"What?" I croak, still trying to figure out where I am and what has happened.
"Just lay back. We have the doctor coming back in just a moment. He is outside speaking with Hunter and Dom now," she adds.
"What?" my brain is still not catching up with what she is saying and her words keep getting lost in my thoughts.
I lay back and close my eyes again, the noise of the air conditioning keeping my focus for a little while until I hear a door open or a door close maybe.
"Thanks Hartley, you can go now," I hear a deep voice coming closer to me. I know that voice and it has me whimpering a little bit.
"Um, no offence Hunter, but not sure I would leave my bestie with you. If anyone it would be Dom," Hartley whispers back in anger.
"Don't disturb her. When she wakes we can argue about it, but for now get your ass out of here. The doctor has confirmed that she needs rest and you are disturbing her by being difficult," Hunter's voice speaks low and quickly back to her.
"Seriously, I am going to phone her mother and then perhaps she can sort this out. We don't even fucking know you!"
"I found her unconscious which means she is my responsibility and you are being fucking petty, while she suffers. Watch her flinch every time you argue. And don't you dare call her mother, she is the last person we need involved in this. I have spoken with her Grandfather already and he is on his way here. So like I said, get your shit and fuck off. I have already thrown Dom out of her suite and I will not hesitate to do the same to you," he growls as he moves further away and again I hear the swish of my heavy bedroom door as it opens before it clicks shut softly.
I must drift off to sleep again because the next thing that I feel is being pulled back, held in someone's arms.
"Gigi, what the hell? I'm sorry. I wasn't there to protect you. He should have been watching you better. But then he doesn't understand just how special you are, does he?" Hunter speaks so low I have to strain through the darkness to hear him but his feather light touches on my face give me something to focus towards.
I must drift off, the next time I wake it is sudden. My temperature all but explodes out of my body, and it has me sitting up quickly, vomiting all over the bed. The tears start rolling down my face in my confusion, but a pair of big strong arms, lift me out of the mess I made, and hold me so very tenderly.
"Fuck! Oh Gigi, I am sorry. Hang on you are okay, just wait a minute. You know that you are safe with me. It's me honey, I got you." we rock in a strange movement before his voice is back speaking softly at me again, "I am just going to put you on the settee for a minute Gigi. Can you lay here for me," he doesn't wait for an answer before laying me down and covering me with a light blanket.
My eyes can’t seem to stay open and they close again for a while. Next time though, I wake up feeling more alert. The dim light of the table lamp still hurts my eyes so I keep them closed but I can hear better, things are assimilating better inside my head. I hear Hunter moving swiftly around the place and hear the noise of blankets being dropped or shuffled, before a window opens, pulling the strong scent of vomit from the room. A warm cloth wipes over my face, and then tender hands pull my long hair into a bun on the top of my head.
"I have to change your top Gigi, but it's okay Hartley left you in a sports bra, so we just need to change your PJ top. I promise, I don't want to see you like this," his hands don't wait for my agreement but at the same time he is concise in his movement and in the blink of an eye I am changed, even lying back on my bed which smells heavily of fresh linen.
He props me up against a sea of pillows and then he shuffles up so that he is on his side facing me while I am reclined next to him.
"What happened Hunter? Why did you call my Grandpa? What's going on? Why are you in here and not my friends," I ask as I close my eyes again to stop my head from pounding. "Can you turn the light off, it hurts my eyes," I say and within moments hear the little click on my bedside lamps.
Hunter wastes no time with words and pulls me down further on my bed, so that I am laying next to him, and then he turns me into him so that we are on our sides looking at each other in the dark. He pushes his arm under my shoulder, maybe I should fight more than I do, but I snuggle into him and start crying.
He holds me there for what seems like forever, his fingers moving so softly up and down my side, while with the other he pins me to his chest.
