A nurse rushes in, and I numbly step to the side to give her room. Another rushes in seconds later with a doctor following closely behind. They both go to the other side of the bed.
“NO!” Jules screams over and over again, clutching her head. “NONONO!”
The ache in my chest that’s always present in my dreams is back, except it’s ten times worse. The pain I feel seeing her suffer in the flesh makes the pain of seeing her suffer in my dreams feel like a fucking paper cut. It’s agonizing and all-consuming and takes my damn breath away.
I want nothing more than to go to her, to hold her against me, and make all her fears go away, but it’s me she fears, and that thought tears me apart.
“Mr. Hendrix, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
I ignore the nurse trying to usher me out of the room. I can’t take my eyes off Jules as she fights the doctor and nurses. They yell back and forth to each other as they try to calm her down. I grow angry when they hold her down and stick a needle into her IV. I force my legs to hold still, instead of rushing over and yanking them away. I know they’re professionals and only trying to help her, but I still don’t fucking like it.
“Mr. Hendrix.” The nurse tries again, grabbing my arm. “Theo!”
It’s the use of my brother’s name that has me ripping my eyes away from the distraught girl in the bed. I stare down at the nurse, and her eyes soften in sympathy. “Please, just wait outside until the doctor calms down your wife and assesses her. He’ll come talk to you as soon as he can.”
I don’t correct her on her mistake of thinking I’m my brother. I just give her a stiff nod before looking back at Jules one more time. She’s no longer screaming due to the medicine now running through her veins, but her eyes are still on me. Tears fall from them, soaking the pillow beneath her head, and it makes me want to fall to my knees and scream.
Instead, with one final look and my chest feeling hollow, I turn on my heel and leave the room.
ME: WHERE ARE YOU?
Theo: At Mom’s. Why? What’s going on?
Instead of answering, I throw my phone in the cup holder, start my truck, and peel out of the hospital parking lot.
I have no idea what I plan to do once I see Theo; all I know is Jules doesn’t know me, so her reaction to me could only mean she thought I was Theo. Which means it’s him she’s afraid of. While that thought soothes something in my soul, it still sends a slow burn of anger in my veins.
Why in the fuck would Jules be afraid of Theo? What could he have done to cause the terror I saw in her eyes?
My knuckles ache around the steering wheel as I navigate the streets to my parents’ house. I force my fingers
to loosen and try to calm my ire. As much as it pisses me off, I need to give Theo the chance to explain first.
A few minutes later, I pull up behind Theo’s car parked at the curb in front of our parents’ house. I take a moment to pull in a couple of deep breaths until I feel in control again. Getting out of my truck, I walk up the driveway, and without bothering to knock, go inside. Mom’s always insisted that her house is open to her kids, and if she hears us knocking, she’ll kick our asses.
I find Mom, Dad, Theo, and Aria in the kitchen sitting at the table finishing up dinner. The minute my eyes meet Theo’s, the anger I pushed away on my drive over comes back.
“Heya, Uncle Luca!” Aria says loudly, waving a hand that’s holding a biscuit.
“Hey, boo.” Through my anger, I manage to give her a genuine smile. Aria brings the good out in people.
“Luca, honey, pull up a chair, and I’ll make you a plate.”
When Mom stands from the table, I hold up my hand.
“I’m not here for dinner, Mom,” I tell her, keeping my voice even. She still senses my turmoil and turns to walk over to me.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I keep my voice quiet, so Aria doesn’t hear. “Do me a favor and take Aria in the backyard.”
She frowns; looks at Dad, then Theo, before bringing her eyes back to me.
“What’s going on?”
I grab the hand she placed on my arm and give it a gentle squeeze. “Please, Mom. We’ll talk later. I need to speak with Theo.”
After searching my eyes for a moment, she gives me a silent nod and walks around the table to Aria.