Chapter 116
She gave me a small, grateful smile, but the worry in her eyes lingered. “I hope so, Raina. I really do. He’s been through so much lately.” “We all have,” I said gently, squeezing her shoulder. “But we’re going to get through this. Together.”
+25 Bonus
She nodded again, thou
I leaned in and gave her
a
shoulders didn’t fully relax. “Thank you, dear. I just needed to say it out loud.”
quick hug, hoping it would offer some comfort. “Try to rest, Grandma. Grandpa will need you to stay strong for him.”
She patted my arm before stepping back. “You’re right. I’ll go sit with him for a while.”
I watched her retreat down the hallway, her steps slow and deliberate, before heading back upstairs. Even as I tried to convince myself that it was just a fever, unease settled in my stomach. Something felt…off. But I pushed the thought aside, telling myself that my grandfather would recover, just like he always did.
He had to.
As I stepped into my room, the first thing I wanted to do was freshen up and shake off the tension that had been clinging to me since the lake. I grabbed my robe, letting out a shaky breath. The events of the day replayed in my head, and I told myself that tomorrow had to be better. It had to be.
The piercing scream that
the quiet was enough to freeze my blood.
“Honey!” I heard my grandmother wail from down the hall.
and
Heart pounding, I threw on my robe and bolted out of my room, my feet skidding on the hardwood floor as I reached my grandparents‘ room.
The scene before me stopped me cold. My grandmother was on the floor, her frail hands trembling as she cradled my grandfather’s head. His face was pale, his lips tinged blue, and dark red blood stained the sheets beneath him.
“Grandpa!” I shouted, rushing to their side. “What happened?”
“He–he started coughing–blood,” Grandma stammered, her voice breaking. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at me helplessly. “He passed out!”
Panic clawed at my chest, but before I could even think about what to do, Dominic burst into the room, phone pressed tightly to his ear. His expression was sharp, his voice a bark of urgency.
“We’re bringing him in now,” he snapped into the phone. “Get everything ready!”
Hanging up, Dominic didn’t waste a second. He scooped Grandpa into his arms as if he weighed nothing, his jaw clenched tight. “Raina, help Grandma to the car!” he barked, his tone leaving no room for hesitation.
I snapped out of my frozen state and rushed to my grandmother’s side. “Come on, Grandma,” I urged, wrapping an arm around her to steady her trembling frame.
“I…I don’t understand,” she whispered, her voice shaking as much as her body. “He was fine this morning. He was fine…”
“I know, Grandma,” I said softly, though my own heart was
wildly. “We’ll figure it out. Dominic’s taking care of him.”
We hurried down the stairs, Dominic already ahead of us with Grandpa in his arms. As we reached the door, I spotted Faith standing by the living room with Ava on her hip, her eyes wide with concern.
“Faith, stay here with Ava,” I instructed quickly. “Keep her safe for me.”
Faith node she looked as rattled as I felt. “Go. I’ve got her.”
With that reasonce, I helped Grandma into th
swift as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
“Buckle
up,
”
back seat
d, his tone clipped as he started the car.
Dominic’s car. Dominic had already secured Grandpa inside, and his movements were
I climbed into the passenger seat, my hands trembling as I fumbled with the seatbelt. The drive to the hospital was a blur of anxiety, my eyes darting to Grandpa’s still form the back seat.
“Stay with us, Grandpa,” I whispered under my breath, my nails digging into my palms as Dominic sped through the streets.
