The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 125

Chapter 125

Chapter 125

ASTRA

A few hours later…

The final bell rang, sharp and piercing, slicing through the fog in my head like a knife.

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I flinched hard, heart slamming against my ribs. I hadn’t heard a single word the teacher said in the last three periods. My notebook lay open with nothing but shaky doodles and the same sentence scratched over and over in the margin:

“What did she mean about Mom?*

Maya’s smug voice kept looping in my skull.

“You should spend less time worrying about boys and more time worrying about your mother.”*

My head throbbed with a nauseating pulse. I snatched my bag with trembling hands and bolted from my seat before the rest of the class had even started packing up.

The hallway was pure chaos, lockers slamming shut, voices shouting, bodies shoving past but it all felt distant and muffled. Like I was drowning underwater.

I needed to get to the hospital now.

My feet moved on autopilot, pushing through the crowd.

I didn’t stop for Chloe or Priya.

All I could see was Mom lying in that sterile room and whatever Maya knew that I didn’t.

By the time I burst out of the school gates, my breathing was ragged. My legs felt weak, but I kept running toward the bus stop, backpack bouncing painfully against my spine. The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly, sweat sticking to the back of my neck, yet I barely registered the heat.

“What if something’s wrong? What if she’s worse? What if…

The thoughts spiraled faster than my feet could carry me.

I reached the bus stop just as the city bus rounded the corner. My hands shook so badly I nearly dropped my pass twice. When I finally collapsed into a seat near the back, I pressed my forehead against the cool window and tried to breathe.

It didn’t help.

My knees bounced uncontrollably. I wrapped my arms around myself, but the tremble had already taken over my whole body. Maya’s other words kept cutting in too.

The ride felt endless. Every stop twisted my stomach tighter. By the time the bus reached the hospital, I was already standing at the doors, practically vibrating with nerves.

I sprinted through the familiar sterile hallways, the sharp smell of antiseptic burning my nose. My shoes squeaked against the linoleum as I skidded to a stop outside Mom’s room.

I hesitated for half a second, heart lodged in my throat, then pushed the door open.

The familiar hospital room greeted me with its sharp antiseptic sting and the low, steady beep of machines. Afternoon sunlight slanted through the blinds, painting golden stripes across the thin white blanket covering Mom’s legs.

12:13 Fri, Jul 31

Chapter 125

She was sitting up.

༢༣;

And when she turned her head, her eyes, those warm brown eyes that had been lost in fog for weeks-focused on me with startling clarity.

“My baby.”

Her voice cracked with recognition.

My breath caught so sharply it hurt. “Mom….?”

I rushed forward, shoes squeaking on the tiles. She opened her arms and I collapsed into them, burying my face in the crook of her neck. She smelled like lavender soap and hospital laundry. Her hands, fragile but steady, cupped my face, thumbs brushing across my cheeks as if memorizing me.

“You look so tired, sweetheart,” she whispered, brushing a strand behind my ear.

A broken sob tore out of me. “I’ve missed you.”

For a few precious seconds, the world narrowed to just this-her warmth, her touch, her voice saying my name.

Then the door opened behind me.

I felt the shift in the air before I even turned. Doctor Ray stepped in first, his usual gentle smile gone. His shoulders were rigid. Behind him came Doctor Collins, the attending physician, clipboard in hand like a weapon.

Nurse Helen and Nurse Maria followed, both of them avoiding my eyes.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

I slowly rose from the bed, legs already shaky. “What happened?”

Doctor Collins cleared his throat, his expression heavy with sympathy.

“Miss Hawthorne, we need to discuss your mother’s care.”

My pulse roared in my ears. I reached back and gripped Mom’s hand like a lifeline.

He opened the file in front of him.

“The hospital administration has reviewed your mother’s account and her current admission.”

My stomach tightened.

He looked up at me.

