Chapter 26

I heard Izzy scream as Zane tackled me, and my vision went red. This jackass had already assaulted her once, bruised her, harassed her, and fucking frightened her more times than I was willing to count. And then the second he got a chance, he fucking did it again. No matter how many times I warned him off.

I landed against the stairs, hard, and a sharp pain stabbed at me as the edge of the step jabbed across my back. It sucked the air from my lungs, and before I could recover, Zane punched me in the jaw, knocking my head back against a step. My eyes flashed red with rage, and I grabbed onto him, flinging him away.

I leaned forward, my eyes searching for the step where Izzy would be, wanting to make sure she was okay. I didn’t think I’d bumped into her when Zane lunged, but something in the back of my mind told me I should have.

When I saw the empty step, the scream that still echoed violently in my ears suddenly sounded much more ominous. My eyes found hers a mere split second later, and fear rushed through me, like a claw piercing as it clenched at my heart in my chest.

I would’ve given anything to reach out to her, to save her from that terrifying fall, but I was too far away. I froze as that thought registered, my body temporarily paralyzed in shock. All I could do was watch in horror as she fell, holding her fearful, shocked eyes with mine for the few hour-long seconds before her head slammed into the corner of a bench several rows down. Her eyes shut instantly, her body going limp, and I felt my heart cripple in terror as Izzy tumbled down the rest of the stairs, unconscious.

She laid at the bottom of the stands, motionless, her body turned at unnatural angles, and when my body finally unlocked, I jumped up, leaping down the stairs to reach her, taking two to three steps at a time.

I had to reach her.

She had to be okay.

“Izzy!” I yelled, terror reining through my voice.

I couldn’t take it if she wasn’t okay.

“Tucker, no! Mateo, stop him!” Jet yelled out, the sound of my best friend barely registering over my panic. Annie’s screams for Izzy were much louder.

“You can’t move her!” Jet yelled again, but that hadn’t even crossed my mind. All I knew was that I had to reach her.

Leaping over the last row, I was suddenly knocked back, falling in a heap over the benches with someone on top of me. I shoved out and swung, making contact, but Mateo didn’t pull back, holding his ground. He took the blows freely as I kicked, punched, and shoved, desperate to break free.

“Fuck, Tucker, will you stop it?” Mateo grated.

“Get off!” I shouted. I just wanted to reach Izzy. She needed me. I had to tell her she’d be okay. She had to be. There was no other option my mind would consider.

“I can’t!” Mateo shouted back, now pinning my hands behind my back. “You can’t move her, man! You could make her worse!”

It took a second to sink in, but I stopped thrashing then, my body going limp in defeat as the truth of those words hit. I couldn’t touch her. Not if I wanted her to be okay.

I desperately needed her to be okay.

“Izzy!” Annie’s voice rang out over the night now that I was still. A part of me going numb. I watched through the space under the seat of the next bench as Annie collapsed only a few short feet from her limp twin, already scrambling to reach her side.

Jet pounced, wrapping his arms around her torso and pinning her arms to her sides. He sat back, pulling her into his lap as she screamed and thrashed against him. Cursing at him to let her go.

“Sweetheart, you have to calm down. You’re not helping her like this. None of us can help her like this,” he stressed in her ear.

She sagged, the fight going out of her like it had me.

“Emma, call 911,” Jet instructed before going back to whispering in his girlfriend’s ear, still trying to calm her down. Movement to my right drew my attention as Emma sat on the bench a few feet down from Izzy, her hands shaking as she pulled out her phone.

It was somehow the comment I needed to jerk me back into action. Izzy needed help, and she wasn’t getting it with me pinned down.

“Let me go, Mateo. I’m calm now. I won’t move her. But I need to go to her. She can’t just lie there alone.” My voice cracked at the end, and I felt my friend’s grip ease.

“I’m holding you to that, man. I’ll tackle you and take your shit all over again if you try.”

