Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 50770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Zane
You should be past ten thousand feet and be able to text, what the Hell? Quinn, talk to me.
Zane
Don’t make me do this.
Zane
Don’t ignore me.
Zane
Shit, this is serious, Quinn. Everyone in my house is okay.
What about other houses? What the hell is going on?
The pilot comes back on the speaker. “Folks, I’ve got some bad news, it looks like we’re going to need to deplane and get you on another flight, the mechanic doesn’t feel comfortable giving us the all clear. We’ll get you all taken care of, just be patient with our staff. On behalf of Delta Air Lines, we apologize for the inconvenience.”
I groan and quickly read through the texts, only for a picture to pop up on the last desperate attempt.
It’s a hospital bed.
It’s Chloe hooked up to several machines—and she’s wearing my bracelet. The one I left with the card.
“FUCK!” I scream and jump to my feet, hitting my head on the ceiling. Pain hits but I don’t really care, I’ll be numb soon. Because Chloe.
“Sir!” The flight attendant comes over to me. “You need to calm down, we’ll all get off the plane and get you booked on a different flight, okay?” My heart’s racing, I feel like I’m going to puke. “Sir? I need you to take your seat before I can open the cabin back up, all right? Sir? Sir?”
I sway and collapse into my seat while she goes over to the door and gets the clear to open it, and the minute she does, I grab my shit, shove past everyone and run.
I’m running while fumbling with my bag and my phone, I finally stop once I’m outside baggage claim and out of breath and call Zane.
He answers on the first ring. “Quinn!”
“The plane, bad plane, mechanics, what’s going on?”
“So you’re off the plane?”
“Yes, I’m off the plane. Now what the hell is going on? Why is she in the hospital?”
“She um, was without air for quite a while, they had to resuscitate her, I won’t give you any more details until you get your ass back here.”
“But she’s alive?”
He’s quiet for a few seconds than curses. “She’s in a coma, man. And her sister is not okay, she’s freaking out, I know you’ve had a falling out with them, but you’re close with her.”
“You think I’m close with her?” No, I’m angry so fucking angry at her. It should have been Sophie, not Chloe.
“You did sleep with her.”
“Yeah, look how that turned out.” I nearly throw my phone.
“Quinn, I’m serious, you need to come. I sent a car and told them to park until you came back, even if it meant waiting for your next flight, this is serious.”
Tears run down my cheeks.
I’m finally crying.
I can’t see the world in front of me.
I thought her betrayal and lies would shatter me forever—and now I know—it’s the loss of her and my own pride that finally did it.
“Um…” I’m choking on my own tears. “Where’s the car at, and where… where…” I start to hyperventilate.
“Quinn.” Zane snaps. “Get it together, I know this is a shock, but you have around a thirty-minute drive to the hospital.”
“What?”
“They um, they had to life flight her, that’s all I know, I asked for updates from, well from you know, and this was the last picture she sent. I need you to keep your shit together and be strong, okay? None of this betrayal bullshit, this is bigger than that.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I wipe my hand down my face. “Where’s the fucking car?”
He sighs. “Just run out of baggage claim, he should be waiting for you with a sign, he texted while we were on the phone that he was already there, so good timing.”
Sure, yeah, good timing.
“I’ll um—” I can’t breathe. “I’ll call you once I’m there.”
“Quinn,” Zane breathes out a curse. “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.”
“Yeah.” I swallow the lump that will forever take residence in my throat. “Me too.”
When I manage to get outside of baggage claim, I see a man holding an iPad with Quinn scribbled across it.
I don’t even care that I look like I’ve been crying. I walk toward him and bark out. “I’m ready.”
But I’m not.
I’m not ready for this, for any of this.
The car ride feels like it takes forever. I barely remember getting into it, and when I do, I stare down at my phone in my hand, at the unread note I sent her where I said I loved her still.
When I was writing that—she was already in a coma.
She never got to see or hear my soul.
And now she might never hear the words.
I open the note and re-read it, then whisper the ending into the universe, “PS. I still love you.”
Even though you’re gone…
Chapter Twenty-Four
Quinn
The car pulls up to the hospital. I don’t even say thank you, I just shoot Zane a text and ask for the room number.