Before You Wake by Cheyanne Young

Author:Cheyanne Young
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quinnova Press

Chapter Seventeen

“Millie.”

I open my eyes in a daze. Someone’s hand is on my shoulder. Blinking against the harsh lights, I look up. I’m slouched forward in my chair, my face pressed against the side of Wesley’s hospital bed, using it as a pillow.

Oh crap.

I jolt up and see Mrs. Reyes, who is watching me with a pitying look. The dark circles under her eyes are still there.

“Oh my God,” I say, rubbing my face which is creased from the folds in Wesley’s blankets. “I’m so sorry. I must have fallen asleep.” I stand up and look around, seeing my phone on the floor, where it must have slipped out of my hand. The LED light is blinking blue, probably from a million missed calls from my mom. “What time is it? What day is it?”

“It’s okay, Millie,” Mrs. Reyes says. “It’s Sunday.”

I’m still standing here in a daze, and she picks up my phone for me. “It’s just after seven. I came as soon as visiting hours started. Have you been here all night?”

I squint, trying to remember the fog of last night. My book is on the floor, the pages bent. I must have fallen asleep while reading to Wesley and the book fell. “Kind of.”

She frowns, then pulls me into a hug that smells like cinnamon and coffee. “Oh, honey. You are the sweetest. I’m so glad Wesley has you.”

I let myself hug her back, and the guilt of what I’m doing rises up and cloaks me with shame. It feels good to hug someone, even if I don’t deserve it. I unlock my phone, which has a low battery warning and no missed calls from my mom. Which is good, but also weird.

“I was reading all night, trying to make him wake up sooner.”

Mrs. Reyes beams, her smile reaching all the way to her eyes. “I can’t wait to talk to my baby again. I’m so glad that screw is out of his head.”

“It is?” I turn around and notice for the first time since I got here last night that the ICP monitor is turned off. I didn’t even notice it because I was too busy focusing on the book, trying to be a good volunteer. “That’s amazing.”

She nods. “Doctors say he’ll wake up soon. There’s no brain damage, thank God. He’s going to be okay.”

I smile, feeling like a prayer has been answered, but a gloomy shadow quickly falls over me. Soon, Wesley will be awake, and I’ll have to go.

“You know what would be great?” Mrs. Reyes asks me. “If Wesley had some of his own clothes to wear when he wakes up. Do you want to run home with me really quick and get some?”

“Oh … um, I don’t know if I should do that …” I say. My throat goes dry. I’ve already kept up this lie entirely too long. Last night I promised myself I’d keep my distance from Sloane and the guys. I can’t just go to Wesley’s house with his mother.

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