Shattered Dreams [EDITING] - Chapter 53: Chapter 53

COREY'S POV:
I'm so glad we found Nadia when we did because who knows what could've happened if she had sat on that road for any longer. We had a lucky shot at finding her as there are so many roads around her house that it could've been impossible to know which road she would've gone down.
Luckily, we were only driving around for half an hour before Willem remembered that he has her location on his phone. I'm glad he forgot because that could've got Nadia and me in trouble numerous times, it just would've been convenient if he remembered before I was driving around looking for her for thirty minutes.
We've been with Nadia for a short while now and I still haven't gotten over the shock of them saying they may have found someone who knows what's wrong with her. I have just stood on the outline, watching in on them with my mouth wide open as they all discuss everything. I feel like I shouldn't be here as I'm intruding on a family thing but with the way Nadia looked at me for support only moments ago, I know that I can't leave her here alone with her family.
"What's wrong with me then?" Nadia asks apprehensively as if she's scared to know the answer in case it's something bad. I know how much she and everyone else wants a diagnosis for her but one bad thing about receiving one is that it could be bad news and that terrifies all of us. The only comfort I have in believing it's not something bad is that all her test results are normal, so it doesn't indicate that it's something dangerous.
"He didn't tell us that so he didn't misdiagnose you at all," Willem explains as his parents observe. "He wants to meet you so he can go over everything with you in person."
Instead of watching Willem as he talks, I watch Nadia to see the expressions on her face. I see that when he speaks her face goes through relief that there is finally someone who will see her and hope that there may actually be some answers out there for her. I'm feeling hopeful about this but I don't want to let it affect me too much because if it all comes crashing down I don't want to be heartbroken for her when I need to be there for her.
I have no idea how they can diagnose something when they have gone through all the tests with Nadia and nothing is coming up alarming so I don't feel like this will work but I will keep an open mind with it for her.
"Is that something you will be willing to do, Nadia?" Her mum asks her now and I see her eyes go wild as she tries to process her thoughts behind them. It is a bit of a stupid question but I am glad they are at least giving her the option and discussing it with her this time instead of keeping it from her.
"Yeah, of course it is," Nadia states. "I want to know what's wrong with me and if I can be saved."
"Perfect, we will give him a call tomorrow to see what his availability is like." Samantha coos and Nadia tries not to let the excitement show on her face but I see it seeping through slightly. I don't think anyone else will be able to notice it though as they don't look at Nadia like I do.
"Okay," Nadia says flatly but I know that she is forcing her voice to sound that way, in an attempt not to sound too enthusiastic.
"Shall we go home and get to bed? You must be exhausted because I certainly am from all the travelling I've been doing today." Richard speaks out, trying to get everyone to go because he has been shivering this whole time.
Nadia glances at me for a second before turning to look at her parents, "I think I'm going to find somewhere else to sleep tonight."
"And where will you go? You don't have any friends anymore." Samantha comments and I roll my eyes at her being completely tone-deaf.
"Thanks for that reminder, mother." Nadia bites back with some hostility in her voice, which is completely valid.
"You know I didn't mean it like that," Samatha replies and I just look between them, not knowing what to do or say.
"I'll stay at Corey's," Nadia suggests, sounding like she's already made her mind up that she is.
Willem's attention perks up again at this, looking to find my reaction to Nadia's words. I am not faking the reaction that I show because I am genuinely shocked that she would suggest this. Does she not know that they may be able to figure things out if she is so willingly staying with me?
"I'm not sure Corey wants that, Nads," Willem says after assessing the look on my face.
Nadia looks at me now and she looks like she's about to crack. Her eyes look sad and tired and I want to put her out of her misery but the only way I can do that right now is agreeing to her staying at mine. I don't care if her family finds out, I just want her to feel okay and comfortable.
"Nah mate, she can stay at mine if it's what she wants," I confirm, watching Nadia as her face falls in relief and then she gives me a thankful look. I shake my head at her to tell her it's no big deal and Willem looks between us again.
"Where will you sleep? He doesn't have a spare room." Willem asks her, suspicion laced in his tone.
She thinks for a few seconds but comes up with nothing and I pipe in an answer for her so the question isn't left unanswered for too long. "Lily's room."
"Yeah, Lily's room." Nadia agrees as if it had been the plan all along. Willem nods his head slowly in response and I don't think he quite believes it but he can fuck off. Nadia doesn't want to stay at home and she wants to stay with me so that's where she will be tonight. I can see in her expression that the pain is beginning to overrule her body again, her eyes are starting to look heavy and she keeps scrunching up her eyebrows in defeat as if she is trying to fight it; it's like a constant war between peace and pain inside her body. Yet, it's not her body against something else, it's her body against itself.
"Will your parents be okay with that, Corey? It's a bit short notice." Samantha asks, not trying to stop Nadia from staying at mine at all, although she knows the real place where Nadia will be sleeping. I'm glad she doesn't have an issue with it though.
"Yeah, of course they will, it's Nadia." I shrug, my parents have never had an issue with Nadia, only my dad has when she started getting sick as it brought back so many memories for him. They would have an issue with Nadia staying as they seem to have an issue with people who don't know our situation being around our house, which is understandable so it's a good thing that my parents are away together somewhere. They have been going on a lot of trips over the years and they tell us it's to keep their marriage alive but we have always felt like it's something different, that they go away to keep the marriage there.
"Okay, thank you," Samantha tells me, looking sad that her daughter won't be spending the night at home.
"Are you okay with her staying around a boy's house?" Richard asks Samantha and she laughs in response.
"She has stayed around Jaspers for months at a time, Richard. Also, this is Corey we are speaking about, not a random boy." She replies in disbelief.
