Catch Me When I Fall (14 page)

he sun had just peeked over the clouds when someone nudged me awake. I opened my eyes to find Tabbi standing next to the bed, a huge smile on her ivory face. She spoke in a hushed voice so as to not wake up Kayla. “Wakey, wakey.”

“What time is it?” I whispered while glancing down at Kayla, still asleep on my shoulder. My arm was numb.

“Six forty-five. I figured you’d want to get out of here before the nurses came in to check on her. And then, you can change out of those nasty clothes before your lunch date.”

I glowered at her through sleepy eyes.

“What? I only want to make sure your date goes well,
Mr. Graham
.”

I pointed at her. “Don’t call me that.”

She laughed. “Why? It’s funny.”

“No, I only let Kayla get away with it because I didn’t want to ruin the moment. Did you see the whole thing?”

Tabbi shrugged. “Pretty much. She was thinking about it as she fell asleep. I think she’s pretty excited for today.”

“Do me a favor?”

“What?”

“Next time Kayla starts reminiscing, find another human brain to focus on. I don’t want to worry every time I’m near her that you’re going to hear—and see—everything.”

Tabbi laughed. “Why? What do you think I’m going to see? Kayla and Daniel sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S—”

“Stop that.”

Tabbi evaporated, her giggling echoing after her. I reached over and tucked some of Kayla’s hair behind her ear. She jerked awake and jumped off me.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” I said. Needles pricked my arm as the blood tried to flow again. I bent my elbow with a wince.

Kayla rubbed her face. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

“Don’t apologize. I passed out shortly after you did. Though I’m pretty sure the blood isn’t going to return to my arm.”

She blushed. “Sorry. My cheek’s numb too. You could smack me in the face if you want. Maybe that’ll wake it up. Your arm, too.”

I smirked. “People usually only ask me to smack their face when they’re drunk. Were you and Tabbi partying without me?”

“Not that I can remember, so if we were, I must’ve blacked out and forgotten everything.”

“Well, next time, remember to invite me. A drunk Tabbi is always a sight to see.”

“She drinks? She’s like, ten.”

With a chuckle, I stood up. “Twelve, actually. But for as long as she’s been around, there comes a point when biological age doesn’t matter anymore.”

Kayla’s smile softened as the silence between us grew. Then she bit her lip. “Will I see you for lunch?”

“Of course.”

“Cool. Oh, and thanks for, you know, fighting those things last night.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Nodding my goodbye, I disappeared with a smile.

Kayla wasn’t alone when I came to visit. SpongeBob was the nurse on duty again and when she opened the door, another woman sat on Kayla’s bed—her mother. Kayla stood against the window, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes swollen red.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Meredith,” SpongeBob said. “I didn’t know you were still here. I’ll have Kayla’s friend wait for her in the waiting room.”

“No need. I was just on my way out.” She stood up from the bed, grabbed her doctor’s coat and hugged her daughter. Kayla didn’t hug her back. “Think about it, okay Kayla-Bear?”

Kayla didn’t respond. Dr. Bartlett—Meredith—glanced at me as she passed me on her way into the hall. I nodded a “hello,” then she left without a word.

“Kayla, are you okay to accept your visitor?” SpongeBob asked.

She nodded.

“All right. Grab me if you two head down for lunch.” SpongeBob left the door halfway open behind her on the way out. Silently, I thanked her for the privacy.

“I can go,” I said.

Kayla shook her head, then her face dropped into her hands. Her shaking shoulders were enough to lasso my heart. I crossed the room in a few strides to embrace her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and cried into my chest as I rested my cheek on the top of her head. I stroked the ends of her hair.

“My mom wants me to come home. She thinks I can get the treatment I need there. But, she doesn’t get it. That’s not really why I’m here. I can’t be in that house.”

My jaw tightened as I recalled her attack. I couldn’t blame Kayla for not wanting to go home.

For about two minutes, we stood without speaking. Then I felt her pull away and dropped my arms.

She wiped her cheeks with her hands. “Sorry.”

“What for?”

“Crying. You came for lunch, not to stand here while I drench your shirt with snot and tears.”

“I don’t mind. Although, I could do without the snot. That’s pretty gross.”

