Zimmerman’s eyes go wide but quickly turn to confusion. “Aren’t you with some model? I don’t understand.”
“I’m referring to Peyton.”
“Peyton?”
“Yes, the one who you somehow conned to get into your car, then tried to kill.”
Kyle shakes his head. “No. I was taking her out to dinner. I saw her earlier, at the game, and we clicked.”
My jaw clenches. I don’t want to hear that they hit it off. That she would choose him over me. I look down at my wet shoes to avoid eye contact with Kyle. I’m so stupid for not telling her years ago how I felt.
“Can I see her?”
“No!” I blurt out.
“Yeah, my lawyer says the same thing. I didn’t…” he pauses and turns his attention to the window. “That truck came out of nowhere.”
Just like the one that killed her father.
“Please tell her I’m sorry, that I’ll make it up to her. I don’t know how or when, but I will.”
“Right. Well, if she survives I’ll be sure to let her know how sorry you are.” I stand and head toward the door.
“Westbury?” he calls out. “I didn’t know she was seeing someone, let alone you. I’m not the kind of guy who moves in on another man’s woman. I didn’t know. But if she is yours and you’re messing around on her…” he shakes his head. “She seems like too good a woman to have a man treat her like that.”
I don’t bother correcting or telling him that I agree as I leave his room. He doesn’t need to know that I’m battling demons right now. Instead of heading back to Peyton’s floor to spend more time with her, I go back down to the main entrance, hoping that my new friend is there. Luckily for me, he is.
“Why are you still here, Leo?” I’m thankful he is but expected him to be at the nearest diner eating his weight in meatloaf.
He shrugs. “Someone told me that I should wait for you, that you need a friend.”
I look around, wondering if my mom or Elle is outside. “Who?”
“Dunno. Couldn’t get a good look at her, but she told me she loves you and asked that I stay until you came back. So here I am.”
“Yeah, here you are. Why don’t we go inside? The cafeteria isn’t serving food right now, but they have disgusting coffee with our names on it.”
“Sounds good to me,” he says as he gets up and follows me inside. He walks with a slight hunch and shuffles his feet as fast as he can to keep up with my long stride. The receptionist gives me a look, but I ignore her. A hospital is supposed to be a safe haven for people like Leo.
“I’m really glad you were still out there,” I say to him as we enter the elevator.
“Me too. Now I can tell you what’s wrong with your team.” He laughs, and deep down I’m laughing too. It has to be the first time since I heard the news about Peyton, and it feels pretty good.
13
Peyton
In my room, my mom and dad are asleep in the hard plastic chairs. Each of them has an arm across my stomach and they’re holding hands while my sister lies next to me. Quinn is propped up against the wall, staring at me intently. I wish I could ask him what he’s thinking or how he’s feeling, much like I told Noah’s friend to wait for him, but I don’t want to give Quinn false hope that I’m going to make it.
They’re waiting for me to die. They want to be in here so I’m not alone. “She won’t make it through the night.” Those are the words that play on repeat. There are a few who have hope, but I think most are resigned to the fact that I’m not supposed to live.
Death is coming. I can feel it, and I don’t know how to fight it. It would be one thing if death were an inanimate object that I could touch, but it’s not. It’s a pull I’ve been ignoring since the truck slammed into me. I wasn’t ready then, but maybe I am now.
I know I don’t want to die because I would miss everyone, although it’s a thought that I’m finding hard to understand. How will I know? Is everyone guaranteed to keep an eye on his or her family as time goes on? What if I die and never have the ability to see them again?
Out in the hall, it’s quiet for the most part. The other rooms are dark, but you can hear the beeping of machines, notifying all those who are listening that the person in the room is still here. There is one nurse at the large desk, her head is bent and she looks like she’s reading or maybe studying. The other two nurses are moving from room to room, checking the patients. Only three nurses to maintain a section where everyone is likely dying.
It’s odd. Now I can think of a place where I want to be and I’m there. I expect to find a waiting room full of people, but only my aunts Josie and Jenna are there, along with my uncle Jimmy. Everyone is sleeping, but the television is on with no sound. The bright colors of the TV show they are watching casts shadows around the small room.