“Thanks. We like it. So, why the fuck are you here, Nick?”
Just as I’m about to start spilling my guts on the multitude of my sins about how I hurt Maris, there’s a sign someone’s watching out for me. The house phone rings. Jennings frowns down at his watch before answering. “Kara, what’s wrong?” Then his entire body freezes. The drink in his hand falls to the floor despite my making a grab for it.
“What the hell do you mean your water broke at school?” He hits Speaker so I can hear the call.
“Jennings? It’s too soon. Weeks too soon.” Panic surges through her voice.
“Kevin!” Jennings bellows.
Within seconds, Jennings’s and Kara’s eighteen-year-old son scurries into the kitchen. “What’s going on, Dad?”
“Your mother’s in labor.”
I’m in shock when the boy snickers. “Is this another drill?”
Kara starts to cry. Kevin begins to panic. “Mom! What’s going on?” From mature-sounding to scared in a heartbeat, Kevin rushes over to listen to his mother.
“The baby. The baby is coming. Oh, God. Maris isn’t here. Jennings, I can’t have this baby without her or Dean.” Kara beings to cry in earnest.
Jennings shoots me a look over the top of Kara’s head to warn me I’d better keep my damn mouth shut—including my awareness of Maris’s location. Instead, I listen while he urges her to let her coworkers arrange for an ambulance to take her to the hospital and promises to meet her there. As soon as the line clears, I offer, “Do you want me to try Maris? See if I can get her on the line?”
“Let me first, Nick.” He turns to Kevin. “Get shoes, a sweatshirt, and your mother’s bag. ASAP. And if you mention to her Nick was in this house, I’m grounding you for the rest of your senior year. Got it?”
“Got it, Dad.” Then Kevin’s running.
Jennings tries, leaves a message. Tries a second, then a third time. “Here.” He sends me a text.
I get the incoming ping. “What is this?”
“The hotel Maris has been staying at. Kara doesn’t even know she’s in town. Go to the front desk and tell them you need to get an urgent message to her. Have them bring her a message that Kara’s in labor. I’ll call them after I know Kara’s settled. Between the two of us, we should get her to answer.”
Sounds like a perfect plan especially the part where I get to see Maris again. “I’m on it.” I head back the way I came to go out the front door.
“Nick.” Jennings voice is like a whip. “Do not try to go to her. Do not approach her.”
“Jennings, if it was Kara and you had the chance to talk with her?”
He hesitates, but his shoulders sag. “There’s so much you don’t know. And I don’t have time to tell you.”
Then he bolts for the garage to get his wife.
Maris
“If there’s one thing I’m certain of it’s the bond between my sister and Kara Malone is stronger than most blood siblings. She would do anything for her. Anything.” - From the journals of Jedidiah Smith.
The next time I wake, I leave the bed to use the restroom before crawling back into my fetal position. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand shows it’s 8:00 p.m. I shut my eyes. Really, who cares what time it is. This time, it’s the moon that illuminates my room through the window as I close my eyes again. Fatigue drags me under the waves so quickly.
It’s really not so hard to drift away.
But just as I’m about to float off again, there’s a furious pounding at my door. I frown and turn toward the door, waiting for the noise again. “Probably the wrong room.” I roll over and start to stare off at the moon again. It’s so clear over the ocean, I think to myself. I watch the sea come in, crash, and drift out. Much like my emotions. It’s a balm I didn’t expect to have as I rebuild the wall around myself so I can handle life again when I’m forced to.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
“Maris! I swear to God, if you don’t open this damn door, Management’s going to break it down!” Jennings shouts.
You’re so autocratic. Someone should really tell you that one of these days. I can’t prevent the amusement from seeping into my thoughts. Then I frown. It’s something the old me would have thought. And the old me—the me that thought it was safe to fall in love with Nick—needs to return to somewhere she can never be hurt again. I came here to figure out who Maris Smith should be when all this is done.
I’m just not sure how it’s working since I’ve been asleep most of the time since I stepped foot into the room.
“I’m telling you, sir. She’s in there. It’s been four days since anyone has entered or exited the room according to our logs.”
“Then open the door. I’m telling you, this is an emergency.”
“Just a moment, Mr. Jennings. I promise you, I’ll check on her, but I can’t have you come in behind me. That’s a violation of guest—”
“For God’s sake, open the door and see if she’s in there,” I hear another voice urge the unknown woman.
Then, there’s a noise before a woman calls out, “Ms. Smith. This is Colleen Johnstone from Security. Can you call out to let me know if you’re okay?”
I clear my throat as I sit up in bed. Shoving my hair off my head, I try to send the woman a glare.
I guess it doesn’t work when her first word is “Shit.” She rushes forward over to where I left the balcony door open and slams it shut. “This is Colleen Johnstone. I may need a medical assist in room 325.”
“I’m fine,” I manage. She whirls around in astonishment. “Go away.”
“Ms. Smith,” she immediately protests.
“I’m fine. I’ve just been sleeping. I’ll get some water and be fine.” I clear my throat again which triggers me into a coughing spasm.
“You need more than that, Ms. Smith. You’re likely severely—” Abruptly she stops arguing with me to face a new foe. “Gentlemen, I ordered you both to stay in the hall.”
And Jennings and Nick step into the room. Nick. Immediately, I curl into a ball and turn away from him, seeking the solace of the sea. “Get out,” I croak.
“Sunshine, no. Let me fix this. Please,” he begs.
A week ago, two, I would have done anything to have heard those words fall from his mouth. Now, I know they’re just from guilt because Jennings probably called him to find out what happened. I refuse to look at him.
“Mr. Cain, I demand you leave this room,” Johnstone demands. “Mr. Jennings, you indicated this had to do with your wife’s condition.”
“It does. Nick, get the hell out of here,” he snaps.
“Both of you can demand all you want, but there is no way I’m leaving the woman I love in this condition.”
Why not? You did it before without telling me you were leaving.
But then the room gets deathly silent. The bed depresses, and I feel a familiar hand stroke down my hair. I try to twist away, but his words freeze me in place. “You’re right, Sunshine. I did it before because I’m a fucking idiot. Because I didn’t realize you wanted me as much as you needed your dreams. But I swear to God, Maris, if you give me this chance—this final chance—I will do anything to be by your side.”