"Thank you." Nadia mouths to me as her parents talk between themselves and I notice that her eyes are slightly glossy, even from how far away I'm standing from her.
"Whatever you need." I mouth back, putting my hand on my chest to show her how much I mean it.
"Will Lily be alright with Nadia in her room?" Willem asks me as his parents hug Nadia goodnight and speak in low voices to her about whether she's okay staying at mine or not I'm assuming. I look towards Nadia to find her already looking back at me with eyes full of tiredness.
"Yeah, they have gotten much closer since you were away as Lily and Ed came to visit her and we had a good day," I tell Willem in as little detail as I can, just to ease his mind about Nadia staying around my house. I know Willem is only asking because he's worried about his sister and he knows what I'm like but it's quite annoying that he can't trust me to look after her after that's what I've been doing for the past few days.
I've even missed hockey training to be here with her so I would appreciate it if he trusted me more, even though he shouldn't really be trusting me considering what is happening behind his back.
"Okay, just make sure she is safe and looked after and don't let her go out." He instructs me and I roll my eyes at him because what the fuck does he think I have been doing whilst he was going behind her back seeing to therapists about her condition?
I was here when her own family wasn't, yet I am the one being warned to look after her properly.
"I will." Is all I end up saying because I don't want to cause an argument just before the first time Nadia stays around mine. The circumstances in which she is staying aren't great but I'm glad it's finally going to happen.
I just hope she is not in too much pain to have a nice enough time or a decent night's sleep.
Willem and I make our way towards Nadia and her parents, who both have tears in their eyes. "What's wrong?" Willem asks as we approach.
"Don't you worry about that. Now let's get back so we can all sleep. I'm beat." Richard suggests and we all nod in agreement. I think he wants to get to bed more than Nadia does at this point.
Samantha and Richard get in Nadia's car and wait whilst Willem holds back, holding out his hands for Nadia to pass him the keys to her car. She passes them to him with a small smile and I can see the heartbreak in his eyes as he looks at his sister who is slowly deteriorating right in front of him. He grabs the keys from her hand and gives her a meaningful yet delicate kiss on the side of her head to tell her how much he loves her but I can also sense the apologies written in both of their faces when he pulls away.
Willem is sorry for going behind her back and betraying her like that and Nadia is sorry that she is affected by it, something she seems to be sorry of a lot.
"I'm sorry. I never wanted to keep anything from you, I just thought this would help you in some fucked up way." Willem finally whispers and I once again feel like I'm intruding, so I pretend to look elsewhere. I spot Samantha and Richard in the car, watching with concerned expressions.
I look back at the situation in front of me and see a rogue tear slip out of Nadia's eye. "It's okay, I know." She reassures him as it rolls down her cheek and disappears under her chin.
More tears fall out of her eyes as Willem walks away to the car and I slip an arm around her as she wipes at her eyes, trying to dismiss she had any reaction to that encounter at all. She brushes me off when I touch her as I seemed to have forgotten we are under the watchful eyes of her parents and Willem could turn around and look at us at any minute.
Nadia waves goodbye to them as they drive off and once her cra is out of sight she releases a massive breath of relief. Her shoulders untense and she seems less stiff when she sits herself in my passenger seat. Her peaceful expression is now replaced by a tense one. Her eyes are scrunched closed when she gets her legs in the car, she's being careful and slow as she does it as the pain takes over.
I know that her pain is so bad because she has been hiding the fact she is in it the whole time we have been out here. I just wish that he would stop hiding it because it makes things worse in the end. She knows this herself but yet she is still more bothered about protecting everyone elses feelings more than her own.
I want to help her get in the car to make it easier for her but I know she will fight me on it and tell me she's fine. I hate seeing her like this but I know that's selfish of me, it's not about me in the slightest and all I need to do is be here for her until the pain passes. She doesn't have anything of hers packed, nor does she have any pain killers with her so I will just have to raid my parents room to find something that will
work for her.
Once she gets her legs in the car she sits back, not even bothering to close the car door so I rush around and do it for her and then get myself in the car. I drive, not asking her if she wants any of her things as I know she will say no so I drive straight to mine. All she wants to do at the minute is get right into bed. It's lucky for her that I have a memory phone mattress and so it's extra comfortable.
The ride is silent as I'm scared to turn music on or say anything to her as I don't want anything to be too harsh on her head but she is the one to speak first. "I can't believe they did that, you know."
"I know, it shocked me too. At least there's someone out there who actually wants to see you and not just dismiss your concerns." I try my hardest to comfort her.
"That's true," She mumbles. "I hated every second of being out there, It was so painful and I hated having to hide it."
"You do realise that you don't have to hide it, right?" I ask her as I make a left turn. I'm glad it's so late at night so the roads are basically bare but it's fucking terrifying driving down country roads when it's pitch black outside.
"I know," She nods. "I just want to is all. I don't have to hide it anymore tonight though."
She smiles at me as she says this and it makes my heart burst at the seems with how proud I am of her. I'm so proud of her and how she can show that she is in pain to me. She will never know how much I understand her.
"How did you end up standing in the middle of the road anyway?" I ask her the question that's been on my mind since we found her there.
"I'm not sure, I was so full of hurt and anger that I wasn't thinking. I was just going where my mind took me and I ended up there." She opens up and I hum in response, not really knowing what to say to her. If I tell her how proud of her I am then she might regret opening up to me completely and go back to keeping everything bottled up inside of her.
"Why didn't you answer the phone when I rang you?" I query and she shrugs her shoulders.
"Answering your call wasn't really the main thing on my mind to be honest, Corey." She tells me bluntly.
"Fair enough," I reply flatly.
The rest of the ride is in silence again as both of us don't talk. We have so much we want to say to each other but both of us are too afraid to say it.