Guarded

||twenty-five||

The next afternoon, I walk into my mother's hospital room.

"Hey, mum. You're gonna be out of here real soon, okay?"

"Cass, I-"

"What is it? What's wrong, mum? Talk to me!"

She doesn't get to finish her sentence. Her eyes get wide, but stay perfectly and a flat line sounds loudly throughout the room.

Within seconds, many doctors and nurses are rushing in, and telling me to get out. But I don't leave. I can't leave. I can't lose her.

-

Hours have passed and I sit in the waiting room, sobbing into Niall's chest. Something other than the death of my mum seems to be bothering him, but I don't ask what.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Billoway, we did everything we could," the doctor says. "Your mother is...gone."

"Bullshit, you did everything you could! If you did everything you could, my mother would be alive!" I yell. I can feel everybody else's eyes on me, but I don't care.

I storm out of the hospital and Niall drives me back to my own house.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Niall asks as I get out of the car.

"No, I just want to be alone." I rush to the front door.

"Hey, I love you, Cassie," he calls, but I don't say anything back.

I sit on my living room couch and sob harder than I ever have before.

She's gone. For good.

I can't take this. Everything was supposed to be okay. My life was supposed to be okay. And it turned to crap.

-

"Yeah, sorry, Alexis," I say into the phone. "I got John to cover my shift today. I just don't feel a hundred percent and it wouldn't be a good idea for me to come in today." I end the call and set down my phone beside me on the sofa, letting out a breath I was apparently holding in.

It's been a week since mum died. I attended her small funeral, as did Niall and Alexis Walters. But no one else showed up.

Graduation was this morning, but I didn't go. I didn't feel up to it. I'll get my diplomas later.

I've barely talked to Niall at all since the funeral. I've kept to myself lately.

I occupied myself by cleaning out all the memories of my mother from her room and packing them in boxes. I'm moving to an apartment on the outskirts of the city, so I can be closer to work.

Niall shows up at my front door. "Cassie, we need to talk."

~

RIP

also I'm really sorry that these chapters are getting so short but they'll be longer again soon

comment, vote, & take a mint on your way out :-)

-Anna xo