Page 81 of The Destruction You Desire

"I'm always a good boy," he states.

"I know, baby. I'll see you real soon, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, PeyPey."

"I love you too, Kayden." I blow a kiss down the line and hang up.

"Did you hear that, Lib? That was your baby."

My breath rushes from my lungs as she squeezes my hand again.

"Oh my God, you did." The tears that were burning my eyes drop freely, soaking into the white sheets covering my sister's body. "He's so incredible, Lib. You'll be so proud of him. He's so caring, so kind. And clever too. He learns things so fast, he's so inquisitive. He's actually taught me a thing or two. I can't wait for you to see him again."

Her eyelids flutter and my hands tremble as I hold hers.

The seconds feel like hours as I wait, willing her to look at me. But nothing could prepare me for what I find when she finally does. Her eyes that are so much like mine and our mom's are cold, empty, and my heart shatters into a million pieces.

"Libby, it's so good to see you," I force out through my pain.

I know she's only at the beginning of this long and painful journey right now. I know that. But staring reality in the face is another story.

Her free hand lifts to the forearm of the hand I'm holding, the one marred with the most scars from years of abuse by both needles and blades it seems and she scratches at it.

"It's going to be okay, Libby," I say again, not knowing what else to say in such a dire situation. "You're going to get through this. I'll do everything I can to get you through this."

Her eyes hold mine for a few more seconds, pain bleeding from them before her lids lower once more and she succumbs to her exhaustion and the meds being pumped through her body.

"Oh my God," I breathe once I'm confident she's asleep once more.

I hit the call button and wait for someone to appear around the door to tell them what happened.

I'm expecting a nurse but the person who appears is Dr. Willis.

"Everything okay, Peyton?"

"She woke up. S-she squeezed my hand and she looked at me."

"Okay, that's good. Do you think she recognized you?"

I shrug. "I don't think so. She just looked… broken."

I can't help but break down once more.

"I'm sorry," I mutter through my tears. "I'm just going to get some air."

"This is good news, Peyton. Things will get better. She probably wasn't even really awake."

I nod at her, knowing it's the truth but the look in my sister's eyes still haunts me, nonetheless.

My first reaction the second I get outside of the hospital and breathe in some fresh winter air is to call Luca and that reaction to what's just happened only makes me sob harder.

* * *

Every day since that first evening, Libby came around a little more and for a little longer each time.

Thankfully, by the next night, when she looked at me, there was a little more life in her eyes and I breathed a sigh of relief. Well, that was until she freaked out and tried ripping her IV out and the doctor on shift ended up putting her back to sleep before she hurt herself.

Yesterday, when she came to again, she actually said my name.