Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dwayne
When Michael saw me, I was certain that he was going to rush out and attack me. He had his fists balled up and was standing on the balls of his feet, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he relaxed and looked to me, then Gillian, then back at me again. “What are you doing here?”
“Michael, can I talk to you outside for a moment?”
“Wait!” Gillian rushed over to get between us.
“No, it’s fine.”
“Come on,” I motioned for Michael to follow me out.
“Now, I’m going to ask you one more time,” he stepped out, his teeth bared. “What are you doing here?” He stepped closer.
I moved back, trying to keep my body language neutral. “What do you want me to say? You’re not stupid.”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“We’ve been dating for some time now.”
“You’re dating my sister.” He blazed forward, his fist raised. “Are you dating my sister!?”
I didn’t answer.
“I’m going to kill you. You’re my best friend. This is not okay.”
“We’re adults, Michael. It’s not something that I planned. I’m not using her for sex.”
“Then what is it?”
“I— I don’t know what it is.” I slumped against the wall. “But I know how I feel.”
“I don’t want to hear this crap.”
“What if it’s a good thing?” I couldn’t mask the anger in my voice. “What if she’s exactly what I need, and I’m the one she wants to be with?”
“You’re stepping into some dangerous territory.”
I stood up, met his eyes, and said, “Michael, I love her.”
Gillian was standing right next to the door. She went rigid went she heard me.
Michael got in my face. “You hurt her, I’ll kill you.”
“I don’t think I could do it if I tried.”
He nodded his head, resigned to the fact that there was nothing he could do. He turned around and walked back into his mother’s room. Gillian turned to me, met my eyes, and walked out. “Do you mean it?’
I was caught off guard, but I wasn’t going to deny it. “Yes.”
She pushed me against the wall and our lips crashed together, creating a flurry of sensation that rolled down my body like somebody poured a bucket of ice cold water on my head. She pulled away and took my hands. “I love you, Dwayne. I don’t want you to go anywhere.”
“I won’t. I couldn’t.”
She kissed again, this time slowly and passionately. She didn’t care that her brother was watching or that he wanted to kick my ass. I didn’t, either. I had a woman I loved, who I would spend every day trying to please, and there was nothing more beautiful.
A young Asian woman in a white coat walked into Gillian’s mother’s room. “Look,” I motioned towards the room.
“Come on.” She took my hand to bring me back into the room where the nurse had her mother propped up while she listened to her heart.
“Tell us something good,” Gillian’s father prompted.
The nurse held up a finger, forcing us to wait and see what happened. I could feel Gillian bristling with anticipation. There was a sense of uncertainty and a tension so thick I could almost reach out and touch it. When the nurse was done, she pulled out her clipboard and wrote something down.
“Well?” Gillian stepped forward.
“She’s going to have to stay for observation.”
“Is she stable?” Michael snapped.
“It’s hard to say with these things, but I don’t foresee any issues, so long as her EKG remains normal.”
“Thanks for the reassurance,” he snapped and stormed out.
“It’s the best I can do,” she shrugged.
“We know,” Gillian’s dad said.
“I feel fine. I just want to go home and take a shower.”
“You can bathe,” the nurse said, “but you can’t leave. I’m sorry.”
“This is some bull.” Gillian’s mother laid back.
“Mom, is there anything that you need?”
“No, I’ll be fine, and I don’t want you worrying. Go home and get some rest, okay?”
“Okay.” Gillian gave her mother a hug, and walked with me out into the hall.
“I don’t think it would do us any good to stay here any longer,” I said.
“I want to stay. It’s still up in the air, and I don’t want to leave her here.”
“She seems alright.”
“That’s just her way. Inside, she’s freaking out. She’d just never let on.”
“Do you want me to stay with you?”
“I can’t keep putting you through this. I’m sorry.”
“Hey.” I took her hand and lifted her chin so that she was looking up at me. “You don’t ever have to apologize for anything.”
She hugged me. “Get going. I’ll give you a call when I’m back in town.”
I didn’t want to leave her there. I knew she was still emotional and would be for a while, but this was a family matter. Old friend, lover, or not, I had no business being there.