“Deal.” Whatever he needed to threaten as long as I could get to my girl.

He released me, and I quickly crawled down to Izzy’s side, my breath catching in my chest when I was finally able to see her up close. She looked horrible. Pale and broken. Her face seemed to be twisted in pain even though she wasn’t anywhere close to consciousness.

And the blood on the stairs? Where was it all coming from?

Renewed panic filled my lungs, and I reached out and immediately felt Mateo’s hand pull against my shoulder. I yanked it away. “I won’t move her!”

I wanted so badly to comfort her. To pull her into my arms and hold her. Soothe the pain I knew she had to be feeling. But I couldn’t. I wasn’t allowed. Not if I didn’t want to hurt her worse. Instead, I placed my hand on top of hers and reached up to stroke the hair back from her face.

“I’m right here, princess. You’ll be alright.” I wanted to believe the words so badly, even as my voice cracked through my whispers. I ran my fingers through her hair, feeling something warm and wet. I pulled them back, my mind dulling in a new panic with the red that now covered my hand.

Mateo cursed from behind me, and Emma gasped from my side, their presence barely registering. All I could do was stare at my bloody hand in shock. I’d watched her head smack into the bench. Was it just cut and bleeding or worse?

“You need to put pressure on it.” There was an urgent voice from above.

My head jerked up to find Zane, and anger pulsed with hatred through my body. “Why the hell are you still here?! Get the hell away from her!” Even yelling, my fear threatened to break my voice at any moment.

“You have to stop the bleeding!” Zane yelled back, desperation leaking through his tone.

“Don’t you–”

“Bro, stop it! He’s right!” Jet yelled. “You’ve got to stop the bleeding.”

“I’ll take care of him, man.” Mateo clapped my shoulder, already heading up the stairs.

My focus immediately went back to Izzy, dread pulling at my middle as I saw the blood now pooling around her. They were right. I had to forget about Zane. Izzy needed me.

Nearly ripping off my jacket, I laid it across her and yanked my top shirt over my head, leaving only my light cotton T-shirt to block the cool night air from my own body. I wadded up the shirt in my hands and pressed it against the spot on Izzy’s head where the red seemed most concentrated.

I kept my eyes on her beautiful, pained face, taking in how ashen she looked. Her skin was always pale, but the lack of color in her complexion now was unnatural. She was losing so much blood. Fear clenched me again, and I increased the pressure of my shirt against her head.

It was killing me that I couldn’t do more.

That it was my fault.

I shouldn’t have fought Zane.

Lowering my head to her ear, I started whispering again, wanting her to know that I was with her. That I was here for her.

Like I should have been before.

My stomach rolled, hating myself for not getting to her sooner. For not taking a fucking second to consider the possible consequences of handling it the way I had. Izzy had already told me she didn’t want me to fight. And I let her down.

She was clinging to life right now, and it was all my fault.

My tears started to fall then, and I whispered in desperate passion for her to hear, “I’m so sorry, princess. I love you. I’m so sorry.”

Annie sobbed in my arms, and I knew it pained her to her very core to see her sister lying there like that. Just like it pained me to have to keep her away. But Annie would never forgive herself if she hurt her.

“Please, Jet. Something’s wrong. I can feel it.” She sobbed. “Let me go. Please.”

I tucked my nose by her ear, laying my head against hers. “You can’t move her, sweetheart.”

“I know. I just need to be with her. Please,” she begged. “It’s not fair. Tucker gets to be with her,” she cried when I didn’t immediately let go. “I’ll be good. Please.”

With my heart cracking in two at the pain in her voice, I released my hold, opening my arms, and Annie scrambled from my lap to Izzy’s side. She was good like she promised, just lying against the stairs while she held her sister’s hand, tears flowing silently down her cheeks.

“I hate this,” she whispered. “I feel so helpless.”

“I know, sweetheart.” I scooted forward to rub my hand along her back.

