting up.

"She's in a coma." I heard her voice crack from worrying. "I guess you heard, then?"

"Yea. Wilmer's aunt called Demi in the middle of the night. Do you know how they all are?" I put Aurora on speakerphone once Demi sat up next to me. Her head leaned on my shoulder & I kissed her head.

Aurora sighed. "Wilmer's out of surgery. They had to stop some internal bleeding. I think one of his legs is broken & he has a broken nose & several broken ribs. He's alive but he's out of commission for a few weeks til he heals. Olivia has some brain damage so she could have memory loss... if she wakes up." Aurora's voice was trembling.

"What do you mean if? There's a chance she might not wake up?"

"The doctor's don't know the extent of her brain damage just yet. They are monitoring brain activity & she's not brain dead, but they have no way of knowing if or when she will wake up."