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We sit in silence for a while, before Mac reaches over, grabs my plate, and hands it to me. “Eat, Pix.”
No longer having much of an appetite, I mix the noodles and sauce together and twirl some on my fork. I only take a few bites before I can’t eat anymore. It just doesn’t taste as good as it did before, and is turning my stomach slightly. The stress of the situation with Trent is getting to me.
I gesture for Mac to hand me his empty plate, and I get up off the couch to take them into the kitchen and grab another beer for the both of us. When I make it to the kitchen, I barely have enough time to set the plates down on the counter before a wave of dizziness hits me. I grab on to the counter to keep myself upright, my legs going all wonky and not holding me up anymore.
What the fuck?
As I stand there trying to get my bearings, my head begins to pound harder than I’ve ever felt before, and another bout of dizziness hits me. My stomach starts rolling, and I’m worried I’ll lose all my supper. My legs turn to jelly and can’t hold my weight anymore. I try to grab on to something, but my arms feel heavy as well. On my way down, my hand hits the pitcher of tea on the counter, and it comes crashing down to the floor with me.
My heart is beating rapidly to the pounding in my head. My head is fuzzy, and I swear I feel vibrations underneath my body. I briefly register the taste of almonds in my mouth.
Strange.
I can’t see that well because of all the blackness starting to creep in. I know I’m about to pass out. Right before my mind goes blank, a thought occurs to me. One that has my chest aching and desperately wondering why.
Trent.
Mac
THE LOUD CRASH COMING from the kitchen has me jumping up from the couch and racing that way. When I round the corner into the kitchen, I skid to a halt for a split second as panic tries to make its way into my body. Mia is sprawled out on the floor with the glass tea pitcher shattered all around her.
“Oh, fuck, Mia!” I yell, and barrel my way toward her. Just as I drop down to her side, her body starts convulsing and foam starts leaking out of her mouth. My heart freezes in my chest at the sight.
I immediately roll her to her side so she doesn’t choke on the shit that’s coming from her mouth. Her body continues to shake and seize for a few seconds before stopping, scaring the living shit out of me. I reach for the pulse in her neck and barely feel it against my fingertips. I lower my head to her mouth and barely feel the warm air coming out between her lips. I smell a faint hint of almonds, and I know exactly what this is. My jaw clenches, and I have to force my breathing to stay calm.
“T,” I yell with a tortured voice.
Fuck! This can’t be happening.
I gather Mia in my arms just as T comes running into the kitchen. His eyes go wide when he sees Mia and the mess on the floor. The guilt in his eyes is plain to see, but it’s something I will have to deal with later. Mia needs me right this minute.
“Grab my keys on the table and open the door for me,” I tell him, rushing toward the front door. T’s there before me, opening it. With Mia in my arms, I rush to my truck and wait a second for T to open that door as well. After gently depositing her in the front seat on her side, I rush around to the other side and get behind the wheel. T’s already in the back seat.
I look down at Mia and check for a pulse again, relief hitting me hard when I feel the faint thumping. The beat is there, but it’s weak, and I know I don’t have much time to get her to theemergency room. I pull my phone out of my pocket and peel out of the driveway.
I call the emergency room to let them know we’re heading their way. I give a brief, discreet description of my suspicions so they’ll have everything ready by the time we get there.
I grip the steering wheel and squeeze my eyes closed for a second. Why in the fuck would Trent do this? Is this why he’s been acting even more strange today? I thought he was getting better. I thought his feelings for Mia were changing. I just don’t understand. T is not a violent or hurtful child. There has to be a very good reason for this. Once I know Mia is okay, I’m getting to the bottom of this shit. No more avoiding it. No more putting it off. This shit ends tonight.
Twenty minutes later, we’re skidding to a stop in front of the emergency room doors. I fling open my door and rush around to Mia’s side. I tell T to run inside to let them know we’re coming in. A nurse pushing a gurney meets us halfway to the counter.
“Mia Walker, right?” the nurse asks.
I lay Mia down on the gurney, and the nurse starts wheeling it toward a set of double doors.
“Yes. She stopped breathing about three minutes ago,” I tell her, the words coming out raw. When I reached down in the truck and couldn’t find her breath anymore, I nearly drove us off the road. The only thing that kept me sane was the slight flutter I found in her wrist. Her heartbeat was getting weaker but, thank God, it was still there.
“Okay, we’ve been informed of the situation and have everything prepped and ready, Sheriff Weston. I need you to stay out here. As soon as the results are in and she’s been treated, someone will come speak with you.”
I nod, unable to form any more words because of the lump in my throat. I look down at Mia and see her face is red. I quickly give her forehead a kiss before the nurse wheels her away.
I turn from the double doors and scrape my fingers through my hair. I see T hunched over in a chair in the waiting room, his eyesred rimmed and tears leaking down his cheeks. I turn my head away from him, not able to deal yet with the fact that my own ten-year-old son poisoned the woman I love. Tears prick the back of my eyes thinking about it.
I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Jaxon’s number. I half explain what’s going on. We hang up with him yelling for Bailey to get ready to leave. I have no idea how I’m going to tell him that T is the reason Mia’s in the hospital.
Not looking forward to this conversation, but knowing I need to have it, I walk over to Trent and take a seat beside him. How in the fuck do you ask your ten-year-old why he poisoned someone? How in the hell did he even know how to do it in the first place?
I lean forward in my chair and rest my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. I sit there in silence for a few minutes, trying to gather my thoughts.
