“I know you’re upset, kiddo, but we’re going to be safe here,” Dad continued. “The hotel we’re at is staying open for the guests who are stuck here, and there have been no reported cases of the virus in this town. Everything will be fine, I promise.”
“You also promised you’d get home to me.” It was a bratty response, but I felt like I needed to lash out. I was terrified for my parents, and I was powerless to help them. I immediately backtracked. “I’m sorry. I’m just really worried.”
“I know.”
I rubbed a hand across my cheeks, wiping away the tears. “Is Mom with you?”
“I’m right here, honey.” Her voice sounded slightly distant, as though I was on speakerphone.
“Are you okay?”
“We’re both fine,” Mom said. “You don’t need to be upset. Your dad and I are both doing well, and no one here is too concerned. It feels like we’re on an extended vacation.”
I shook my head. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“I’m really not,” Mom replied. “Everything is going to be fine.” I wasn’t sure whether to believe her though. I sat still on the floor as she continued talking, silently trying to absorb it all. My parents weren’t coming back. And there was every chance they could get really sick because of it.
The two of them continued trying to reassure me, but their words felt meaningless. Neither one of them could be truly certain of how safe they were or how things would transpire. They weren’t making me feel any better about the situation. If anything, I only felt worse.
Eventually, Dad drew the conversation to an end. “We have to go, kiddo. We need to make some other calls.”
“Okay,” I murmured in reply. I wasn’t ready to hang up on them. It felt like if we kept talking that maybe the situation might change. It was silly to feel that way, but I did all the same. I couldn’t keep them on the phone forever though.
As I hung up, I realized Aiden was still in the corridor. His eyes were filled with concern as he came over and sat beside me. He reached out and gently wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He didn’t say anything, and I was surprised by how comforting I found his touch.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against him, allowing him to pull me in close as the soft scent of his aftershave surrounded me. Normally, I would never have let Aiden hug me like this. It was far too intimate and unnervingly familiar.
Right now, it didn’t feel like we were Clary and Aiden though. I was nothing but a cracked shell, so close to breaking apart, and Aiden’s firm, warm grasp was the glue holding my fragile pieces together. I’d never needed anyone before, but I needed Aiden’s support right now as much as I needed oxygen to breathe. There was nothing I could do to help Mom and Dad, and for once, I was glad I wasn’t alone.
A knock sounded at my door later that afternoon. I’d put myself back to bed after extricating myself from an all too familiar hug with Aiden. I’d practically run away from him once my senses had returned and I realized exactly whose arms I was snuggling into for support. Thankfully, he’d left me alone after that, giving me the space I desperately needed.
I couldn’t say the same about his mom though. Jade had spent the morning in my room, trying to reassure me my parents would be okay. When she wasn’t trying to fix my misery with copious amounts of food, she was reiterating it was only a matter of time before they returned. She also kept reassuring me I could stay with her, Aiden, and Elliot as long as I needed. The thought of living with them wasn’t nearly as worrying as it had been at first, and I was surprised to find I was comforted by the thought.
Jade only left when I told her I was tired and needed some sleep. Really, I just wanted a break from talking and having to constantly turn down Jade’s offers of more food. I wasn’t sure why people thought food fixed things when you were sad. Whenever I was miserable, I couldn’t eat at all.
The knock sounded a second time, and I let out a groan. Whoever was out there wasn’t going away. I imagined it was Jade, back to try and force-feed