Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 121576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
I wiped my face as I got to my feet and fielded hugs from Tori, Syd, Shay, and Kali. I smiled at the kind words given by Cole and Stitch and from the strangers who filled the room. Everyone was happy Oliver was okay. They were grateful.
“Travis needs to check him out, Jen,” Brian said.
Jamie stood beside my brother with shock and worry in his eyes. He wasn’t relieved yet. “He’s just gettin’ his stuff out of the car. The ambulance just got here too.”
“Okay.” Of course he would need a doctor to look at him. He’d just had CPR performed. Oliver seemed okay now, but was he?
“I want Nate,” Oliver said. He wasn’t crying nearly as hard anymore.
I looked around and then behind me. Nathan was still seated on the floor several feet away beside the table, hunched forward with his arms draped over his bent knees and his head bowed. His glasses in his hand.
“God,” Syd whispered at my back. “I’ll never forget how he screamed for Oliver. How he sounded…”
“I’ll never forget how he saved him,” Shay said.
I stared at Nathan, waiting for that same wonder other people felt when they looked at him to hit me, and it didn’t. Even my friends who knew of our relationship still saw only a man saving a boy. Some of the other people here had expected Nathan to accept what was happening, and I knew he wouldn’t. I had been sure about it. When it’s your child, you don’t give up. You never give up. You can’t.
I saw a man saving his son.
I walked over and knelt beside him, picking up Oliver’s discarded glasses.
“Nathan.” I cupped his cheek.
He immediately lifted his head. There were tears in his eyes, and fear. So much fear.
“Our son wants you.”
His gaze sharpened and snapped over my shoulder after I spoke, then came just as quickly back to mine. He pulled in a breath through his nose, got to his feet, and walked over, taking Oliver into his arms again. They hugged each other.
When Travis came back inside with the paramedics, Nathan sat with Oliver on the couch to make the examination easier, but he kept his hold. Everyone had to work around him. Around them. Oliver wasn’t letting go of Nathan either.
After we were assured a hospital visit wasn’t necessary tonight, I declined my brother’s offer to stay, congratulating him and Sydney again, and insisted the party continue without us.
There was no reason why it shouldn’t—everyone was okay. I just couldn’t stay any longer. I felt rattled.
Nathan met me at the door. He still held Oliver, who had his head on Nathan’s shoulder and his eyes closed. Olivia stood beside them, holding on to Nathan’s hand.
“I need you to come home with me,” Nathan said when I reached him.
Oliver lifted his head and blinked awake behind his frames. “Can we, Mom? I wanna stay with Nate.”
“Me too,” Olivia added. “Can we go?”
“Of course we can.” I looked up at Nathan. “We’ll need to grab some stuff for the night. Do you want me to take them with me?”
“No.”
“Okay.” I smiled. I’d had a feeling he would say that.
Nathan didn’t smile back. He still looked so worried.
We walked outside together. I followed Nathan to his truck instead of walking toward my car and caught his arm before he opened the driver’s-side door. The kids had already piled inside it.
“Hey. Come here,” I said, guiding his face down with my hand on his cheek. “He’s okay.”
Nathan panted a breath and circled his arms around me. “Fuck, Jenna.” He sounded in pain.
“I know. I was scared too. But he’s okay.” I hugged him tighter, my cheek turned on his chest. “Because of you, Nathan. You were watching him when I wasn’t. You saved him.”
“I couldn’t lose him. I never would’ve stopped.”
Tears welled up in my eyes.
We held each other until something sharp knocked repeatedly on the glass at Nathan’s shoulder.
“Can we go!” Oliver yelled, his voice muffled. “It’s getting stuffy in here! I already almost died once tonight…”
I jerked back and glared around Nathan. “Oliver!” I snapped. “That isn’t funny. Don’t talk like that.”
“I’m just kidding!”
“Well, don’t.”
“I’m still hungry. Can we go get some hot dogs?”
My eyes bulged in their sockets. What!
“I’m kidding again!” Oliver giggled hysterically, his cheek smashed against the glass.
“Good one, Ollie!” Olivia yelled.
“Oh my God.” I rubbed at my temples. That boy…
Nathan’s deep chuckle turned my head. He leaned his back against the driver’s door and smiled at me. “I strangely feel a lot better now.”
“Yeah.” I rolled my eyes, laughing a little. “Me too.”
“He’s morbid.”
“Clearly he takes after you,” I joked.
Nathan’s smile gentled, and even with the night sky above us, I could see the emotion in his eyes. “Come on. Ride with me.”
“What about my car?”
“Leave it.” He reached out and took my hand. “Let’s get Marley and go home.”