“Your mother no longer meets the criteria for inpatient admission. Under normal circumstances, we would work with you to arrange the next stage of her care. However…” He paused briefly. “Given the significant outstanding balance, the hospital is unable to continue extending her stay.”

I stared at him.

“I… I don’t understand.”

His voice remained gentle.

“The decision has been made to discharge your mother tomorrow afternoon.”

The room tilted.

Chapter 125

“No.”

The word escaped before I could stop it.

“No… there has to be some mistake.”

I looked desperately between him and Dr. Ray.

“She has Alzheimer’s. She needs constant supervision. Her medication… the nurses… she can’t just leave.”

My voice cracked.

“Where am I supposed to take her?”

My knees threatened to give out. I grabbed the edge of the hospital bed, my knuckles turning white.

“I’ll pay more,” I pleaded. “I swear I will. I’ll pick up more shifts. I’ll work nights if I have to. I’ll stop spending money on myself. Just… please.”

A sob caught in my throat.

“Please don’t make her leave.”

Doctor Collins closed the file quietly.

“I know how hard you’ve been working, Astra.”

There wasn’t an ounce of judgment in his voice.

“No one here doubts your dedication to your mother.”

His eyes flickered briefly toward Dr. Ray.

“We appealed the decision to hospital administration.”

Doctor Ray let out a slow breath, rubbing a tired hand over his face.

“I spoke to them twice today,” he said quietly. “I explained your situation and asked for more time.”

His jaw tightened.

“They wouldn’t reverse the decision.”

Silence settled over the room.

The kind that stole every bit of air from my lungs.

Nurse Helen stepped closer, voice thick. “We’re so sorry, honey.”

The beeping of the heart monitor grew louder in my skull. Or maybe that was my own pulse. I couldn’t tell anymore.

Doctor Collins gave one last apologetic nod and left. The nurses followed, shoes whispering against the floor. Doctor Ray lingered a moment longer, squeezing my shoulder, then he too walked out.

The door clicked shut.

Silence crashed over the room except for my ragged breathing.

Warm, trembling fingers touched my cheek.

Chapter 125

“My baby… why are you crying?”

Mom’s voice-so gentle, so present-shattered what was left of me.

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A sound tore from my chest that didn’t even sound human. I dropped to my knees beside the bed, burying my face in her lap as violent sobs ripped through me. Her hand stroked my hair the way it used to when I was small, slow and soothing and that only made me cry harder.

“It’s my fault.” I gasped between sobs. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. I tried. I’m trying so hard but it’s not enough. They’re taking you away and I don’t know where to put you. I don’t have anything…”

My shoulders shook so badly I could barely breathe. The smell of antiseptic burned my nose. The thin blanket bunched in my fists.

Then it hit me.

*Higher up.*

Maya’s smug face flashed behind my eyes. Her voice echoed: *You should spend less time worrying about boys and more time worrying about your mother.*

This wasn’t random. This was them. The Whitmores were punishing me.

“No.” I jerked upright, tears and snot streaking my face. “No. No.”

Mom blinked, confused. “Sweetheart?”

I stumbled backward, legs numb. “I can fix this.”

I didn’t know if I was lying to her or myself.

Then I ran.

“Astra!” Doctor Ray’s shout followed me down the hall, but I didn’t stop. I burst through the hospital doors into the blazing afternoon heat, tears blurring everything into streaks of light and color. The next bus was pulling up. I climbed on without looking, collapsing into a seat as passengers stared.

I barely saw them.

One thought pounded in my head with every heartbeat.

“Whitmore Estate.*

The ride felt endless. When the bus finally slowed, I jumped off before it stopped completely and sprinted the rest of the way. My lungs burned, sweat mixing with the tears on my checks.

The massive iron gates of the Whitmore estate loomed ahead-cold, imposing, and dripping with wealth I could never I touch.

I slammed my palm against the intercom button, over and over, sobbing openly now.

“Please… please answer…”

My voice shook badly. “Please….”

12:13 Fri, Jul 3