Chapter Seventy Four
Raleigh
It has been the longest day of my life and it’s not even over yet.
I’m sitting in the library trying to catch up on some of the school work that I missed while I was gone but I just can’t seem to focus on the work in front of me.
All I can think about it Lincoln and how much I miss him.
The whole time I was gone, *he* is what kept me going.
Knowing that if I just held on, I would get to come home to him.
And now he’s gone.
Tears fill my eyes and my chest aches as I picture his handsome face.
Hearing the sound of his voice as he told me that he loved me.
Remembering the care that he took and how gentle he was as we made love the first and only time that we were together.
Sniffling, I wipe my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt and try to focus back on the book in front of me.
After having read over the exact same sentence five times, my frustration is building as I lean against the back of the chair and close my eyes, releasing a groan, “ugh!”
*I can’t do this!* I can’t help but think. *I have too much on my mind and ready freaking Romeo and Juliet of all freaking books is not helping!*
I just sit there for a moment in the silence of the library, trying to collect myself before giving my homework another try when the hair on the back of my neck begins to stand on end, as if someone is watching me.
I quickly glance over my shoulder but all that’s behind me is row upon row of bookshelves in the dimly lit part of the library that students rarely venture into.
Shaking it off, I lean forward once more and try to focus on the book in front of me, knowing that I *have* to get this done.
No excuses!
Picking up my pencil, I ready myself to take notes as I try once more to read about the tragic and forbidden love affair of two teenagers from rival families.
We all know the story, I’ve even seen the movie, and it’s damn tempting to just watch it again and take notes on the movie instead of reading the book, but I’ve never slacked on my school work before and I’m not about to start now.
The feeling of being watched hits me once more, the hairs on my arms now standing on end along with the ones on the back of my neck.
*This cannot be all in my head!* I think as I get up from the table to figure out who the creep is who keeps peeping on me.
“Hello?” I call out, my heartbeat pounding in my ears as I slowly make my way towards the first row of shelves. Of course no one answers in return and the aisle is empty, so I continue on to the next one. Then the next and the next until I’ve made it to the very back of the room and the only light back here is what is shining from the front of the library and the flashlight on my phone.
“Whoever the hell is creeping on me, you’ve made your point! You can stop now!” I shout, still feeling as though there are eyes on me and it’s really beginning to freak my the fuck out.
As I make my way back towards the table holding my stuff, I glance at each aisle again but they’re all still empty. A chill runs down my back and I decide that I can read Romeo and Juliet at home just as easy as I can here.
Rushing to close the remaining distance between me and the table, I quickly gather up all of my things and throw them in my backpack before walking at as fast a pace as I can manage without getting into trouble by the librarian towards the exit.
As soon as I step outside, I find Serenity and Ryker running towards me, panic written across both of their expressions.
“Is everything okay?” I immediately ask, looking from Ser to Ryk, before asking, “What’s going on?”
Closing the distance between us, Ryker wraps his arms around me as he lowers his head to my ear and murmurs, “Ray, it’s Lincoln. He’s being rushed to the hospital…it’s bad.”
“What?” I screech, pulling back to look at him because surely I heard him wrong. Without waiting for him to explain, I take off towards his truck that is parked right outside the library.
As soon as I climb into the front passenger seat and we’ve pulled away from the curb, I turn sideways to look at both Ser and Ryk, my eyes are heavy with the tears that I’m barely holding back and my voice comes out quiet as I ask, “What happened? Is he okay?”
Serenity’s eyes are sorrow filled and she looks from my brother to me, as if she’s afraid to answer. I look to my brother and I see the sorrow written all over his face as well. He has a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel and I know that he heard my question but is choosing to ignore me.
“Just fucking tell me!” I shout, my voice coming out as a growl of frustration.
I hear my best friend start crying and when I look back at her, I’m terrified of what the answer might be. She reaches forward and grasps ahold of my hand, her tears fall in a constant stream down her cheeks.
“Ser?” My voice breaks as I mutter her name, my own tears falls from my eyes and trailing down my cheeks as I take in my best friend who is breaking in front of me from the knowledge of what has happened. “Please…”
“I don’t know everything,” Ryker murmurs from next to me, pulling my attention away from Serenity and over to him. “I know he’s been…struggling.” He’s quiet for a moment before he continues. “From what I understand, he and Boston got into some kind of fight, I don’t know what over and then later they heard a crash from upstairs.”
“Jackson had to bust the bathroom door down to get to him,” Serenity said, picking up from Ryker. “He’d fallen in the shower….or well, he’d passed out...”
“He was covered in blood, Ray…” my brother said gently, finally taking his eyes off of the road to look at me. His voice was hoarse as he choked out, “They said that he tried to…to kill himself.”
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