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Full of Grace: Chapter 12
Nick sat up and looked around. When he saw me knealing down beside him he
scooted away. "Oh Nick. I'm sorry." He just looked at me with eyes filled
with terror and hurt. I turned my head a wway for a moment to choke back
sobs.
Nick went to stand up but he moaned and grabbed his head. Brian rushed to
him and caught him before he passed out again. "Hang on, Nick. The
paramedics are coming." He helped Nick lay back down and this time Brian was
the one craddling Nick's head in his lap.
"I'm ok, Brian. I don't need paramedics. I don't want to go to the
hospital." I said, "Yes, you do have to go, Nick. You have to be okay. I
couldn't bear it if anything happened to you."
Nick looked at me for a second, our eyes locking. Then he looked away and
closed his eyes.
Brian glared at me, "You are the exact cause of this, Kevin. You and your
runaway ego. You may be my blood, Kev, but right now you make me sick."
A slap across the face wouldn't have hurt as much as those words Brian spoke.
My heart should have been ripped from my chest, throwed on the floor, and
stomped on for what I had done to Nick.
The paramedics arrived then and checked Nick over. They started an IV on him
and put an oxygen mask over him. I mumbled, "Oh my God," over and over again
as I watched them wheel Nick out in a stretcher to the waiting ambulance.
I said, "I'm going with him." and went to get in the ambulance but Brian
grabbed me by the back of my shirt and pulled me back with such force I
stumbled and fell. He looked down at me, "Over my dead body you get near
him. You've done enough damage for one day, Kevin. GO HOME!"
Brian got in the ambulance with Nick and they left. I turned around and
found Howie and AJ staring at me with sad looks on their faces. I wanted to
talk to them - to explain that I wasn't a monster.
But I didn't. I hung my head in shame and walked away. I went out into the
street and hailed a cab. I figured home was the best place I could be right
now.
I gaped in shock as my Toyota 4-Runner was parked in the driveway beside my
house. It was shiny like it had been freshly washed and waxed.
I threw the cab driver a $20 and slowly walked up the driveway. The Toyota
looked as good as new. Nothing damaged. Nothing out of place.
I went up to the front door and found it partially opened. Fear settled into
the pit of my stomach. I thought for a moment I was going to be sick.
I quietly eased inside and walked towards the living room and stopped dead
in my tracks at the sight before me.
Stefaine looked up from the book she was reading and smiled brightly,
"Hello, Kevin darling. I'm so glad you're home."
"Stefanie, um, what are you doing here? This is a surprise. How did you get
in? What is my car doing here?"
Stefaine laughed and got up off the love seat and walked to me. "My car was
in the shop. I appreciate you letting me use yours, Kevin. And I'll be here
to greet you everyday when you come home from work. I live here now."
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