Stroked

-Chapter 28-

-Chapter 28-

-Oliver-

"She's going to love it ..." I tell myself for the hundredth time. I stuff the box in my coat pocket and feel my hands start to clam up a bit. I try my best not to shrink down in the massive crowd.

It's finally time.

I don't think I've ever really been so nervous and I've had my moments. I'm trying really hard to play it cool. I'm pooling sweat right now in horrible places and my heart is beating so fast. It's finally time to make my move. I've been putting it off long enough.

I feel my cell phone buzzing and vibrating around in my pocket some and I dig it out. I look at the number and it doesn't look familiar at all. I wonder if it's a wrong call but I decide or answer it anyways since it's area code is from around here. It might be a client.

"Hello?"

I wait for an answer and I can hear a lot of loud machinery and yelling in the phone and it surely must be a mistake. I can barely hear anything besides a lot of loud noise coming from the other end.

"Oliver!?" A panicked voice starts yelling in my ear, one that I've come to know well.

Ian.

"What's wrong?" I shout back, cupping my other ear to block out the noise from the streets and busy city life all around me. I lean up against the side of a building to get out the way.

"It's Amy."

I nearly drop the phone.

"What happened? What's wrong with her?" I can barely hear anything on the other end and now I'm panicking way too much.

"She's at...Oakland...Hospital..." The connection is starting to cut out and then the line goes dead and so does my ability to move at all or to even think.

I drop my phone and or skitters down loudly onto the pavement. Someone notices and picks it up. The woman puts it in my hand and she looks concerned.

"Is something wrong sir?" She shakes my shoulder a little and I can hardly breathe right now.

Amy....

Why did I leave you?

Why didn't I stay with you?

I push the lady out of my way and I stuff my phone in my pocket. I know what street that hospital is on because I've been there a few times for sick clients. Painting stuff for those guys is really quite the honor.

As I'm running my feet start to hurt a lot but I don't care. All I feel is sweat rolling down my back and all I can hear is my heart pounding and my stupid thoughts popping up to play with my emotions.

Oh God....

It's too early for her to have a baby yet; way too early. I can't believe I left her alone...

I push past more people and I start running across a street and the cars keep flying past me and stopping abruptly to honk at me and yell at me, but I'm just focused on getting to Amy right now. Nothing else matters.

I can feel tears rolling down my face now and I can taste the salt. I try to wipe them away with the sleeves of my coat and not get hit by a car. I turn on another corner and now people are starting to take notice.

I keep on pushing and one time I trip over someone's leg but I don't even say anything I just keep on running because I can't stop. I won't stop for her ever.