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.”