Always & Forever (D. Swing)

Chapter 32.

Devyn

"Your mom is in the hospital?" I repeat her statement as a question, shaking my head in pure disbelief. My mouth falls agape at her confession, my hands gripping onto the handles of chairs like they could magically protect me from the news I'm being told at the moment. "W-What do you mean she's in the hospital, Leila?" I stutter over my words tremendously, feeling my heart drop all over again like it did when my aunt Grace died from the car crash in Ninety Seventy-five. A wave of sadness rushes over me as my teeth crush onto my bottom lip harshly.

"She- I don't know. I don't know." She rambles anxiously, running her fingers through her matted hair. "I was at your house in the kitchen with your mom. Stephen was sleep and your mom was making me some Chicken Alfredo because I asked her to. We were talking and stuff.. Blah blah blah, and then she just fell.... out on the floor, Devyn." A glossy covering in her eyes prevents her from looking at me directly as her lips descend. "I swear I didn't do anything!" She holds her hands up, backing up away from me. I shake my head as she frantically cries, bringing myself closer to her but she continues to back away. "She just fell out while talking to me! I was scared out of my mind. I thought she was kidding around so I let her stay there for about five minutes until I checked her pulse and barely felt anything. I didn't know what to do, you know I don't know how to handle anything serious without you helping me! I called the police and they called the ambulance, then somebody came and got her." She explains quickly to me.

"I swear I didn't do anything. I know it's my fault but I swear Devyn. On my life." Tears race down her cheeks. "You know how much I love your mom. I'd never do anything to hurt her. I wouldn't." She sniffles through her words, swallowing deeply with guilt written all over her face shaking her head.

"Look Leila, calm down." She starts crying uncontrollably once her shoulders fall under my hold. My eyes bounce around the dark theater nervously with curious eyes from all around interested in what we were talking about. Not knowing how to react at the moment, I try my best to keep her calm. "I know you'd never do anything to harm her. You were just in a situation at the wrong time. You didn't do anything wrong." I sigh, clenching my jaw. "So I'm gonna need you to just calm down, stop crying please and tell me what hospital she's at." My nostrils begin flaring, patiently waiting for her to answer.

"She's at Sentara. That's where they told me she was going." She swallows, wiping the wetness off her eyes. She then wipes her snotty nose on her jacket. I would be highly disgusted right now, but it's not important. What's important is going the hospital.

"Sentara.. Sentara." I think, trying to picture where that is. I look up moving my fingers, retracing it in my head. My eyes widen and I snap my fingers. "Okay, I know where that is." I rush out of the theater, hearing her footsteps behind me. My breathing quickens the faster I walk. I make it towards the front, pushing the doors with extreme force and I feel the cold January air shoot up my system.

"Devyn." My footsteps come to an end after Kobe's voice calls for me. I curse to myself, getting so caught up in the news that he got pushed to the back of my mind in a matter of seconds. I turn around facing him, standing impatiently for him to say something. He doesn't, so I take it upon myself to speak. "Look Kobe, I'm sorry about leaving you in the middle of the theater by yourself with no explanation.." I continue to walk, yelling back at him. I had to make it there soon. I can't let anything get in my way, not even him. "After what I just said and all about not leaving and hurting.. I just.." I stop in the midde of the street, pulling my hair from the paranoia I'm experiencing at the moment, squinting at him from afar. "An emergency happened and I just really gotta go." My voice cracks after I manage to get the few words out. "I'm sorry." I bite my bottom lip before running off. "I'll talk to you later!"