“Why isn’t the ambulance here yet?”

“I’m sure they’ll be here soon.” But my promise was empty. I really didn’t know. This wasn’t Breaker Ridge where things were just five to ten minutes away. But I understood how she felt. It seemed like forever since I’d asked Emma to call, even since the others that had started to gather around had picked up their phones to likely do the same, but logic told me it had only been a few minutes. Shouldn’t there have been medical staff here from the game? Maybe they were already gone.

Not knowing how but wanting to do something, I pulled off my jacket and added it to Tucker’s to cover my friend, my gaze only lingering for a second if I was going to stay calm for the others like they needed.

It was only another minute before I was able to hear sirens faintly from the road, and the crowd that surrounded us murmured the relief they all felt. I barely even registered that they were there.

I looked around and saw Mateo coming up the ramp, Zane no longer in tow, and I had to say that I’d never been more grateful to have the guy around. I wouldn’t have had a chance at stopping Tucker and Annie by myself.

Emma was still sitting on the bench next to us, her blue eyes wide and tears silently streaming as she watched Tucker and Annie with Izzy.

I just couldn’t look that way. It was all I could do to keep it together for the others. I’d nearly lost my grip when I forced myself to look up at my bleeding friend the time Zane cut in.

It was like a slice to my heart.

Neverhad I seen anyone look so fragile. So broken.

I shuddered and forced my thoughts back to the logical side of the situation. Was there anything else we needed to do?

It wasn’t until the paramedics came running up that I realized what I’d forgotten. It should’ve been one of the first things I’d done. Pulling Annie back from Izzy to make room for the paramedics, I was relieved that she came so willingly, eager for her sister to get help.

“Emma,” I said when we were out of the way.

She was by my side a second later, sounding as weak as I felt. “Yeah?”

I handed her my phone. “I need you to call our parents.”

“What?” Emma’s voice cracked in surprise, refusal coating her tone.

“Please, Emma! I need you to do this,” I begged in earnest. “They were on the way to the hotel ahead of us, but they need to know.” And I don’t know if I can break the news to Bridgette. Tucker and Annie need me to be strong.

Emma nodded after looking into my eyes, likely seeing the pain I was trying so hard to hide. All of the tears sitting just behind the surface I knew I couldn’t let fall. She took the phone from my hand.

“Call my parents first,” I instructed. “They’ll have to watch the kids. Ask them to tell Bridgette and Tucker’s mom and dad. Tell them we’ll meet them at the hospital. I’ll text them as soon as I know which one.”

She nodded to me again and, fingers shaking, started scrolling through my contacts. I wrapped my arms around Annie, burying my head in the back of her neck for a few long moments as I pulled her into my lap, needing her strength as much as she needed mine.

“What’s her name?” I heard one of the paramedics ask.

“Izzy,” Tucker answered, his voice shaking.

“How do you know her?”

“I’m her boyfriend.”

“Sister,” Annie chimed in.

“What are your names?”

“Tucker. And that’s Annie.”

“Alright. Can either of you tell me what happened?” Business and urgency rang through the woman’s tone.

I looked up, watching as my best friend tried not to fall apart.

“She fell from up there.” Tucker motioned by turning his head, looking up to where Izzy’s pom poms rested on the steps near the top, marking the start of her fall. “She hit her head on the corner of a bench on the way down,” he added. “It instantly knocked her out, and she tumbled the rest of the way down.”

My stomach swooped at the new information, churning like I might be sick as I tried not to imagine.

“Keep the pressure on her head,” the woman instructed him while they continued to work over Izzy.

Tucker pressed the shirt harder against her head, keeping his focus on Izzy’s face. Like it was too much to watch. Whispering again in her ear instead while the paramedics went over her definite and probable injuries.

“How far along is she?” one of them asked, his voice kind yet urgent, but we all sensed the underlying note in his tone. Annie stiffened in my arms.

