Read Online Surrogate by Maria Rachel Hooley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maria Rachel Hooley
Ads: Link
surreal, and Robbie suddenly felt her looking at him, her eyes taking in every part of him.
"Robbie," she whispered, and in that moment, it was Carrie's voice. His Carrie. He felt his throat tighten, and he wanted to hold onto that one moment and never let it go, afraid it might not come again.
"It's all right, baby," he whispered. "Just let me get you inside."
She swallowed hard. "There's not much time." Tears filmed her eyes and threatened to spill down her face. "You don't understand.
She was right, he thought, tightening his hold. There seemed an urgency about her, one that made him hasten his steps in carrying her to the bedroom and easing her down onto the mattress.
By the time Robbie had lain her down, new tears had replaced the old, and he felt he was stumbling in the dark again. He was lousy with tears, and this time he sensed there was something really big causing them.
But why had her speech pattern changed, almost as though there had been someone else in her body? That made no sense, and a cold chill swept down his spine.
He started to stand and take off his shoes when Carrie grabbed his hand, drawing him closer. "Robbie." It was a whisper, a plea.
"What?" He leaned in, kissing her cheek. "Why are you crying?" His voice was soft, and yet the pain growing inside him made speaking nearly impossible, at least without crying. He didn't have a clue what was haunting his wife, but he could feel it inside him, too, threatening to destroy everything he loved.
"It...doesn't matter." She set her palms to each side of his face and forced him to look deeply into her eyes, holding her palms there for what seemed an eternity, with her breath the only sound breaking the silence. His was slower as he forced himself to keep calm, telling himself he could handle anything.
"I don't understand," he whispered. "You have to tell me."
"I...can't."
The frightened look in her eyes cut through him, and he wanted to feel everything would be all right, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to feel that way again no matter how diligently he tried.
"You're scaring me, kiddo."
He thought she'd laugh at that, but she didn't. She just kept staring at him, seeming to memorize everything about him. Even more unnerved, he eased himself on the mattress beside her and kissed her again.
"What can I do?" he asked, longing for something to make all this easier. There was no doctor who could help him with what was going on, no friend who would understand what he, himself, could not. There was only Carrie.
"I love you," Carrie said, stroking his face. "I've always loved you, and I will always love you."
Her eyelids fluttered slightly, almost seeming to stumble in that motion before finally closing completely. The movement frightened Robbie because it reminded him of someone dying, which baffled him. Carrie was fine. Even the doctor had remarked at how strangely well she was considering what her injuries should have been.
"Carrie?" he whispered, thinking he could call her back to him.
No response.
Her hands slipped from his face, and the panic mounted.
"Carrie? Can you hear me?"
In the still of the night, he struggled to detect whether she were breathing, but she was so still, he couldn't tell.
"Damn it, Carrie--answer me!" He leaned over so his cheek was next to her mouth as he prayed for her next breath. When it came, it was extremely soft and slow, but it was there nonetheless.
Unsettled, Robbie felt his shoulders cave beneath the sudden relief. Of course, that didn't tell him what had just happened, but then again, maybe he didn't want to know. He laid his head on Carrie's chest and listened to the soft, steady gallop of her heart.
His wife was
"Robbie," she whispered, and in that moment, it was Carrie's voice. His Carrie. He felt his throat tighten, and he wanted to hold onto that one moment and never let it go, afraid it might not come again.
"It's all right, baby," he whispered. "Just let me get you inside."
She swallowed hard. "There's not much time." Tears filmed her eyes and threatened to spill down her face. "You don't understand.
She was right, he thought, tightening his hold. There seemed an urgency about her, one that made him hasten his steps in carrying her to the bedroom and easing her down onto the mattress.
By the time Robbie had lain her down, new tears had replaced the old, and he felt he was stumbling in the dark again. He was lousy with tears, and this time he sensed there was something really big causing them.
But why had her speech pattern changed, almost as though there had been someone else in her body? That made no sense, and a cold chill swept down his spine.
He started to stand and take off his shoes when Carrie grabbed his hand, drawing him closer. "Robbie." It was a whisper, a plea.
"What?" He leaned in, kissing her cheek. "Why are you crying?" His voice was soft, and yet the pain growing inside him made speaking nearly impossible, at least without crying. He didn't have a clue what was haunting his wife, but he could feel it inside him, too, threatening to destroy everything he loved.
"It...doesn't matter." She set her palms to each side of his face and forced him to look deeply into her eyes, holding her palms there for what seemed an eternity, with her breath the only sound breaking the silence. His was slower as he forced himself to keep calm, telling himself he could handle anything.
"I don't understand," he whispered. "You have to tell me."
"I...can't."
The frightened look in her eyes cut through him, and he wanted to feel everything would be all right, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to feel that way again no matter how diligently he tried.
"You're scaring me, kiddo."
He thought she'd laugh at that, but she didn't. She just kept staring at him, seeming to memorize everything about him. Even more unnerved, he eased himself on the mattress beside her and kissed her again.
"What can I do?" he asked, longing for something to make all this easier. There was no doctor who could help him with what was going on, no friend who would understand what he, himself, could not. There was only Carrie.
"I love you," Carrie said, stroking his face. "I've always loved you, and I will always love you."
Her eyelids fluttered slightly, almost seeming to stumble in that motion before finally closing completely. The movement frightened Robbie because it reminded him of someone dying, which baffled him. Carrie was fine. Even the doctor had remarked at how strangely well she was considering what her injuries should have been.
"Carrie?" he whispered, thinking he could call her back to him.
No response.
Her hands slipped from his face, and the panic mounted.
"Carrie? Can you hear me?"
In the still of the night, he struggled to detect whether she were breathing, but she was so still, he couldn't tell.
"Damn it, Carrie--answer me!" He leaned over so his cheek was next to her mouth as he prayed for her next breath. When it came, it was extremely soft and slow, but it was there nonetheless.
Unsettled, Robbie felt his shoulders cave beneath the sudden relief. Of course, that didn't tell him what had just happened, but then again, maybe he didn't want to know. He laid his head on Carrie's chest and listened to the soft, steady gallop of her heart.
His wife was
Similar Books
