Page 30 of Cinder & Secrets (Ink & Ashes #2)

River

“Where is she?” My sister appears in the doorway of the waiting room, her eyes wide and hair tangled like she just rolled out of bed and didn’t have time to brush it. Kai enters behind her, a hand resting on her back.

“She’s with the doctor,” I tell her, running a hand through my hair.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. We were outside talking and then she just went down.”

“Went down?”

“Passed out.”

“Is she hurt?”

“I caught her before she hit the ground, so no, physically, she’s not injured. But she is a bit shaken up.”

My mind replays the moment so vividly it’s as if it were happening all over again. Her bright green eyes shuttering, her ivory skin going ghostly pale, and then she just... dropped. When she finally came to, she stared up at me like it was the first time she had ever seen me.

“She’s awake?”

“She woke up a couple of minutes after she passed out. I brought her straight here.”

Because of her tumor, this seemed like the best move. Though I still don’t know if that’s why she passed out.

“How was she when she came to?”

“Confused. Disoriented. A little shaken up.”

“But she’s okay?”

“We don’t know why she passed out yet. They’re running some tests, but yes, she’s okay.”

“Asshole.” She rears back and slaps my arm the second she reaches me.

“Damn, Ly. What was that for?”

“Do not ever text me and tell me that my best friend is in the hospital and give me no details. The whole way here I was imagining worst-case scenarios.”

“I’m sorry. You’re lucky I texted you at all. I was trying to make sure she was okay.”

“Wait. Why are you here anyway?”

“Pretty sure you left me a voicemail last night threatening to whoop my ass.” My lips tip in a semblance of a smile.

“You drove overnight?” She guesses.

“I did.”

“Please tell me you came here to make things right with Charlotte. That girl has been a mess without you.”

“No more than I’ve been without her,” I admit, not missing the smile that briefly graces my sister’s face.

“I knew you’d come to your senses.” She takes the seat to my left, Kai lowering himself into the one next to her, his hand never leaving her. “Did you call her parents?”

“She asked me not to.” I shake my head. “You were the only person she wanted.”

“Charlotte O’Malley.” A doctor appears in the doorway and we all three stand.

“How is she?”

“Are any of you immediate family?” he asks, looking between the three of us.

“I’m her sister,” Lyric speaks up, not batting an eye at the lie that slips past her lips as she steps forward.

“Can I speak to you in the hallway?”

“Of course.” She nods, following the doctor out.

I drop down into the chair behind me, scrubbing my hands over my face. I’m so physically exhausted I think I could sleep right here, but mentally, I’ve never been more awake.

One minute passes. Two. I glance at my watch.

“I’m sure it’s fine.” Kai’s gaze is locked on me. “Though I can imagine how I’d feel if it were Lyric lying in a hospital bed.” He shakes his head like he can’t even stomach the thought.

“You really love her.” It’s not a question. Anyone with eyes can see that he’s crazy for my sister.

“More than anything.” He tips his chin in a nod.

“She’s lucky to have you.” I lean back, resting my head on the wall behind me.

“You’re wrong there, brother . I’m the lucky one.” A half-smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Though it seems like maybe I’m not the only one who’s garnered the love of a woman he doesn’t feel like he deserves.”

“Fuck.” I blow out a breath. “I don’t even know how it happened. I just...”

“Woke up one day and realized you couldn’t live without her?” He guesses.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Been there.” He chuckles.

This is the first time I’ve ever spoken to Kai so casually, and I have to admit, it’s not nearly as awkward as I thought it would be.

Our gazes both flash back to the door as Lyric steps through, her expression soft, hesitant, like there’s something she has to say and she really doesn’t want to say it. I know my sister well enough to be able to read that much from her demeanor.

“Well?” I sit up straighter, my heart suddenly beating against my ribs like it’s been injected with a high dose of adrenaline.

“She collapsed because her blood sugar was low and she was also a little dehydrated. And it appears as though she’s experiencing a miscarriage, which could have also played a factor.”

“Wait, what?” My jaw goes slack, sure that I’ve heard her wrong.

“They have her on IV fluids and want her to stay for a couple more hours for observation, just to make sure there are no further complications.”

“Did you say...”

“Miscarriage,” she confirms.

I stare at my sister for a long moment, sure that she’s said something else, but the ringing in my ears is suddenly so loud I can’t make out what or why, all of a sudden, both she and Kai are looking at me with the strangest expressions. Like they’ve pieced together what I have yet to.

Miscarriage?

As in, Charlotte was pregnant?

With my child?

Suddenly, the realization slaps me in the face, and I glance down to find my hands trembling where they’re fisted in my lap.

And now she’s not pregnant?

My thoughts scramble together, confusion and unease settling into my gut.

I don’t know whether to be relieved or devastated.

Honestly, I feel a little bit of both.

“Are you okay?” I think my sister says and someone touches my arm.

I try to pull in a breath, but it feels like my throat is suddenly closed and I can’t reach the air my lungs so desperately need. Pretty sure I’m on the verge of having a panic attack.

“River.” Lyric’s voice cuts through the fog and my gaze snaps to hers, understanding staring back at me.

“Did he say it’s because of her tumor? Is that why this happened?”

“You know about that?” She seems surprised, and maybe a little hurt. “The doctor just told me. I had no idea.”

“She doesn’t want people to know,” I force the words out past the sudden dryness of my mouth. “Can I see her?” I ask, pushing to a stand. I ignore the way my legs scream beneath my weight, my knees wobbling slightly.

“You can. But just one at a time for now. She’s understandably upset, and we don’t want to overwhelm her any more than she already is. Maybe I should go first,” she offers.

“It should be me.” I step past her. “What room is she in?” I ask once I reach the door, my back to the room.

“Just down the hall. Room 102B.”

I nod curtly, stepping out of the room without another word. I feel my sister’s gaze follow me long after I leave the waiting room and head down the hallway.