She snickered. “Probably wouldn’t hurt to cover all the bases.”

The bite had to be stitched, and the doctor seemed full of regret when he told me it would scar. If a scar was all I had to deal with after everything I’d just been through, I wasn’t going to shed any tears. He put my arm in a sling and told me to keep it immobile for a few weeks, then packed up his bags.

With the promise of returning the following week for Cali’s ultrasound, but advising us to call him should either of us start running a fever or Cali’s bleeding grew worse, he went back to his clinic with Guzman. It was only then that I finally felt as if I could leave my friend long enough to call Ryan.

In the library downstairs, I picked up the landline and dialed his cell number. I didn’t know many of my contacts off the top of my head, but Ryan’s and my mom’s numbers were the two I would never forget.

The phone rang and rang until it went to voice mail, but I knew it would. He never answered a number he didn’t recognize. As soon as I heard the beep, I started talking. “Ryan, hey. I know you are probably losing your mind right now, but you can relax. I’m fine. I swear. Just a little banged up. I don’t want to talk about all this over the phone, so just call me back at this number and I’ll tell you where I am.” I closed my eyes. “I love you.”

I hung up and then quickly dialed my mom’s phone. It rang three times before someone picked up. “H-hello?”

The sob in her voice cut me to the quick. “Mom?”

“N-Nova?” she whispered with something close to horror in her voice. “Oh God, I’m losing my mind. Nova? Nova? Is it really you?”

“Of course it is, Mom.” I rushed to assure her. “Who else would it be?”

“Th-they told me you were dead,” she whispered. “Honey, am I dreaming?”

“Who told you I was dead?” I demanded, angry that they would do that to my mom. What a terrible thing to say to any mother, but especially my sweet mom, who had been through so much, including losing one baby.

“Everyone! Garret, Anya, Ciro. Even Ciana. She said she saw you like…that!”

“Ciana is okay?” I relaxed somewhat at the mention of my cousin.

“In a manner of speaking,” Mom muttered. “Nova, they said…”

“I don’t care what they said,” I bit out, trying to snap her out of it. “Mom, I’m not dead. I promise you that I’m not talking to you in some dream or from the other side. I’m in—”

“Who the fuck is this?”

I flinched at the sound of Dad’s angry voice snarling in my ear. “Daddy…” I whispered. “It’s Nova.”

His sharp inhale gave me hope that he believed me and I didn’t have to go through the whole “you’re not dreaming or talking to ghosts” thing like I had with Mom, until he spoke again. “I don’t know what sick game you’re playing, O’Brion, but I won’t let you torment my wife like this. I will find you and put a bullet through your heart. Just as you did ours when you took our baby girl away.”