CHAPTER TEN
Indiana
I’m hiding out in my room away from my dad when Carter comes barrelling through my door. Have I got my days mixed up? I thought he wasn’t coming back until tomorrow night. The look on his face tells me he’s not happy. He stalks towards me without uttering a word. Suddenly, I’m lifted from my bed and slung over his shoulder in one swift motion.
“Carter! What the hell?” Has he lost his damn mind?
“If I was you, I’d keep that trap of yours shut. I’m in no need for your bullshit,” he snaps as his hand comes down hard on my arse. Ouch.
“What the fuck is your problem? Put me the hell down, arsehole.” All the blood is rushing to my head making it throb.
“Zip it,” he says as he storms through the kitchen heading towards the front door. I’m upside down, but I can clearly see the smile on my father’s face as I pass.
“Daddy, help me. He’s lost his mind,” I scream.
“Sorry, Pumpkin. Can’t do that. It’s for the best.” What? Next thing I know, I’m being seated in the passenger side of Carter’s car. Immediately I try to get back out. I’m not going anywhere with this crazy-arse bastard.
“Don’t even think about it,” he growls, giving me a look that instantly has me recoiling in the seat. He reaches for the seatbelt and leans over me, clicking it into place. “If you try and escape you’ll be sorry.” He locks the passenger side door before stalking around to the driver’s side. All the while my dad stands on the front porch with a grin on his face. I pinch myself. This has to be a nightmare. Ouch. Nope I’m awake.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask when he’s seated in the car. His angry eyes meet mine.
“Where do you think? To the fucking doctors.” Oh hell fucking no. Christ, my dad must’ve called him. Traitor. How could he?
“You can’t make me go,” I say reaching for the buckle of my seatbelt.
“I can and I will,” he replies grabbing my hand to stop me. Tears burn my eyes. I’m not sure if it’s from anger because he’s forcing me to do this, or from fear. I have no interest in hearing what the doctor has to say. None whatsoever.
“You can’t force me to do this,” I sneer through gritted teeth.
“I’ve got news for you, sweetheart. I can, and I fucking will.”
“This is kidnapping.” If this fucker didn’t just snatch me from my bed without giving me the chance to grab my purse or my phone, I’d be calling triple zero right now.
“Kidnapping,” he chuckles like some evil psychopath. “Your father’s a police officer and he doesn’t see it that way.” His head snaps in my direction when I reach for the door handle. He looks at my hand before making eye contact with me. One of his evil eyebrows raise as he gives me a warning look that say’s, don’t try me.
“I can’t believe you two,” I snap letting go of the door and crossing my arms over my chest like a spoilt child. Talk about overreacting. It’s a damn headache. I exhale an exasperated breath as he starts the car and backs out of the driveway. “I hate you right now.” His brow furrows and his grip on the steering wheel tightens making his knuckles turn white, but he chooses to ignore my comment.
No words are spoken on the drive to the doctor’s surgery. I’m pissed that they’re making me go. When he parks the car, he gets out. Crossing my arms over my chest in protest, I don’t move. He walks around to my side of the car and opens the door. “Get out,” he demands.
“Make me.” He sighs before bending over and undoing my seatbelt.
“Have it your way,” he growls before lifting me out of the car and slinging me over his shoulder again.
“Put me down, arsehole. I’ll walk.” I’m mortified that he’s going to carry me inside.
“Nope. You had your chance.”
“You suck,” I tell him as I slap his back like a brat. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to hear what the doctor has to say. I suddenly understand how my mum felt when she was faced with this. Tears of frustration rise to my eyes. Sometimes it’s better off not knowing the truth. In my heart I know what he’s going to say. I’ve had my headache for over two weeks. At first I thought it was stress, but when things settled down and they still didn’t go away, I started to have my doubts. Although it worried me, I pushed all my concerns to the back of my mind. I refused to believe it was anything but a simple headache. Even though logic told me it was more.
This morning when I confessed to my dad the reason why I’ve been lying down so much, not only did the colour completely drain from his face, but he had to reach out and grab hold of the table because his legs threatened to give out from underneath him. I knew in my heart my concerns were founded. I’m only twenty-two years old. I haven’t even experienced all that life has to offer.
I don’t want to die.
••••
An hour later we leave the doctor’s surgery. It’s safe to say my stomach is in knots. I have to fast from midnight tonight and be at the hospital by 8:00am tomorrow for a blood test and a CT scan. The doctor seemed quite concerned by the duration of my headaches and, of course, my family history. He called the hospital before we left to arrange my appointments for the morning. Dread fills me when I think about everything I’m going to have to face tomorrow.
We’re both silent on the drive home. Carter held my hand from the minute we entered the doctor’s room and didn’t let go until we left. He has no idea what having him by my side means. I’m still angry that he brought me here against my will, but I understand why he did. I’m grateful that he cares enough to make me come.
“How you feeling?” he asks when we pull into the driveway. I shrug. Numb would be the best word I guess. “It’s going to be okay,” he says reaching over the centre console and squeezing my leg. I appreciate the sentiment behind his words, but is it going to be okay? Am I going to end up another statistic, just like my mum? Tears burn my eyes when I think of what this is going to do to my dad.
“I need to go and talk to my dad,” I say, my voice cracking. I remove my seatbelt and reach for the handle on the door. “Thanks for forcing me to go against my will, I guess.” What else can I say to him? This is exactly why I didn’t want to go in the first place.
I don’t want to know.
Carter removes his seatbelt and quickly exits the car. Before I know it, he’s opening the passenger side door and pulling me into his arms. He squeezes me so damn tight I think I’m going to bust. When he eventually lets go, he cups my face in his hands. The look I see in his eyes is almost my undoing. I can’t break down in front of him. He’ll think I’m weak.
“Whatever happens tomorrow, I promise you we’ll get through it together.” That’s all it takes for the dam to burst. Shit. I’ve been trying to keep my emotions at bay since we left the doctors. I inhale a large breath to force the tears back down, but as I do, an ugly sob escapes me. “Fuck,” he says as he engulfs me in is arms again, pinning the side of my face against his chest with his hand. I hear the erratic beat of his heart as his body trembles against mine.
••••
Carter is on my doorstep at 7:00am. I never asked him to come with me this morning, but I guess he’s invited himself. My dad didn’t take the news too well last night. Carter insisted that he come with me to break it to him, but I felt it was something I needed to do alone. I hate that my dad has to go through this all over again.
When his shoulders slumped and he buried his face in his hands and cried, it broke my heart. That was when I realised I need to fight this with everything I have. I need to be strong for him. No matter how I’m feeling on the inside, no matter what the outcome of the tests, I have to put my big girl panties on and deal with it the best way I can.
“You don’t have to come with us this morning,” I tell Carter when I answer the door. “My dad has taken the next few days off work to be with me.”
“Well tough, I’m coming as well. For both of you,” he says as he pushes his way past me and enters the house. His pigheadedness should piss me off, but it doesn’t. I find myself smiling at his retreating back as he walks down the hall towards the kitchen. I may or may not be in for the fight of my life, but it’s good to know if I am, I’m not alone.