Alexander's P.O.V:
I drop my phone down next to me and watch the nurses walk out once they switch off all the machines that are surrounding Karla. One of the doctors stop infront of me and crutches down next to me as he takes his scrub cap off.
I keep my eyes fixed on Karla's hand that's hanging above the floor. I know the doctors speaking to me but for some reason his words are not reaching my ears. I turn to face him and stare at him blankly but still his words don't reach me.
The man stands up and walks off but not before he taps my shoulder. My body feels numb as I slump back against the wall and ignore the tears as they run down my cheeks.
Karla was more than just a friend. Yes, at first we hated eachother but we got to know eachother these past couple of months. She was like a sister to me. She was like a sister to all of us and now....Well now she's-
I freeze in my spot when I hear a baby crying. Without a second thought, I stand up from the ground and walks towards the cot that was moved to the corner. I walk past Karla and towards the baby.
For a few seconds I just stand there and stare down at the baby. I watch as the baby cries and squirms. I blink away tears and clear my throat quickly as I wipe my tears away. I secure the blanket around his tiny body before I pick him up.
"I've got you....Hey...Shhh, I got you. I got you." I whisper to the baby as I rock him in my arms. "I've got you, Jameson. I've got you." I whsiper to him.
I take out mobile from my pocket and flip it open. I called Tessa and Nick so many times but they both ignored my calls and Chris has his phone turned off. None of them know about her yet apart from me.
I dial Tessa's number and place it next to my ear and listen it go straight to voicemail. I know she's got that Charity event to go to today but she should still have her phone on her. I listen to her speak before there a long beeping noise, letting me know that I can leave a message now.
"Tessa. Por favor llámam, Tessa. es urgente!" I say and flip my phone closed.
{Translation: Please call me back, Tessa. It's an emergency.}
"Papa." I look up at the door at the sound of my daughter voice. "Is she...Dead?" Jessica asks.
"Jess ¿podrías esperar afuera?" I say softly.
{Translation: Will you go wait outside?}
"Pero papa-" Jessica starts but gets cut off by Andrew.
{Translation: But.}
"Go wait outside, Jessica." Andrew says. Jessica doesn't say anything and walks right out. My big brother walks in and runs his fingers through his thick hair once he stops a few feet away from Karla's bed. "How long has it been since..." He slowly trails off and waits for me to speak.
"They brought her back." I state.
"And?" He asks.
"She started to cough and then...That's it. I called the doctors again." I state.
"Does Chris know?" He asks, making me shake my head. "His phone has been off for the last couple of hours." I state.
"And Tessa?" He asks.
"She doesn't know." I say. "Shes not answering my calls and neither is Nick. I don't have Marshall number so I don't know how to reach him." I explain.
"What about her family?" He asks.
"She's been gone for less than twenty minutes, Andrew." I say and watch him shake his head.
"You should have called them the first time her heart stopped beating." Andrew says as he walks towards the bed.
"She didn't want me to. She only has her mom left and she didn't want me to call her." I state. "She stopped me from calling anyone since it was the middle of the night. The only person she said goodbye to was her son." I say. "She said she will call them all in the morning but...She didn't get a chance to." I add quietly.
Andrew lets out a sigh and picks up her blanket that's covering her before he pulls it up and places it over her pale face. Andrew shakes his head as he watches her. I walk away slowly with Jameson in my arms.
Marshall's P.O.V:
I walk into the room and watch Tessa place her make up brush down. She stands up and turns to face me as I scan her long black dress that looks perfect on her.
"You look amazing." I tell her and watch her smile at me.
"Thanks." She says quietly.
"It's time." I hear Leroy say and look back at him. "Let's go." He says.
"Okay." I nod once and turn to face my wife, only to see her look away from me and drop her gaze to the ground.
I wait for Tessa to grab her clutch before she walks towards me. Since Leroy is right there I can't really hold her hand or wrap my arm around her so instead I walk behind her.
"What's wrong?" I whisper once we're in the hallway. I watch her shake her head from the back and let out a sigh.
"Okay. You guys ready?" Leroy asks, making me nod as Paul appears infront of us.
"Now this is going to be your last appearance together." Paul says. "Try not to look like a couple. Be awkward and quiet with eachother." He adds. "Got it?" He raises his brow, making Tessa and me nod as I let out a sigh.
"You've got this. Go." Leroy nods and walks past me. "Oh...and Tessa....Think back to what happened not too long ago." Leroy whispers, making Tessa go pale in the face.
"You're on." A man says and gestures for us to walk carpet. I place my arm on Tessa's lower back before we start to walk towards the carpet.
"You can't act like a couple." Paul whispers and points at my hands that's resting on Tessa's lower back. I pretend I don't hear him and walk past him and onto the red carpet.
"You good?" I whisper.
"Yeah." Tessa mumbles.
