I sit up at the panic in his voice. “Is she okay?”
He grabs his helmet, and I realize he’s taking his bike.
“It’s raining. You shouldn’t ride your bike.” I walk over to him.
“I'll be fine.”
“You look scared.” I get up and grab his hand, stopping him from searching frantically. “You shouldn’t ride your bike in this headspace. Let me drive you there.”
“I promise I'm fine, Dory. I need to go.” He kisses me gently before heading for the door.
“Please drive safe, Liam.”
He rushes out.
“Text me when you get there!”
“I will, beloved.” He sounds like he's already downstairs as he races out, and a pit grows in my stomach from how worried he sounds.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Liam
“Mom?” My footsteps are lightas I walk into the room, careful not to make any sudden movements. I'm practically holding my breath as everyone stares at her like the knife in her hand is a bomb. “What’s going on?”
Her head whips to me, her eyes wide. I see the moment she recognizes me as her shoulders ease. “Liam!” She runs towards me with the knife, and I put a hand up before the nurses can tackle her.
She drops the knife just as she reaches me and wraps her arms around my neck. “Oh, thank goodness you’re here. Oh, thank God.” She smoothes my hair and kisses my head repeatedly. I hold her tightly, and I can feel her heart pounding against me.
Capri scrambles to the ground in a hurry and grabs the knife. She hands it to someone who rushes off with it like they are the bomb squad and it's going to explode. My mom says a prayer over us, and I keep my eyes on Capri, trying to figure out what the fuck is happening, but before I can ask, my mom pulls away.
All of the nurses still surround us with wide eyes, and I notice a needle in one of their hands, so I keep my hold on my mom so they don’t touch her.
“Do you know where the baby is?” She searches my eyes frantically, and I look over at Capri, who now has her eyes on the ground like she can’t even face me. “They keep saying there’s no baby here, Liam.Whereis she?” Her voice drips in desperation as tears start to form in her eyes, and I feel my jaw clenching.
I look back at Capri, and I might actually strangle her for even telling my mom that. I don’t get why they don’t just fucking entertain her. I don’t care if it’s not beneficial. Her flipping out like a crazy person isn’t very beneficial, either.
I look back over at my mom and kiss her cheek softly. “She’s sleeping, Mom.”
She looks like she’s holding her breath as she watches me. “Are you sure she’s okay? When was the last time you checked on her?”
I swallow the lump in my throat as I give her a small smile. “I just put her down. She’s fine, come, sit with me.” I bring her to her bed and the crowd of nurses part for us like she’s contagious.
“Leave us.”
“Liam, they need to stay for–”
“Leave or we’ll leave.” My head snaps up to Capri and she looks like she feels horrible, but she’s going to feel a hell of a lot worse before I leave this house. She avoids my eyes as she tells everyone to let us have the room, and they’re reluctant, but do.
“Where’d you get a knife from?” I lean on my elbow on the bed as my mom starts braiding her hair.
“I keep one in here for emergencies. You know that.”
She used to keep a knife in her room back at home but didn’t anymore when Shanti learned to walk and open drawers, so she must have been stuck in some headspace when Shanti was really young.
“Where do you keep it?”
“I keep it where I always have it, Liam.” She brushes me off and I glance around the room as I try to figure out where any other sharp weapons could be. “That’s a sick joke Pri played earlier. I’m very upset with her.”