“Twenty-three weeks,” she answered. “Why?”

The paramedics didn’t answer, their focus steady on their patient.

“Why? Is something wrong with the baby?” Tucker pressed, sounding frantic now. Like it had never even occurred to him to consider it, he’d been so concerned about Izzy. “Tell me!” he yelled when they didn’t respond, making the rest of us jump.

I was certain his heart had to be in his throat like mine. It would kill Izzy if something was wrong with the baby. But I was surprised at the level of fear in Tucker’s voice.

“Please,” Annie begged.

“I can’t say yet, but possibly,” the woman answered after meeting her eyes, and she pushed Tucker out of the way to tend to Izzy’s head.

Tucker sat back, his forehead resting against shaky hands. He rocked back and forth as he worked hard to breathe. “Please, God, no,” he pleaded, desperation ringing through his words. “Help them…”

The ride over to the hospital was a blur. I’d ridden in the ambulance with Tucker, and even the first few minutes in the waiting room when we’d all listened to his explanation of what happened up in those stands seemed surreal to me now. The facts of it all evaded me at the moment. I mostly just remembered Mom’s tears as we clung to each other.

It felt like ages since the doctor had told us Izzy was going into emergency surgery for internal bleeding and her head wound, but the clock on the TV with the surgery listings told me it had only been a few hours.

I lifted my head from Jet’s shoulder and removed my hand from Mom’s to stand up, stretching my muscles that were stiff with the hours of immobile waiting. My abs spasmed as I pulled my arms above my head, and then I leaned forward to touch my toes, needing my blood moving again. I headed over to the water cooler at the corner of the room.

I filled one of the small paper cups and sipped slowly, just so I wouldn’t have to hurry back to my chair. The cool water was like a balm to my dry and scratchy throat, a product of my earlier screaming and crying, and my eyes still felt puffy from my tears, but they were at least dry now. I had pretty much cried myself out.

Now, I just felt empty. Except for the sick feeling I had in the pit of my stomach, my twin vibe in full effect.

I wanted to kick myself, or a lot more than that really, for not getting to Izzy right away, but Jet and I had headed outside to try and flag down a cab, leaving Tucker and the others to wait for Izzy. We were halfway down the long stretch of sidewalk, packed with tons of people all trying to leave, when that familiar warning screamed through our tether, and I’d bolted back for the stadium as fast as I could, Jet on my heels. The second Tucker saw me running and the look on my face, he’d taken off.

Neither of us were fast enough.

My chest lurched now with the urge to cry, but not even a prickle crossed my eyes. I had nothing left. Not until I knew more about Izzy. A part of me wanted to say I was sure she was going to pull through. That everything was going to be fine. The connection we shared almost guaranteeing I wasn’t going to lose her. But there was this feeling in my gut that I couldn’t ignore, and I couldn’t relax as long as it was there.

I filled and downed my cup three more times, not realizing how parched I’d been, and looked around the waiting room, finding it deserted except for my friends and family. There was a larger waiting room across the hall, but Chuck had led us into this smaller one, and I was relieved for the privacy.

We were all spent, exhausted and terrified. Mom’s head was resting against Jenna’s shoulder with Jenna’s head resting against hers, platinum blonde mixing with dark brunette. They held hands, and on both their cheeks, there was evidence of dried tears.

To their right, I watched Tucker fidget between Jet and his dad, his foot tapping impatiently against the white linoleum, his hands constantly moving, grasping together, clutching the arms of the chair, then moving up to his face where he’d swipe at tears that would occasionally escape his red, bloodshot eyes.

He looked like he was going insane with worry, and my heart went out to him. He truly loved my sister. I knew that. I’d heard him say it before, but it wasn’t until tonight when I watched him breaking apart that I was able to fully grasp that his love for Izzy was just as deep as the love I held for Jet.

