Nate
"Dude... You gotta help me. I'm desperate. She's driving me insane." I sounded like a sixteen year old boy. I expected Riley to laugh at me, I know I laughed at him when he was in the same situation as me, but he just grumbled.
"Just play nice, Nate. I don't have time for this." Riley was never a major joker but he sounded utterly pissed at this point.
"Woah, little bro. What's wrong?" I was actually kinda concerned at this point.
"I can't speak about it right now, please put Bliss on the phone."
"But- Okay fine." There was no point, if Riley didn't want to talk, Riley wasn't gonna talk.
I called out to Bliss, who had been in the adjoining kitchen making lunch whilst I was on the phone to my brother. She nearly squealed when I handed her the phone, knowing exactly who was going to be on the other line. Spending the last week with Bliss had really solidified just how close those two girls were, to call them 'friends' didn't seem to do it justice.
I watched the beautiful blonde as she spoke vividly to her best friend about the lengths she had gone to to irritate me over the first few days, knowing full well I was listening. I swear, the girl had a knack for disobeying direct orders, which I can tell you is the most infuriating thing when those orders were put in place specifically for her safety.
Rule 1: She was to remain within eyesight of me at all times.
Tuesday morning I woke up to a note saying she "felt like a swim" and had gone to the beach. There are 4 different beaches in this goddamn town and I visited ever single one before finding her.
Rule 2: If she wishes to have any visitors I must be notified prior.
Wednesday night we got back after grocery shopping to a house full of about 80 people, and she just "forgot" to mention any plans of this whatsoever.
Rule 3: If she was out, she had to be home before 7pm when night fell.
Friday night she conveniently got "lost in traffic" for 3 hours until I tracked her down at the movie theatre at 10 o'clock at night.
Every single time I tried to keep her safe, she rebelled. And damn if the girl didn't thrive off my frustration over it.
Bliss told Sabine that she missed her and hung up the phone, I felt bad that they couldn't have longer to talk but we could only use the phone for so long. It's just how the situation was.
I hated seeing her upset, but it never lasted for more than a few seconds until she covered it with that pretty smile of hers.
"Want some lunch? I made chicken pesto," I never understood women but Bliss was even worse. One minute she was a little devil and arguing against everything I said, the next she looked right about the cry and then she was happy as Larry. I just can't keep up.
"Yeah, I'd love some. Thank you."
I suppose that because Bliss' parents were away so often on business, she had learnt to fend for herself. Which came it handy for me because she was a damn good cook.
"So how was Sabbie?" I asked, as we sat at the breakfast bench in the kitchen.
Bliss sighed softly before answering, "She said she was fine but I just can't help but feel something is wrong, you know?"
"Yeah. I felt the same when I spoke to Riley. He was very on edge."
"God, I hope everything is okay. I mean how much longer can this possibly last? Why haven't they caught whoever Chase sent after her yet?" She ran her fingers through her hair and pulled it to the right of her neck.
"They're working on it, B. You know that." I tried to comfort her without lying, considering I agreed with the point she was making.
She sighed in defeat, "I know, I know. It's just frustrating I guess."
"Yeah, it is." I wanted Sabbie safe just as much as she did.
"Hey," she perked up. "When you finish, you wanna play some table tennis?"
I nearly choked laughing, little did my little blonde know I was the all-time master of table-tennis, "it's on, sweetheart."
-
"Hell Yeah!" Bliss cried as I failed to hit the ball across the net... Again.
She had continued to get better and better the longer we played until I no longer held the title of undefeated champion.
"This is not okay! How are you better than me? No one is better than me," I sounded like a spoilt child but who cares, she stole my title!
"You have actually beaten someone at this game before?!" She laughed at me, "who? The boogy man?"
"Ha. Ha. So funny." Despite the fact that she was laughing at my expense, I loved listening to her laugh, especially now that she had gotten more comfortable with me. When we first met, her laugh was timid but watching her now, her whole body joined in.
"Let's go again, I swear I'll beat you this time."
"Oh, bring it on, Mr. Undefeated."
I was just about to hit the serve when my cell phone rang, which was a rare occurrence since the only person who really ever called me was Riley and we communicated via the burn-out phones.
The number was unknown but I answered it out of curiosity anyway, "Hello?"
What sounded like a middle aged man responded, and as soon as he did my heart dropped.
-
Bliss
I was lightly bouncing the ball between my paddle and the table, waiting for Nate to finish his phone call.
I looked up at him as he casually answered Hello, before seeing everything in him slouch in a heartbeat. Never had I seen anyone go from happy to devastated in such a quick transition. God, I wonder what's happened.
"Yes. I understand. Yes. I'll talk to my brother. Okay, thank you."
The phone call was quick but I can tell it was shattering. I walked up to Nate, and placed a hand on his upper-arm but he didn't look at me.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, even though it very clearly wasn't.
It took him a few beats but he eventually looked up and answered, "I need to talk to Riley."