She chuckled once. “Just give me a second.” Kayla walked into her attached bath and closed the door. I heard her blow her nose a few times before she turned on the tap. A minute later, the water turned off and the bathroom door opened. “Okay, let’s go.”

We took a few steps toward the door, then I stopped. “Wait. Would anyone notice if you took off for a few hours?”

Kayla looked at me, her eyes scrunched. “I don’t know. Why?”

“Did you want to go somewhere else for lunch?”

She bit her lip and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. Was she afraid of me? I guess I should’ve expected that.

I continued. “I just thought you might like to get out of this place for a while. There’s no pressure. If you’d rather eat here, we can.”

She glanced at the half-open door then turned back to me. “How are you going to sneak me out?”

“The same way I go from my place to here every day. Think of it like teleportation.”

Her foot tapped, but she quickly made her decision. “Okay, but they’ll need to think I’ve decided not to go to lunch, or they’ll come to check.”

I nodded and waited for her to walk down the hall and notify the nurses. A minute later, she returned.

“Now what?” she asked.

“Give me your hands.” She slowly lowered her hands into mine. My palms tingled at her touch. Her skin was so soft. “Okay, you’re going to feel very disoriented. But, hold my hands and close your eyes. I’ll tell you when to open them.”

Kayla followed my instruction and squeezed my hands tight. I pictured my living room, blinked, and when I opened my eyes, we stood directly in front of the sofa where Seth sat.

“Holy shit!” Seth yelled, throwing the TV remote. “That was not cool, dude.”

Stifling a laugh, I caught Kayla as she fell forward. “Open your eyes,” I told her. Quickly, her eyes focused, and she looked around. Until I was sure she wouldn’t fall—and because I didn’t want to let go—I held onto her hands.

“Sorry. Not the most graceful,” she said with a blush.

“You didn’t tell me you were bringin’ Kayla over,” Seth said.

“We aren’t staying long. Just wanted to swing by so she could pick up some clothes.”

Kayla tilted her head. “Why? Where are we going?”

“Well, that’s up to you. Where would you like to go?”

“Um… I can pick anywhere?”

“Sure. New York, Barcelona, Paris—”

Her eyes almost popped out of her head. “You can take me all the way to Paris?”

“Of course I can.”

She smirked. “I forgot you were invincible. Do you always try to flatter girls with promises of French cuisine and the Eiffel Tower?”

Seth burst out laughing. “Oh man, I like her.”

Ignoring him, I replied to Kayla, whose sense of humor continued to surprise me, “Only the stunners.”

Her cheeks blushed. “Well, okay. I’ve always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower.”

“Then let’s steal something from Samantha’s closet.”

“Dude, she’s gonna kill you,” Seth said. He was right, but I still led Kayla out of my flat and knocked on Tabbi’s door. When she answered, she stared at us with huge eyes.

“Hey, Tabbi,” I said. “Is Samantha here?”

“Uh, no. Why?”

“Would you mind doing me a favor?”

fter changing into dark jeans, a blue dress shirt, and a black jacket—and dealing with Seth’s endless pleading to come along—I returned to Tabbi’s apartment. It hadn’t taken much to convince her to steal clothes from Samantha’s closet. Tabbi always did enjoy giving someone a good makeover.

Whispers drifted from Tabbi’s bedroom, so I sat on the sofa. Five minutes later, they emerged, and Tabbi’s face beamed, like she’d received an Oscar. She turned around and held her hands out.

“Ta da!” Tabbi shouted.

When Kayla walked into the living room, I stood. She wore a pink, sleeveless dress that came down to her knees, with a wide, black belt wrapped around her waist, and on her feet, she wore shiny, black heels. Her dark hair curled over one shoulder, and Tabbi had even found makeup for Kayla to wear. She took my breath away.

The look on my face must’ve been hilarious because Tabbi burst out laughing.

“Well, I’d say my work here is done. You two have fun!”

I crossed the living room to where Kayla stood, her cheeks slowly matching the color of her dress. I held out my hands. “You look beautiful.”

She looked away, fighting a smirk, and placed her hands in mine.

With a smile, I spoke. “Hang on tight.”

We evaporated to Paris in the alley next to where I was taking her for dinner. Kayla fell into me when we landed. Luckily, she didn’t weigh much. I caught her and helped her stand. “Did you forget to close your eyes?” I asked.