Noticing Jet watching me, I tried to smile, but it turned out more like a grimace. He smiled back, understanding, and turned his head to whisper something to Tucker.

I looked over at Chuck then. The large, quiet man had a hand on his son’s shoulder in silent reassurance, and my heart suddenly gave a little lurch in my chest. I swallowed, surprised. Daddy’s death wasn’t anything new, and I’d thought I’d adjusted pretty well this past year and a half, but now, I couldn’t help but find myself wishing he could be here with us. I turned away, not wanting to think about it anymore. Daddy was gone. There was no changing it.

On the other side of the room, I saw Mateo sitting in the corner next to Emma, his gaze staring solemnly at the ground with his hand placed on Emma’s thigh. She was leaning forward with her head buried in her hands and her elbows resting at her knees. I watched Mateo give her leg a comforting squeeze, and she sat back to lean against his shoulder.

My brow rose. Because that was new. And it wasn’t a pair I’d have imagined. But maybe I was looking too far into it. Who knew? Maybe it was just comfort between friends on a hellish night.

A part of me repelled at calling it that because it hadn’t been all bad. The game had been epic, and Jet was finally about to get an amazing scholarship offer. Even Izzy said she had exciting news…

I trailed off at that, preferring the numb, unreal feeling I had right now to thinking too hard about my sister.

“How’s the water?” a deep, unnaturally rough voice asked from behind me, and I jumped as Tucker reached past me to grab one of the paper cups.

I shrugged. “It’s water.”

He nodded and lifted the cup to his lips, but I was certain he hadn’t really needed the drink, that he was just looking for an excuse to get up and move.

“How’re you holding up?” I asked for some stupid reason. It wasn’t like I didn’t already know the answer. I just didn’t know what else to say.

Tucker’s face crumpled in pain, and he gave a hard swallow. “Terrible. You?”

“Numb. I’m trying not to think about it too hard.”

“I wish I could feel nothing,” Tucker whispered, smashing the empty cup in his hands before dropping it into the trashcan.

I tossed mine in after his and waited for him to look back at me, but when he didn’t, I said, “She’s going to be alright, Tucker.” And right then, I knew it was true. She’d make it.

He closed his eyes, and a few tears trickled out from the corners as he replied, his voice so weak I wouldn’t have recognized it as his if I didn’t see him speak. “She has to be.”

I hadn’t meant to sound so pathetic, but I really was lost. Terrified of the worst. The only thing I could say was that Annie had enough conviction in her promise that it gave me a glimmer of hope, and for once since we’d gotten to the hospital, my feet felt like they might be able to stay on solid ground.

Annie would know. If anyone would, it would be her.

I closed my eyes, praying it would be true, and before I knew it, Annie’s arms were wrapping around me in a tight hug. I held back my grimace, pain shooting across my back, and returned her hug, relieved when she started to pull away, but she gave one last squeeze at the end that caught me off guard, and I winced loudly above her ear.

“Tucker? What’s wrong?” She let go, fresh concern covering her features.

“Nothing,” I shot back a little too quickly, stopping myself just a second too late from reaching for the stinging in my backside. Stepping behind me faster than a cat, Annie yanked up my T-shirt and gasped.

“Oh, my God! Tucker!”

Yanking my shirt back down, I shot Annie a glare as my mom gasped and rushed to my side.

“Oh, my gosh. What happened, honey?” Mom pulled my shirt back up. “This looks terrible. Chuck, look.”

“It’s just a bruise, Mom.” I tried to pull my shirt back down, turning away from her.

“From what?” she demanded. “That’s not just any bruise. It goes all the way across your back, and it’s got to be a couple of inches wide. It’s huge.”

I groaned and shot Annie another dirty look, but she ignored it, her hands on her hips as she waited for an answer with my mom.

“I told y’all I fought with Zane.” I finally gave in, frustrated that they were worrying about this. My back was nothing compared to Izzy…and maybe the baby. My stomach churned again with the revolving thought.