"Someone drugged you, Gigi. And I am sorry, but none of your friends were there when I found you, so they don't get to help you now. I don't trust any of them. They should have been paying better attention," his voice comes closer to me before I feel his lips on my forehead, he keeps them there while he talks more. "The school called your grandfather after getting you the doctor. The school told your grandfather that I was the one who found you. The medical team put you in your bed happy with how you were doing, they left a long list of instructions including that someone stay with you. Your mobile kept ringing with your grandfather’s number but I swear I didn't answer until he text and told me to. He is just worried about you, trying to understand what happened." Hunter stops talking, but he keeps his lips on my forehead while slowly wiggling his hands out from around me so that he can stroke my face better.
"I punched your boyfriend Gigi and I am not even sorry," Hunter's deep melodic voice croons at me, and I smile at it. It must be my fragile state. "I am sorry that we fought. I’m sorry I was an asshole. You infuriate me, you know. Being around you for more than two seconds just makes my blood boil, but being away from you is even worse. I’m leaving you, Gigi. I’m leaving St. Joseph’s tomorrow. I have to, I don’t want to, but I have to. I even wonder if you will remember this, god I hope you do. But you forget all my other words, so I am not sure why this time is any different. I just don't think it is our time yet," his voice fades away and in his arms, in the dark cocoon in my room, I fall asleep again and enjoy the most peaceful, tranquil sleep I have ever had.
The noise of the morning and the birds singing is what wakes me this time and I am surprised to see that the sun is glaring in through my window. I hear a newspaper rustling as it is being turned and a cup of tea sat down, when I turn towards the noise my eyes nearly bug out of my head.
"Grandpa! What are you doing in my bedroom?" I say as I sit up quickly, totally confused, the action sends a galaxy of little stars across my vision and I grab my head to stop the spinning.
"Verginius, are you okay, my girl? I had a call from the school last night, the doctors provided medical aid to you and you have some lovely friends that stayed with you last night. But I couldn't risk it, I had to see for myself that you were okay," Grandpa speaks softly as he comes to sit on the side of my bed, his old wrinkled hand holding mine in his.
"What happened, Grandpa. I have no recollection of anything from last night," I look at him totally bewildered.
"Ginny, someone dropped something in your drink, it knocked you out cold. You were very lucky sweetie that you got medical attention when you did. Whoever did it was not playing around, the amount used was enough to drop an elephant. We have had to take formal action against the school, our solicitors are doing that now and unfortunately the police have been involved. Even if this was a bit of teenage fun, it is something that can't be ignored. I have the doctor sitting in your suite just waiting for you to wake up to double check that you are okay and then we are going home," he says and without waiting he gets up to walk out of my suite to get the doctor. I stop him at the door with my words.
"Grandpa, who found me?" I question him, not liking that I can't remember anything of last night. A funny feeling stirs deep in my tummy though, I know this answer even if I can’t recall it. My heart already hurts as it races in dread, my head starting to spin again. Even before he says it, the tears start falling from my eyes.
“It was him, Ginny.”
Grandpa stayed the rest of the day with me and after the doctor checked me over again, he ordered food to be delivered to my room. I picked at the plain sa
ndwich he ordered and managed a couple of sips of the chicken soup.
"Okay kiddo, what are we going to do?" he asked me after watching me fiddle with my food for a little while.
"About?" I asked.
"Well, I don't think you're up to discussing the Board report that Leah distributed yesterday, so how about we talk about what is going on at St. Joseph's? What's going on with you?" he offered and sat back in the dining chair, raising his eyebrow in question and waiting for a response from me.
I didn't respond for a little while, not because I didn't want to, but more because I had no idea where to start really.
"It's just, I mean, I think...." I sighed before sitting up straighter. "It's like being here at St Joseph's, everything is so intense. I can't figure out what is real and what is a result of being here. Does that make sense?" I ask as I sit back on the chair.
Grandpa waved his hand, "Explain it better..."
