ALAYNAWhen we return to the hospital, Brandon and the twins visit Pauline’s ward, and I remain in Oliver’s room. I can’t complain about that, even though jealousy hits me every time. Pauline is a human being who needs another human to look after her. It’s only ethical that Brandon would visit her since she almost died, though fortunately, she already passed the critical stage. However, Oliver hasn’t regained consciousness yet, although his doctor has assured us he will wake up soon.
I find my siblings in Oliver’s room with Casey and Cassius. I embrace Arianna as soon as I see her. She’s fine, but Jason has a bandage over his left bicep. He’s standing on his own two feet, though, which means he’s okay. His injury doesn’t look very serious, but I can’t help but worry.
“I’m perfectly fine, Laynie. It’s just a scratch,” Jason says.
I pat his uninjured arm. “We only just met up again, and you’re already jumping on bullets?” I pat him again and again. “Mom’s going to worry.”
“Ouch. Your jab hurts more!” he complains. “I’m okay.”
Everyone around us laughs.
I keep back my tears. “What exactly happened? Brandon hasn’t told me yet, but I did hear you worked with mobsters!”
He turns serious, and so does Arianna. Cassius and Casey shift their attention to me, showing the same reaction. And that isn’t just some curious expression on their faces.
I watch them. “You allJason’s jaw ripples and his eyes turn cold. It almost alarms me. “Laynie, don’t.”
I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms. “What? What now?”
“Uh, Laynie, why don’t we go for coffee?” Arianna steps to my side and hooks her hand through my arm. “I haven’t had breakfast yet—”
I roll my eyes and take her hand away. This isn’t supposed to be an issue anymore because Brandon already explained everything to me, but realizing that I’m the only one who doesn’t know makes me feel neglected. Don’t they trust me enough to share this knowledge? Although they have told me now after their mission is over, something could have happened to them, and I’d be the last one to find out why.
“A, I’m sorry, but you aren’t getting away from this. You all know. ”“Alayna, this is not the right place and time to talk about it,” Cassius says calmly, but also confirming his knowledge.
I exhale sharply. Fine. This might be some secret stuff no one should hear about. A doctor or a nurse could enter and hear us.
I nod. “Okay, that’s insensitive. I’m sorry.” I turn and head to the door.
“Alayna, where are you going?” Casey asks, sounding concerned.
“I’ll just look for Brandon.” An agonizing scream stops me. I turn back and find Ollie suddenly writhing in pain.
“No! Let me go! Let me go!”Cassius quickly moves to his side and touches his face. “Ollie? Ollie! Can you hear me?”
“Stop! Ahh!” Oliver continues to scream. He is kicking his feet, his fists are tightly clenched, and his limbs are stiffening.
Oh my God.“Ollie!” Cassius says once again, but Oliver isn’t responding; he continues to wriggle in pain. “Casey, call the doctor!”
Casey is momentarily baffled, watching her brother with wide eyes. Her lips and hands are trembling. She steps back, losing her balance, but Jason catches her.
“I’ll go,” Arianna volunteers and storms out the door.
Brandon suddenly strides in, breathless. “What’s happening?”
“He woke up just now, and he’s already like this,” Cassius answers, holding his brother’s arms firmly so he won’t fall down. “He needs something to calm him down.”
My legs suddenly stiffen. I want to go over there and hold Ollie, but I can’t seem to move a muscle.
A doctor and two nurses finally rush through the door and immediately attend to Oliver. “Mr. Lucien, Mr. Katrakis,” one of the nurses says, approaching them. “If you could wait outside, please? We will try our best to calm him down.”
Brandon tugs at his hair. “Can’t you give him something? Please, he’s... he’s probably in pain.”
“We’ll try our best, Mr. Lucien. Please, sir. If you could—”
“Alayna!” What?
That call abruptly makes everyone stop. Brandon and Cassius step back. I lift my head to see if I’m only hearing things until he repeats my name.
“Not her. No, no, no, don’t, please. Don’t. Alayna!” The doctor checks his pulse, flashes a light in his eyes, and motions for a nurse to hand him something. The nurse hands him a syringe and he injects something into Oliver’s IV.
After a few seconds, Oliver calms down, but he utters my name again as if he is in some kind of deep dream and I’m in it. “Alayna...”I cover my mouth. Everyone’s gaze is already on me, as well as the doctor’s. “Who among you is Alayna?” He looks at me, Casey, and Arianna.
I don’t move. I don’t have the strength to. I gaze up at Brandon whose gray eyes are peering at me. I guess he’s just as surprised as I am.
“Laynie?” Jason says. “Why don’t you try?”
I swallow hard. I raise my hand. “I am Alayna. What can I do, Doctor?”
“Why don’t you try to speak to him? Maybe he’ll hear you,” the doctor suggests.
Is that even how it works? I look at Brandon again, and he nods. Slowly, I walk closer to Oliver and call him softly.
