Read Online 'Til Death - Part 2 by Bella Jewel - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bella Jewel
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“Fuckin’ tell her. Tell her, Mack. Tell her I’m so fuckin’ sorry. Make her come back. Make her believe me.”
He shoves me off. “Pull yourself together. She’s gone. She’s fuckin’ gone, and you’re drowning with every fuckin’ minute.”
“Mack?” It’s Jaylah. His woman.
“Jay, not now.”
“Is he okay?”
“Not really.”
“Make her come back, Jaylah,” I rasp, tangling my fingers into my hair. “Somebody please, just make her come back.”
“Jesus,” Jaylah whispers as my world starts going blank again. “Poor man.”
~*~*~*~
NOW
KATIA
T he sound of my phone ringing raises me from my sleep. I blink, trying to clear my vision. My head is pounding and my stomach is turning. Memories of last night cause my stomach to twist angrily. I push up and reach over through the fading darkness to find my phone. I see my father’s number and my stomach drops.
Mom.
“Hello?” I ask.
“Katia,” he says, his voice low and broken. “It’s your mom.”
A sharp yet numbing pain shoots right up to my heart. My skin prickles. My ears ring. Everything seems to stop.
“Dad,” I croak. “ Please.”
“She had a stroke.”
A pained cry tears from my lips.
“She’s alive, but . . . Katia . . . they don’t think she’ll make it.”
I turn, shoving out of bed. “I’m coming, right now. I’m coming.”
“I’ve booked a flight; I’ll text you the details. It was the earliest I could get.”
“I’m coming,” I say again, frantically. “Dad, please.”
“Baby,” he murmurs, and I close my eyes. “Hurry.”
I hang up and ring Dusty right away.
“Katia, what’s wrong? It’s like, four a.m.?”
“Mom has had a stroke,” I say, my voice a monotone, emotionless mess. “She’s in hospital and I need to go to her.”
“Jesus.”
“I need . . . God, I don’t know what I need.”
“Penny, let Candy and I take her.”
“No,” I say sharply.
“Katia, it’s a long flight and you’re going to be sitting in a hospital. It’s not fair.”
My emotions blur into a big mess, a mess I can’t sift through. “I can’t leave her,” I croak.
“This is for the best. We’ll take care of her; you know we will. Katia, your mom needs you.”
I close my eyes, clenching them, trying to ease the pain.
“Okay. I’ll be gone for a few days then I’ll come back.”
“Take your time. I promise you Penny will be okay.”
“I’m leaving soon. Can you come over?”
“I’m on my way.”
I hang up and turn to Penny. My heart burns. I want to take her. I can’t bear the thought of being away from her, but Dusty is right. It’s not fair to put her back on a plane and then expect her to sit in a hospital quietly. I crawl into the bed beside her, and I burst into a fit of uncontrollable tears.
I can’t lose my mom.
CHAPTER TWELVE
KATIA
“S he’s going to be okay,” Candy soothes, holding me close as I climb into the cab.
“Please text me all the time. I need to know Penny is doing all right,” I whisper.
“I promise.”
I stare at Dusty, who is playing happily with Penny. He looks up at me, blows a kiss and gives me a thumbs up. He’s trying to reassure me, but nothing feels right at the moment. Nothing. The cab driver starts off and I can’t even bring myself to wave at my friends. If I look back I’ll break down, and I can’t deal with that right now.
The ride to the airport is dull and slow, so slow that by the time we get there, I’m late. I pay the cab driver and step out. I’m about to step inside the building when arms go around my waist. I scream, thrashing as I’m dragged towards a car. When I’m thrown in, I turn and lunge, only to see Marcus blocking the doorway.
“You won’t talk to me. I’ll make sure you do. You’re not leaving, Katia.”
I open my mouth to scream that he’s got it all wrong, but he climbs into the car, pressing a hand over my mouth. He’s angry, his eyes gone far and beyond compassion. He leans forward and starts
He shoves me off. “Pull yourself together. She’s gone. She’s fuckin’ gone, and you’re drowning with every fuckin’ minute.”
“Mack?” It’s Jaylah. His woman.
“Jay, not now.”
“Is he okay?”
“Not really.”
“Make her come back, Jaylah,” I rasp, tangling my fingers into my hair. “Somebody please, just make her come back.”
“Jesus,” Jaylah whispers as my world starts going blank again. “Poor man.”
~*~*~*~
NOW
KATIA
T he sound of my phone ringing raises me from my sleep. I blink, trying to clear my vision. My head is pounding and my stomach is turning. Memories of last night cause my stomach to twist angrily. I push up and reach over through the fading darkness to find my phone. I see my father’s number and my stomach drops.
Mom.
“Hello?” I ask.
“Katia,” he says, his voice low and broken. “It’s your mom.”
A sharp yet numbing pain shoots right up to my heart. My skin prickles. My ears ring. Everything seems to stop.
“Dad,” I croak. “ Please.”
“She had a stroke.”
A pained cry tears from my lips.
“She’s alive, but . . . Katia . . . they don’t think she’ll make it.”
I turn, shoving out of bed. “I’m coming, right now. I’m coming.”
“I’ve booked a flight; I’ll text you the details. It was the earliest I could get.”
“I’m coming,” I say again, frantically. “Dad, please.”
“Baby,” he murmurs, and I close my eyes. “Hurry.”
I hang up and ring Dusty right away.
“Katia, what’s wrong? It’s like, four a.m.?”
“Mom has had a stroke,” I say, my voice a monotone, emotionless mess. “She’s in hospital and I need to go to her.”
“Jesus.”
“I need . . . God, I don’t know what I need.”
“Penny, let Candy and I take her.”
“No,” I say sharply.
“Katia, it’s a long flight and you’re going to be sitting in a hospital. It’s not fair.”
My emotions blur into a big mess, a mess I can’t sift through. “I can’t leave her,” I croak.
“This is for the best. We’ll take care of her; you know we will. Katia, your mom needs you.”
I close my eyes, clenching them, trying to ease the pain.
“Okay. I’ll be gone for a few days then I’ll come back.”
“Take your time. I promise you Penny will be okay.”
“I’m leaving soon. Can you come over?”
“I’m on my way.”
I hang up and turn to Penny. My heart burns. I want to take her. I can’t bear the thought of being away from her, but Dusty is right. It’s not fair to put her back on a plane and then expect her to sit in a hospital quietly. I crawl into the bed beside her, and I burst into a fit of uncontrollable tears.
I can’t lose my mom.
CHAPTER TWELVE
KATIA
“S he’s going to be okay,” Candy soothes, holding me close as I climb into the cab.
“Please text me all the time. I need to know Penny is doing all right,” I whisper.
“I promise.”
I stare at Dusty, who is playing happily with Penny. He looks up at me, blows a kiss and gives me a thumbs up. He’s trying to reassure me, but nothing feels right at the moment. Nothing. The cab driver starts off and I can’t even bring myself to wave at my friends. If I look back I’ll break down, and I can’t deal with that right now.
The ride to the airport is dull and slow, so slow that by the time we get there, I’m late. I pay the cab driver and step out. I’m about to step inside the building when arms go around my waist. I scream, thrashing as I’m dragged towards a car. When I’m thrown in, I turn and lunge, only to see Marcus blocking the doorway.
“You won’t talk to me. I’ll make sure you do. You’re not leaving, Katia.”
I open my mouth to scream that he’s got it all wrong, but he climbs into the car, pressing a hand over my mouth. He’s angry, his eyes gone far and beyond compassion. He leans forward and starts
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