Page 88 of #Lovestrong

Lena

"Where's Declan?" Grandpa stops at the fridge, his voice startling me so badly, I jump. I've paced the living room for the last twenty-five minutes. He was running late, but he should’ve been here forever ago.

"I don't know," I say, trying not to cry. "It's 10:45. He texted at 9:50 that he was on his way. He should’ve been here by now."

Grandpa stops what he's doing and stares at me, concern creeping into his eyes. Declan only lives fifteen minutes away in good conditions. Even in this weather, it shouldn't take him an hour to get here.

A series of loud bangs on the door startles both of us and I jump before running to the door and yanking it open, a smile spreading across my face. As I look up, the world stops. Jackson stands on the porch, tears streaking down his face, snow covering his hair. My hand covers my chest, trying to keep my heart from breaking through my skin as I back up and Jackson steps inside.

"Lena, get dressed," he says with pain just below the surface of his voice.

"What happened, Jackson?"

He sighs as new tears fall from his eyes, shaking his head back and forth. "There was an accident. We're going to the hospital and we may not have a lot of time. Hurry up and get dressed."

I look over my shoulder at my grandpa and he nods, just once. Taking a step forward, I plop down on the floor and pull on my socks from earlier and my boots, before getting up and grabbing my biggest hoodie from the coat rack. Jackson holds his hand out to me and together we move as quickly as possible in the slick, icy, snow-covered terrain to his truck.

I want to cry, but I won't. As Jackson starts the truck, I close my eyes and pray to myself. I lost Cameron, but there's no way God would do this to me twice. He can't. God brought Declan and I together, and He pushed us to survive all this. In my heart of hearts, I know Declan is who God intends for me, and I know deep down, He won't snatch him from me.

Will He?

Before I know it, Jackson is pulling into the emergency room parking lot and throwing the truck into a spot. Before he can get out, I've got my door open and meet him around the front of the truck. We walk quickly into the waiting room area, and to the left someone says my name loudly. I turn in time to catch Darcy as she throws herself at me, burying her head in my shoulder, her arms around my neck, sobbing like I didn't even think was possible for a person as evil as Darcy.

I haven't spoken to her, or even looked in her direction, since Homecoming. Her tears and cries are genuine though, and my arms tighten around her. Despite how things have seemed over the last few months, she loves her brother. It dawns on me . . . Darcy and Declan are twins. They came into this world together.

Out of the corner of my eye, Candice and Declan's parents come over to Jackson. Gently, I disengage from Darcy and she takes my hand and pulls me over to her parents, wiping her nose and face on her jacket sleeve.

"Where is he?" I stare at Declan's mom. Her eyes shine with tears, but she doesn’t let them fall.

Please don't say dead. Please don't say dead.

"He's in surgery, Lena. If he makes it, it could be a while." At her words, another muffled sob comes from Darcy's lips.

I shake my head and stand taller. I won't doubt Declan's strength. No. I step forward and take his mom's hands in mine, squeezing them like a lifeline. "Not if, when. When he makes it. Declan's not going anywhere."

If I keep saying it, maybe I can manifest it to become true. His mother nods and pulls me in for a hug.

This is going to be the longest night of my life.

When she lets go of me, I turn to Jackson. "Where's the hospital chapel?"