“Ollie?” I reach for his hand and clasp his palm in mine. “It’s me... It’s Alayna.”
No response, but he’s whispering incoherent words. What exactly happened to him that he became like this? What did they do to him? My eyes finally fail me, and I’m shedding tears. I didn’t want to fall because I wanted to look strong in front of him—in front of everyone.
I haven’t taken a closer look at his face, but I can see now how his handsome features have faded. His lips are chapped, his face shrunk, and he’s very pale as if there’s not much blood left in his body. I wish I could hug him, but I’m afraid I might hurt him more.
“Oliver, you’re with us now, okay? No one’s going to hurt you anymore...” I say.
Suddenly, his hand responds to my hold.
“Ollie?”
He moans.
“Oliver, can you hear me? It’s Alayna.”
“A... Alayna...” he stutters.
“Yes, yes. It’s me. If you can hear me, please answer,” I plead.
I scan the room, and everyone seems to be waiting for a reaction too. The doctor sends me a nod of approval and gives his nurses a hand signal again.
Oliver adds force to his grip to let me know he’s responding. “Alayna...”
Gradually, he opens his eyes, and everyone lets out a sigh of relief simultaneously.
My shoulders and my body relax. “Oh, Ollie.” I laugh between tears.
When his eyes are finally wide open, he instantly recognizes me, lifting his hand so he can touch my face. His thumb slightly grazes my cheek.
“It’s you...”I cup his cheek, too, sobbing and letting my tears fall over my face. “Yes. You are okay. You’re back with us,” I repeat, and I’m not going to stop until he realizes that he’s safe.
He swallows and wearily looks at the people around him.
Casey appears next to him, still sniffing. “Damn it, you scared us!” she says and takes her brother’s free hand. “How do you feel?”
He tries to speak again. “Case...”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to speak.” She kisses her brother’s cheek. “You don’t need to force yourself....”
I gaze up and find Brandon and Cassius talking to the doctor at the door. Brandon’s expression is still stern. He stands by the door with his arms crossed over his chest. After another minute, the doctor exits, and the two cousins follow him.
BRANDONCassius returns from the counter with two cups of Americano. We’re now sitting downstairs in the hospital’s coffee shop. He sits across from me and gives me the other cup. I grip the hot ceramic, not minding how it hurts my fingers. I wonder what’s wrong with me suddenly. The way Oliver called Alayna’s name and relaxed in her presence bothers me. It’s not jealousy. I refuse to entertain that feeling; it’s something else... It’s not the right time to be even thinking about that. But I witnessed his pain or heard it.“Not her. No, no, no, don’t, please. Don’t. Alayna!”What was he begging for?
“Tell me. What are you thinking?” Cassius asks.
“Nothing.” My answer is quicker than the speed of light.
“I guess this is where both of us have to stand back. For Ollie.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, you don’t know.”
“What do I not know?” It isn’t a question but an irony. I grit my teeth and drink my coffee. Its bitterness blends with my confusion. “Of course I know it,” I say. I felt it.“Then why did you leave?”
“I don’t know.”
He relaxes his shoulders and leans back in the chair. “Fate can be cruel, can’t it?”
“What do you think Silvanus told Oliver about Alayna? You heard it too. You were there.”
“Honestly, I can’t think of anything else but something we already know. We know that they’re after her,” Cassius says and sips his coffee. “It means she still isn’t safe.”
“She’s not.”
“So, have you told Alayna?”
I shake my head. “I can’t. Not yet.”
“But you told her about Jason.”
“She doesn’t know the Wolf is her brother either.”
“Then when? When are you going to tell her?”
“Oliver just woke up.”
Cassius smiles. “That’s your call. You see, I don’t want to see her hurting again, but—”
I finish his sentence: “But this is necessary.”
“Right. I’m not going to protest about that either. You have to finish what you’ve started.” He leans forward again and clasps his fingers together. “But are you sure about that? Knowing Alayna, this won’t be easy for her to take in. For the secondI grunt under my breath. “I know that, but it’s not going to be like last year. I promise you that. I’m not going to leave her in the dark anymore. I will tell her after I make sure she and her family are safe.”
Cassius’s expression becomes annoyed. “Yes, Silvanus fled.”
“I never underestimated him. He moves like everything is a game. Behind the curtains, he has his father, and Charlie is just as crazy, but it’s odd that he hasn’t made a move yet.”
Unlike Silvanus, his brother Charlie plays the good kid in front of everyone, but we all know it’s the opposite. Apparently, he’s the hardest to read. His older brother might be the favorite son, but according to Cary and Stan, Charlie is doing everything he can to surpass his brother by working independently.
“We still have Pauline, so I don’t think they’ll stop,” Cassius says.
“That’s why we need to end this. Once and for all, Cassius. Our fight doesn’t end here.”
“We’re just getting started.” The satisfaction is evident in his eyes. “Count me in. It’s payback time. Not only for what they did to you but to Oliver too.”
Almost ludicrously, we clink our cups together and drink our coffee.