damage we can’t work on, but since she was out for a while before her heart started beating we don’t know when she’ll wake up. That kind of trauma can impact the brain a lot.”
“She’s in a coma?” I ask.
“Yeah. I can’t say when she’ll pull out of it. We finished surgery an hour ago and we’ve been monitoring her. She could wake up soon, or it could be tomorrow or next week, or next month, or…well we have no idea. Her vitals are strong so we have hope, it’s just on her now.”
“Thank you. Thank you for saving her.”
“You’re welcome. I suggest you all go home and get some rest. You won’t be allowed to see her for another few hours anyway while she’s in the recovery suite. I can call you to let you know if there are any changes.”
“Call me. I’ve got my name down as her next of kin,” Massimo says.
“Okay, I’ll do that,” the doctor says and leaves us.
“You guys go home,” Massimo says looking to each of us. “I’m gonna stay but hang out in my car.”
“I’m staying, I’m sorry I know you just gave me an order but I can’t leave,” Dominic says. A tear drifts down his cheek and he walks away not waiting for Massimo’s answer.
Massimo’s face softens as he watches him walk back over to where he was previously sitting.
“I’ll take Isabella home and come back,” I say.
“I’d prefer to stay,” Isabella cuts in. “I want to stay if that’s okay.”
She looks exhausted, like she can barely keep her eyes open. I’m touched she wants to stay but I think she should go back to the house and sleep.
“It is okay but you need to sleep. I’ll take you back and I’ll call home to make sure you have any updates,” I answer. “Okay?”
“Alright.”
I put out my hand to take hers and she takes it.
As we walk out I notice Massimo doesn’t go to his car like he said he would, he goes over to sit opposite Dominic.
I give him credit because I don’t know if I could do the same, or when this rage will leave me.
Dominic was on drugs. I still can’t believe it. I still can’t.
Isabella and I drive back in silence. She falls asleep for a little while on the way back but wakes up before we reach. When we get out of the car and walk into the house it feels strange. There’s a hollow feel to the place I can’t ignore.
We’re on the other side, far from the living room where Candace was shot, but that hollowness is so thick it surrounds the house.
I take Isabella up to her room. As I’m about to leave her I realize this should be goodbye again. This should be it.
We walk in and she turns to face me with huge sad eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I feel like my presence was what got him so worked up. he was really upset and it’s understandable.”
“You can’t blame yourself for what happened. Dominic was high Isabella.”
I still want to beat the shit out of him. I don’t even know how he gathered himself so quickly after he shot Candace. I full well expected him to shoot all of us in the state he was in.
Back at the hospital, his pupils still looked dilated.
“I feel like I was the straw that broke his back. I could see it when he spoke about your father.”
“He shouldn’t have talked about you that way,” I say. “The problem existed before we met you.”
I think about it all, replaying tonight’s events in my mind. Dominic believed we weren’t there for him. That wasn’t the first time he’s said that to me. He said that the other week too. Tonight he pointed out that no one spoke about losing Pa. That’s true. If I’m being honest he’s right about that. We didn’t. I think having to grieve Pa by himself set the chain in motion for him to get hooked on drugs.
I gaze on at Isabella and see how sad she looks. I move closer to her and she moves to me, arms outstretched.
I take her into mine and hold her. My heart starts beating rapidly and the closeness makes me want to take comfort in her.
Everything she is to me stops me from resisting the pull of need that stirs within my soul. It feels like the most natural thing to do when I lower my lips to hers and we kiss.