"Well, to me, it feels like I can't trust my feelings. I have never been that awesome around people my age and don't have many friends and now I am thrust into living with lots of people my age, that all have big emotions and even bigger personalities and I am getting caught up in drama that I have no place getting involved in. But now I have those big emotions. It's like I know I shouldn't but I can't stop being involved either," I stop fiddling with the crust of my sandwich and look up at Grandpa.
"It sort of makes sense Gin. Part of St Joseph's appeal is that you are all living on campus, parent interaction is restricted and they allow you the freedom that you are not given in a normal environment. There is a lot of supervision, but it is from afar. Academic wise, they strive for excellence but they are also trying to teach you resilience, persistence, the importance of being prepared. Socially, the need to adapt is important but so is the reliance on yourself. The only person to decide who and what is important in your life is you. You will always find people that challenge you to be better, but there are also those people who take a little bit of your soul for their intents, whether that is good or bad, you just need to decide if that works for you," he says before standing.
"You know, we trust you implicitly. I think the issue is you don't trust yourself. And only you can decide who deserves that part of you. Maybe what I said about fate was wrong Gin, in our phone call. If something causes you so much pain, it is not a good thing. It might be time to let the past be the past, and just move on," he walks over before leaning down to give me a kiss on the head. "Get some rest, Gin, you need to be back in peak performance sooner, rather than later. Do what you want just for you for a change my dear. I still think you should consider coming home Ginny, although I know how determined and stubborn you can be. Just promise me, if you change your mind, you come straight home. Me however, I do need to get back to Grandma Regina, I'll call you when I get there. Be safe my girl," he turns and I jump up to follow him to the door. Admittedly, it is a very slow jump up, and the room spins slightly but the Doctor confirms that there will be a residual effect from last night.
Grandpa gives me a giant hug at the door, then leaves me, his wise words spinning around in my head. Without second guessing what is right and wrong, I grab my phone and text Hartley asking her to come over.
I am climbing out of my second shower for the morning, when I hear the buzzer and I wrap myself up in my fluffy robe, before making my way to the door.
"Hurry up Gin! I'm balancing a mountain of shit here!" Hartley yells and I swing the door open to her. I can barely see her over all the snacks she has in her arms.
"I bought us ice-cream, chips, chocolate. Flowers for you, cause you still look like shit, and some coffee. Hurry up and get changed, I'll meet you in the lounge room. Like you said, it's time you tell me those secrets of yours. Chop-chop Ginny!" she laughs as she dumps all the food on my kitchen counter before turning her back on me.
I make my way back to her and she is snuggled under the fluffy blanket on the sectional sofa. She is flicking through Netflix looking for something to watch, when I wander back into her. She points to the opposite side of the sofa and the piles of pillows arranged in the corner, and then she points to the mountain of food she has set up on the table in front of us.
"Okay. I know you are okay, we were all there when the Doctor came out. We all got a stack of advice about how to look after yourself and what to do if you or a friend has been spiked. So let's get the low down on the rest of the shit we need to speak about Gin, your words, not mine!" she smirks into her coffee before putting it down and grabbing a cookie from the plate she has laid out.
I look at her carefully before growling out loud.
"Hunter is my lost best friend, my neighbour," I blurt out and offer a grimace, hoping it will help diffuse her hurt at me not telling her sooner.
"Are you fucking serious?" she screams back at me, throwing half an eaten cookie at my head. "It explains everything. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she laughs.
I am not sure if it is from the cookie hitting me in the forehead, or the relief I feel at her response but I burst into tears. Within moments I feel Hartley pulling me into a big best friend cuddle.
"Why didn't you tell me Gin? It really explains so much. You guys, have like this crazy, weird pull, I can see it, I think everyone can, but then he is just so angry," she murmurs into my hair as I stay hidden in her cuddle.
I pull myself out of her arms and look at her, "Are you shitty with me that I didn't tell you sooner?"
"Nah, Ginny, I figured I would be the first to know as soon as you were ready. You have always had your secrets, I'm okay with that. Besides, you are telling me now. It really does explain why you have been so frazzled and stressed lately," she says softly.