"You look-" I start and get cut off.
"I'm fine, honey." She says before we turn to face the cameras.
"What's happened with you and Leroy?" I ask her and watch her swallow hard. I turn back and look at the camera when I hear people shout my name. "Tess." I whisper.
"What?" She asks as we walk further down the carpet and stop again for the papparazi and plaster fake smiles on our faces.
"What happened between you and Leroy?" I ask again.
"Nothing happened." She shrugs. I don't get a chance to say anything else because one of the news reporters calls us over. Tessa walks ahead of me, making me follow her.
"Tessa Black! You look absolutely stunning!" The reporter says. I glance at Tessa and watch her force a fake smile onto her face before she starts to speak.
Our managers told us to not act happy or like a couple and Tessa is a very good actress, her awards for her movies back up my statement but I can tell when she's faking it and when she's actually showing her true self.
Something happened between my wife and her asshole of a manager. She's upset, scared even. But why? What did he say or what did he do to her and why won't she speak to me?
"....She was loved by many and we'll all miss her and pray for her." The reporter says, making me snap out of my thoughts. "She's in a better place now and we your fans think you're so brave for still coming to this charity event." She adds, making me knit my brows together in confusion.
Who the hell is she talking about?
"I'm sorry." Tessa lets out a confused laugh as she tilts her head to the right a little. I look away from the camera and at the reporter. "Who are you talking about?" She asks. I look back at our mangers when I hear them shout my name.
"Come back here!" Paul mouths as Leroy closes his phone.
"Marshall. Come back." I hear Leroy yell.
"Karla. Your friend." I hear the reporter say, making me freeze. I feel Tessa slowly let go off my hand.
"What?" Tessa says slowly. "No...What?" Tessa lets out a small confused laugh.
"I'm sorry...I.." I look back at the reporter in confusion.
"No....You..You...." She slowly trails off. "How dare you say such things." Tessa says to the reporter. I look back at Leroy and watch him shake his head.
"I-" The reporter starts, only to get cut off.
"Who the hell comes up with these kind of jokes stupid and...And dumb jokes and...These...These...Pranks that you pull on us!" Tessa carries on. "Yes. My friend has cancer. Yes. She is very ill but she will make it. She will beat the damn thing and if you fucking da-" Tessa starts, making me cut in.
"Tessa. Let's go back." I whisper.
"I swear I will-" She talks over me. I place my hand on her shoulder and force her to turn to face me.
"Tessa!" I call her again.
"No!" She snaps at me. "They're talking about Karla as if she's fucking dead!" She says. "How dare she-" She starts and stops before she turns to face the reporter. "How dare you!" She half yells.
"I'm sorry but we heard that she passed away early this morning." The reporter says.
What? No! Karla can't just...Well she can't....No. No! They've got this wrong.
I want to take Tessa's side and say that the woman infront of us is making this all up but the look on her face tells me that this isn't a stupid joke or prank that they're pulling on us to get a reaction out of us.
"If you say that one more time!" Tessa huffs. I wrap my arms around her and pull her away.
"Let's get away for the cameras." I tell Tessa.
"I'm going home." She says through gritted teeth as we walk away.
"It's a charity event-" I start, only to get cut off.
"I'm going home." She says again.
"Tessa, we-" Paul starts but Tessa cuts in quickly.
"How could they be so fucking horrible!" Tessa yells. I look back at the cameras to see them taking pictures and recording videos of Tessa as she shouts at us all in anger. "I want to go home. I want to go back to Detroit!" She yells.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Tessa." Leroy says.
"Screw you, Leroy!" Tessa snaps and walks away. I squeeze through Leroy and Paul and follow my wife back to our changing rooms.
"Marshall!" Paul calls after me.
"I need to see if she's alright!" I yell back as I follow her. Tessa makes it to her room and closes the door behind her. The people outside the room walk away and give me way before I push down on the handle, only to find out its locked.
"Tessa. Open the door. It's only me baby." I say as I knock on the door.
"I'll be out in a few seconds." I hear her say.
"Come on. Let me in." I knock on the door again. This time I hear the door unlock before it opens. I push the door open and watch Tessa walk away towards the couch. "You okay?" I ask as I step into the room and close the door behind myself.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" She says sarcastically.
"They want a reaction out of you." I tell her. "You can't give them that." I shrug. "You...Just have to ignore him." I add.
"Well it's too late because they got a reaction out of me." She says as she looks back at me before she turns around again and looks through her bag.
"Tessa. Baby." I let out a sigh and walk towards her.
"Your not making me stay, Marshall." I hear her mumble.
"Let's just stay until the main event. If you want, we can leave later on." I say softly.
"No." She shake her head.
"We don't have to stay long. We'll sneak out later and they won't even know it." I add. I place my arms on her shoulder and make her turn to face me. "You won't have to stay long." I add.
