Cancelled
I stared down at him for a second and then rolled my eyes towards the ceiling.
“Yeah,” I said, into the phone. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“But you promised.” My little sister’s voice came through the speaker, a high pitched whine.
“Yeah, I know. Things got a little complicated over here, though. I don’t know if I’ll be back in time for the party.”
“You said that you were going to come. You promised.”
I groaned, letting the noise whistle through my nose. “Yeah, sweetheart, but something came up--”
“It’s for your job?”
“Yeah, it’s--”
“I hate your job.” I could imagine Lexi’s face: her eyebrows drawn low on her forehead, defiantly, her chin jutting out, lips pulled tight, nose in need of a tissue. I imagined her arngrily wiping away a betraying tear and then planting her hand firmly on her hip, the other gripping the phone tightly.
I groaned again. I looked down at Claye and tried not to feel trapped.
“Look, I can’t talk right now, sweetheart.” I tried again.
“Why not?” Her voice took on a sarcastic tone. “Your job again? What do you even do all day?”
I grimaced. “Sorry, I can’t talk right now--”
“Why not?” She repeated.
Hades, she was starting to get on my nerves.
“I, uh, something came up. An emergency,”
“More important than me?”
I fought the urge to scream, swallowing down the sound. “No, sweetheart, but someone needs my help.”
“Yeah? Who?”
“Someone important, alright?”
“Whatever. You promised, I thought you kept your promises.”
I gritted my teeth. My hand wandered down to Claye’s forehead. I brushed my fingers over his clammy skin--he had stopped sweating long ago. His skin was hotter than ever, the fever was rising. I brushed my fingers along his cheek and elicited no response from his cloudy eyes.
Come on, Claye, I thought. You can’t die on me now.
“Sorry,” I snapped, not feeling sorry at all, “I have clingy, feverish assassin on my lap. I’ll call you back when I can convince him that he’s not going to die of a cold.”
It was a lie.
But I wished with all my heart it was true.
I hung up the phone before Lexi could answer.
“Claye?” I whispered, leaning over and speaking into his ear.
No response.
“Claye?”
His gaze wouldn’t meet mine, they pointed, rigidly at the sky.
“Claye?” I said louder, this time. No response.
It was a second before I noticed that the night had become eerily silent. His ragged breaths no longer filled the air.
My heart seized.
″Claye!”
There was no answer. I had expected none.
Tears wouldn’t come. I felt empty. I couldn’t bring myself to look in his eyes again.
Trembling hands grasped my phone. I dialed Lexi’s number. The ringtone sounded haunting in the empty air.
“Hello?” Lexi said. “Change your mind, did you?”
I shut my eyes and felt like breaking.
“Y-yeah,” I whispered.
“You’re coming?”
“I think I can make it,”
Tears came just then, streaming down my face, silently.
“Really?”
“Yeah, plans got canceled.”