I had never had anyone look at me the way he did just then, as though he was looking through me rather than at me.
I followed him into the living room as he pulled out the phone we had only been on less than two hours ago. This had better be important, because Riley hated us using to phone too often, let along twice in one day.
Both boys always had their burners on their person so Riley answered almost immediately.
"Rye.. Rye... Riley listen to me!" Nate shouted after being chastised by Riley. The other line went quiet.
"It's mum, Rye... The cancer has spread to 89% of her body and she's deteriorating... Fast."
-
My mum and I have never been close, her and dad work a lot and I'm often left home alone for long periods of time. But close or not, I love my mother more than anyone else in the world, and I cannot even imagine how it would feel to see your mother slowly dying right in front of you eyes.
Watching Nate talk to Riley I could see how much he was hurting in his eyes, it actually scared me. He knew what was coming, and it was breaking him.
"Rye. It's up to you, the station will send someone out to watch Sabine. They will understand." Riley wanted to see his mother before she died but also desperately didn't want to leave Sabine. If I was being completely selfish I didn't want him to leave her either, I couldn't imagine anyone protecting her the way he does.
"I know. I know you don't want to leave her." Nate was quiet enough that I could hear Riley's responses on the other line.
"I just- Sabbie and I need to sort things out at the moment and I don't trust anyone else with her. But I can't leave mum alone. Ugh! What do I do, Nate?"
Nate ran his hand through his dark hair and sighed in a way that aged him.
"Mum isn't going to be alone. I will be with her."
"And Bliss?"
"Yes, she will come with me." That shocked me, I didn't expect Nate would want me to intrude on his time with his mother, which I completely understood. "Just, don't do anything right now Rye, I'll go down and see her and let you know what you should do then."
Riley was quiet, I'm sure he didn't like the decision but no one had any better ideas, "okay. But please keep me updated."
"I will, little brother. Everything will be okay."
"I hope so."
Nate hung up the phone and rubbed his eyes for a moment, trying to keep composure. I was nearly in tears, I can't understand how he is keeping it together right now.
"Nate, I will be fine if you need to go and-"
"No," he cut me off. "Hudson has me under orders to be with you at all times." I would have chimed in that Detective Husdon isn't actually Nate's boss, but I don't think it was needed.
"So I should start packing?"
"We leave in an hour."
-
The drive to Sydney from home was only a few hours but sitting with Nate it felt like an eternity. I had no idea what I could possibly say to ease his pain, which hurt because no one that young should have such haunted eyes.
When we arrived at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, it was just coming on dusk which meant visiting hours were well and truly over.
"Please, I need to see my mother," Nate begged with the woman at the front desk who had refused to let us pass, "she's dying and I just-"
"Who isn't dying here?" She asked rhetorically in a monotone voice. "You'll have to come back tomorrow during 9 and 4."
Oh my god, I'd never met such an insensitive bitch in my life, did she even care about the people in this hospital?
"Listen here miss," I read her name tag, "Doyle. You will tell us the room number of Dianna Martin and you will smile while doing it, because you definitely do not want my fist to become aquatinted with that pretty little face of yours anytime soon."
The receptionist stared at me wide-eyed before typing rapidly on her keyboard.
"74. Room 74, sir." She said with a shake in her tone, barely looking Nate in the eye.
"Thank you very much."
We didn't say anything else, just power-walked toward room 74. The looming reality of who we were about to see drifted in the air as we navigated through halls and corridors.
Cancer is never pretty, especially in Mrs. Martin's case. She was under heavy chemo but I guess chemo can't always work.
Finally we found it. 74. Oh god... I was petrified to meet her. I was eager to meet her. I looked up at Nate beside me and he was nearly shaking. Silently I reached and grabbed hold of his hand, rubbing my thumb along it.
He smiled down at me, but it was a sad smile.
"Are you ready?"
"Not at all."
"Okay, then." I said, pushing open the hospital room door.
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Hey Guys... She says very timidly, prepared for the onslaught of rotten tomatoes. I'm sorry okay?! I'm so so so sorry and I have no excuse. I'm sorry.
But I started writing again and gave AAO a little revampation! What do you all think of the new cover and Roman numeral chapter system now?! I'm still swapping and changing the names of each chapter so if you have any suggestions please let me know!
I think AAO just needed that little extra kick to convince me to finish it. I mean I've gotten this far, I can't abandon you all now!
I've sat down and done a full chapter by chapter plan now as well, so I think that actually knowing what I need to write will make it much easier than just making it up as I go. If all goes to plan there will be 28 chapters in AAO which I'm happy with.
Did anyone have to go back and read a few chapters behind to remember what happened last? Cause I know I did.
I seriously cannot express just how sorry I am to all of you individually. I love you all so much it's indescribable. Please continue reading, even if it takes me forever. I promise so much exciting stuff is coming up.
I love you all so so so so so so so so so so so so so much!
Taylor xx