24. Brotherly Concern
1051 Words
My life has been starting to change since I moved away from Katherine and to this town. The only thing that has not changed is the stress of dealing with my mother, worrying about protecting my siblings, and trying to hide the secret from everyone I know. I feel guilty for not telling Kali. She is my person, I could tell her anything and she would be by my side no matter what. I want to tell Jason and Kali about my secret, but I’m enjoying this moment Jason and I are having.
I continued to gawk at Jason, who just sat in the chair and caressed my hand, rubbing a circular pattern on the back of my hand. His gaze focused on my hand and the pattern he was making. We were both pulled out of our trances by the ringing of a phone. The ringing came from my backpack, which was sitting on the bench Kali was sitting on when I first woke up. Jason let go of my hand and stood to his feet. He walked to my bag and picked up my backpack, unzipping the small front pouch, and took out my phone. He set my bag down, before turning around and handing me my phone. I took it and looked at the caller's ID, it said, ‘Dr. Athletic,’ which is Danny’s contact name on my phone.
I give all my contacts who are close friends and family members contact nicknames, so everytime my phone rings or alerts me of a message, the nickname appears. It’s also to keep nosy people guessing who’s trying to get ahold of me. Jared is labeled as a ‘Tech Wizard’ and Dan is labeled as a ‘Fire Hero’.
I pressed the answer and put the phone to my ear.
“Hello, Emma?” Danny said.
“Hi Danny,” I responded.
“Are you okay? What happened? Dad said you were in the hospital,” he questioned me.
“I’m okay. The doctors are running tests to find out why I had a seizure,” I explained.
“Wait, what a SEIZURE? Emma, you had a seizure?” Danny questioned in a loud dumbfounded tone.
“Yes, that is what I just said,” I told him in a ‘duh’ tone.
“Are you sure you're okay?” he asked, in a concerned tone.
“I’m fine. I am not in a coffin yet, so I am okay,” I stated sarcastically, rolling my eyes. I looked over at Jason, who looked ready to fall over from shock, while he shook his head at the way I was talking. I covered my mouth to hold in the laugh that threatened to escape.
“Em, that is NOT funny!” Danny scolded, sternly.
“Lighten up big bro,” I responded, stifling a laugh. “Just a bit of joking humor to kill the tension.”
“Have you talked to mom?” he asked. The word ‘mom’ sounded through the phone like a long echo sounding through the mountains. Mom.Mom.Mom. I cleared my throat.
“No,” I mumbled, trying to hide the tone of disgust in my voice. I was so not ready to talk or see my mother. “It is not like she is on the top of my list to talk to.”
“Emma, don’t say that,” Danny scolded. He knew Katherine and I did not see eye-to-eye. He also knew me talking about her was not something I liked to do. I would avoid any topic that involved her altogether.
“Fine,” I said, with a heavy sigh. There was a long silence and shuffling on the other end.
“I have nothing planned this week, so I was going to come see you tomorrow. I will be staying till Monday.”
“Can’t wait! I want you to meet some of my friends,” I replied, smiling at Jason. Jason smiled and rolled his eyes at me.
“Can’t wait! I have to go sis. See you tomorrow!”
“Okay, see you, bye.”
I hung up before Danny could say bye. I handed my phone to Jason and he took it, placing it on the table at the end of the bed.
“Can I tell you something?” I asked, biting my bottom lip and fiddling with the hymn of the blanket. I looked at my hands, as I continued to twist my fingers in the hymn of the blanket. Such a nervous habit. I was scared that if I looked at him, I was not going to be able to tell him about the possibility that I had many seizures before.
“Emma, you can tell me anything,” Jason assured me, making his tone firm and soothing, which seemed to build my confidence.
“I’m scared. I have been through more than any person should or can handle,” I muttered, afraid to look up from my hands. “I’m a mess to be honest. My family drama is not like other families. The picture is more broken than it seems.”
There was a short moment of silence. Jason looked at me and remained looking at him. His eyes were a warm golden chocolate brown. They were mesmerizing. I was entranced with them.
“Emma, I am willing to take on your challenging family if you can handle mine,” he said, with a cocky smile. His cocky smirk and voice pulled me away from his enticing eyes.
“Ha, ha. But I am being serious,” I told him, all jokes aside. “Telling you everything about my past could cause a lot more drama than you think.”
Jason reached his hand out towards me, and I flinched as a reflex. I knew Jason noticed my reaction as soon as it happened. He got up and laid on the bed. He put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to him. I turned on my side, my head on his chest, and rested my left hand on his chest next to my cheek.
“You can tell me when you are ready. For now, you need to rest,” he told me, kissing the top of my head.
- Writer