"Thanks Hartley. I love you so much," I reply to her, before untangling myself from her and the quilt. I settle back into the corner of the lounge, "it gets better than that Harts. Man, it gets complicated," I whisper before I spend the rest of the afternoon going over everything that has happened between Hunter and I since I drove through the front gates of St Joseph’s.
After a run down, which sees me crying, laughing and struggling to understand what to expect next, Hartley sits next to me, sometimes cuddling me, other times hitting me with the pillow that sits between us. It feels like hours later that I finish my Hunter rundown, but I feel so much lighter inside too.
“So, um, Ginny, I have to tell you something,” she gets up and walks into my bedroom for a minute. I am so confused, I start to get up to follow her, but get caught in the blanket. She comes back holding a box of tissues. I immediately feel sick.
“You know Ginny, that Hunter left St Joseph’s this morning?” she whispers as she starts moving towards me, the tissues extended in her hand.
“What? What do you mean Hunter left? When did this happen?” I say back, so damn confused. There is no way Hunter will leave here, he lives and breathes St Joseph’s, besides which he will tell me. He will rub it in my face, I am sure of it. He won’t just go.
“I am not sure what happened, but he wouldn't let anyone into your suite last night. Not even me. He was freaking crazy angry. We went and saw the Dean, Ginny. We were so worried. But apparently your Grandpa and Hunter agreed. He stayed with you until your Grandfather arrived. Then they were together inside your suite for about thirty minutes, before Hunter stormed out of here, slamming doors. He had Dom up against a wall, screaming in his face before he just walked away,” Hartley finishes before looking at me, waiting for a response.
It takes me a while to answer her, “Why?” is all I can ask. Before she can answer me, I get up quickly, rushing to my room, searching for my mobile phone. I finally find it charging on my bedside table. I hear Hartley shuffling behind me, but she waits at the door when she hears my Grandpa’s voice.
“Ginny. Just breathe, honey. He is okay. You're okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, but I promise you. He asked me to give you something. I hid it under your pillow for later. I just thought you needed a little bit of time, but maybe I got
it wrong. Sorry, little one. He asked that I wait to tell you and after he looked after you so well last night. Who am I to deny him that?” Grandpa sounds tired. I can hear the weight of Hunter’s request weighing down on him.
“Agh!” I growl before stomping my feet in frustration like a three year old, before I catch myself and stop. “It’s okay Grandpa. You did what he asked. You are right, I probably wasn't ready to deal with this.” I offer, I don’t want him feeling any worse for getting caught up in Hunter and I.
“Gin, you are very tired, you were very ill last night. Hunter is fine, he asked me to leave a letter with you, maybe it can shed some light on what is going on. I placed his note under your pillow on your bed. Leave it until you are ready. Promise me that,” he demands.
“Maybe,” I smirk at him before hanging up.
Hartley is over next to me moments later and just holds me while I try to grapple with the last few hours. I really wonder how much more I can take. We are interrupted then by my front door knocking.
“Pretty sure that’s Dom, Gin. Your boyfriend,” she says from under our cuddle and I freeze at her words.
“Fuck me Harts, anything else?” I whisper before offering her a final squeeze, heading towards the front door.
"Ginny! You made it!" Hartley's excited welcome, sounds practiced as she walks towards me. Dressed in the latest summer collection from some up-and-coming chic designer. I am surprised the price tags are not still on her dress.
"Of course I made it. I couldn't miss this," I offer politely, before she envelopes me in a gigantic over the top air hug.
"Promise me you are okay. Don't let anyone make you feel awkward today," she whispers before turning me so that I face the small gathering of old friends and her family.
I'm good, I repeat quietly in my head like a soothing mantra. I have been saying this on repeat since I got the invitation to Hartley's engagement party. Seven years is eons of time really, over two and a half thousand days to be precise, but throw in some dramatic teenage memories along with some fucked up adult shit, and I quickly start to spiral down that black hole again. One breath in, one breath out, I'm good.
You Promised Me Page 10