“Man, I know you screwed up his nose pretty bad, but your back looks horrible,” Mateo said from the corner.

“Thanks,” I grumbled.

“You shouldn’t have fought him,” Mom scolded. “You know how I feel about that.”

“Leave him alone, Jenna,” Dad spoke up. “He was just defending his girl. I would’ve decked any guy that forced a kiss on you, too.”

Mom blushed, going speechless, a small smile adorning her lips, and I watched Bridgette’s eyes lower in a moment of pain. The love of her life gone.

Was I about to lose mine?

“We really should get this checked out, honey.” Mom reached for my shirt again, and I winced when she brushed against the long, deep bruise. “That’s it. I barely touched you. We’re getting you checked.”

My teeth clenched, and I grated, “I’m fine.”

“Tucker!”

“Mom!”

“Bro, just do it. It looks pretty bad.”

“No!” I finally shouted. Did they really not get it? “I’m not leaving here until we know about Izzy!” And the baby…

I looked around at everyone wildly, determined. Let them try getting me to leave this waiting room before then. My physical pain was nothing compared to what I was feeling inside. To what Izzy was having to endure. To what my daughter…

My throat tightened, my mind too afraid to finish the thought.

“Tucker, I know you’re worried–”

“No, Jenna. It’s fine. He can wait until Izzy’s out of surgery,” Dad cut in, meeting my gaze with that rare Charles Pierce you’ll-do-as-your-told stare. “But you’re getting looked at before we leave.”

I nodded, grudgingly agreeing before sitting back down. My thoughts were in a whirlwind again, going to the depths of the worst without the distraction of conversation again, but it was only a few minutes before a doctor appeared at the waiting room entrance.

Everyone looked up expectantly, and my stomach started flip-flopping violently when he stepped into the room, an all too serious look on his weathered face.

“Isabel Donovan’s family?” he asked, and we all nodded.

“I’m her mother.” Bridgette moved shakily to her feet.

The doctor looked around, surprised but also like he was needing confirmation. “Everyone here is for Isabel?”

“Yes.” Mom stood, taking Bridgette’s hand and squeezing in support.

Everyone took her cue, Annie rushing to her mom’s side as the rest of us stood. I felt unsteady, and it was suddenly much harder to breathe. Like the very meaning for my life now hung on what the doctor had to say.

Jet and Dad each gripped one of my shoulders, grounding me.

We waited.

Compassion well in place, the doctor started. “As you know, she had quite a few injuries, but overall, the surgery went well. We cast her broken ankle and her arm, and we managed to stop the internal bleeding. There was some on her liver, and we did go ahead and remove her spleen while we were in there since it was damaged, too. All of that should heal just fine, but we’ll still need to monitor her head injury for the next few days to watch for swelling.

“She’ll need to be sedated for a while until we’re sure it’s safe, but we have every reason to believe that Isabel will make a full recovery.”

Relief flooded throughout the room, everyone hugging, but my sense of relief was way too brief, not missing what the doctor failed to mention. What no one seemed to want to ask about yet.

The one thing I knew Izzy would care about when she woke.

“Wha…What about the baby?” I managed to croak.

The tension in the room grew so heavy it felt like a weight was pushing me to the ground, my knees now shaking under the pressure of what I might hear.

The doctor’s face was suddenly grave. “I’m sorry,” was all he said before I sank to the floor on my knees as the weight of my grief overtook me, the pressure too strong for my body to support.

I felt as though my heart had just been ripped from my chest. My lungs burned from lack of oxygen, but I couldn’t breathe.

It could be worse. I could have lost Izzy, too.

But it was far from being a comfort. If the loss of our baby could hit me this hard, I knew Izzy would take it worse. I’d only just gotten attached. The baby had been Izzy’s life since the moment she knew she was pregnant. The news would kill her inside, and that would be just as bad, if not worse, than if I’d lost them both in the first place.