"I want to go home." She says, making me sigh. Tessa turns her back towards me. I watch her take her phone out before she sits down on the couch.
"Is this just about what that reporter said about Karla?" I ask.
"I don't want to talk about it." She says and dials a number on her phones.
"Does this have anything to do with Leroy?" I ask and watch her freeze. I fucking knew it! "What did he say?" I ask. "Tess. Tessa.." I call her again and watch her as she types on her phone. "Tessa. Talk to me baby." I say and watch her shake her head. "Who are you even calling at this time?" I ask.
"Karla." I mumble.
"Why?" I ask. I watch her shake her head.
"She's not picking up." I hear her mumble.
"She's probably busy with the kids." I shrug.
"I have a weird feeling about this. It's not like Karla to not pick up my calls." Tessa says as she shakes her head.
"She's probably busy." I repeat and watch her shake her head.
"She probably watched the whole thing on live television." Tessa says and turns to face me. "Last time something like this happened, she called me right away." She adds.
"Maybe she missed it." I shrug.
"No. She never misses anything." I hear her mumble.
"Tessa." I call her and get ignored. I make her turn to face me and take her mobile from her hands.
"Give me that." She tuts and reaches for her phone, making me move my hand further away from her.
"This isn't only about what the reporter said is it?" I ask. "You're practically shaking." I add as I place her phone in my back pocket.
"That's because i'm angry." She states.
"Did he threaten you?" I ask and watch her face go pale. Tessa shakes her head and walks past me, making me quickly grab onto her hand and pull her back. "What did he say exactly?" I ask.
"Nothing." She shrugs.
"Bullshit." I clench my jaw. "That's fucking bullshit Tessa now tell me what he fucking said to you!" I say louder.
Tessa lets out a small sigh and I watch her look away from me, clearly scared to meet my gaze. I let out a sigh and just when i'm about to reach out for her, the door swings open.
"Tessa." Leroy says. Tessa walks past me and sits down on the high chair.
"I still want to go home." Tessa says.
"I know that but-" Leroy starts and gets cut off.
"No, Leroy. No buts." She huffs. "I want to go home. Book me a flight to Detroit." She says.
"Detroit?" Leroy says in confusion.
"Yes Detroit." Tessa mumbles.
"Haven't you talked to your brother yet?" Paul asks, making me look at him and then back at Tessa when I realise he's talking to her.
"Which one?" She asks.
"Alexander." Leroy says.
"No. Why?" She says and stands up.
"Has Nick called you?" Paul asks.
"What's happened?" Tessa asks as she walks towards us and stops a couple of steps ahead of me, right across our mangers.
"It's best if you call your brother and-" Paul starts and gets cut off.
"Why are you making that face?" She asks, making me look at Leroy. "What is wrong?" She says slowly as she keeps her gaze on her manager.
"I have bad news. You might want to take a seat." Paul says, making Tessa turn away from her manager and face Paul. "And you too Marshall." He adds. Tessa clutches onto her phone tighter.
"What is it?" I ask quietly.
"Take a seat." Paul sighs.
"I don't want to fucking sit down!" Tessa snaps. "What is it? What's happened?" She says in a much calmer tone.
"Right when you two stepped infront of the cameras, we got a call from your brother Andrew." Leroy says. Tessa shakes her head lightly. "Karla...Stopped breathing this morning at around 1-" He adds sadly, making Tessa cut in.
"No. Tell...Just stop talking." Tessa says.
"She stopped breathing-" He starts again, only to get cut off by Tessa again.
"Leroy. T-tell me your making this up." Her voice breaks a little, making Leroy drops his gaze down to the ground.
"They manged to get her breathing again." Leroy says and goes quiet. I throw my head back and exhale a long breath of relief. "But she was too weak-" Leroy adds, making my heart drop.
"No." I hear Tessa whisper. "Y-You're making this up." Tessa puts her hand up as she shakes her head.
"She died at around six or seven this morning." Leroy says. "I'm sorry." He adds. I keep my eyes locked onto my wife's back as I try to take in everything.
No one in the room speaks or moves until my wife's mobile starts to ring. I watch her shaky hands slowly rise up as she answer her phone and places it next to her ear. She stays quiet for a few seconds and even though I can't tell she's about to have a breakdown.
"Tessa?" Nicks voice comes out as a whisper.
"Is it true?" Tessa quietly. I don't hear Nick say anything for a couple of seconds before he finally speaks.
"She's gone." Nick says, making Tessa let out a shaky breath as she shakes her head. "Karla's gone. She's gone Tessa." I hear him say before the sound of him sobbing fills up the room. Tessa drops the phone and just when she's about to fall back, I take a step foward and wrap my numb arms around her.
"Get a paramedic." I say quickly. "Tessa. Wake up baby!" I say as I shake her lightly.