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Just as Hunter was getting up off the floor to get ready for work, Dad’s voice cut through the silent room, stopping both of us in our tracks.
“Lottie.”
I dropped Hunter’s hand and looked back at my father. The tubes in his nose, the catheter, the constant beeping of machines, it had all become normal though otherworldly. He’d spoken a handful of times, just a few sentences at most. It was still a relief to hear his voice, though.
“Dad. You okay?”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice hoarse. I stepped across the too-clean tile floor and pulled up the chair that sat next to his bed. “Hunter.”
Hunter’s gaze immediately snapped to my dad. “Hey, Brody.”
“Come here. I want to talk to you both.”
Hunter looked at me, almost as if wanting me to confirm it was okay. I nodded and he stepped forward hesitantly, likely concerned he’d get another chewing out from my father again.
But that wasn’t what Dad wanted.
“Are you,” he started, pausing to cough, “serious?”
I took Dad’s hand in mine and squeezed it, not quite sure what he meant. But Hunter spoke up. “We’re serious, yes. I know you’re not happy about it?—”
“No,” Dad wheezed, his pale hand moving up to cover his mouth. “I was being overprotective. Lottie’s capable of making her own decisions and I should have trusted that she’d made a good one with you.”
“What do you mean?” I breathed, squeezing my father's hand again to get his attention back on me. “You’re okay with it?”
He nodded. “I… I clearly don’t have a lot of time left, Lots. If you’re happy, then I’m happy.”
I looked between him and Hunter, unsure of what to say. On the one hand, I was falling for Hunter, but on the other, we hadn’t discussed what was going on between us nor where we thought it was heading. I didn’t want to lie to my dad, not like this, but what other choice did we have?
“I do have a request, though,” Dad said, blinking to keep focus.
“Anything,” I told him.
“I promised myself that I’d make it to your wedding.” His grip on my hand went a little limp as his eyes met mine. “You deserve one parent there. I want to walk you down the aisle. I want to make sure you have someone to take care of you before… well, you know.”
The blood rushed from my face. I loved my father, loved him more than I would ever admit, but my God, he couldn’t just put that out into the universe. He couldn’t just say that to my fake boyfriend.
Hunter took a step back, the surprise overwhelming him as well, and leaned back against the wall opposite Dad’s bed. “Brody, I?—”
“Will you do that for me, Hunter?” Dad asked, that steely gaze he was known for finally working its way through as he stared him down. “If you’re serious about my daughter, if you see a future with her, will you marry her?”
Hunter’s wide eyes clashed with mine. This was not a conversation to be having at seven-thirty in the morning, not a conversation to be had at all. Even as a fucking dying wish, I didn’t know what to do with it.
I’m sorry, I mouthed to him, hoping he was more prepared on how to handle this than I was.
Chapter 21
Hunter
Ihad been nothing but a ball of stress for the past two weeks.
I’d barely been able to function. Every moment I wasn’t at the hospital with Lottie was spent worrying about her and her fixation with staying in that room. And when I was there, I was convincing her to shower or bringing her food, putting out fires of panic and grief. And with the addition of Brody’s latest request, I was barely a shell of myself.
“Chocolate chips or blueberries?”
Mom’s voice pulled me, just barely, from the swirling maze that was wrapping around my head. “Blueberries,” I answered without thinking, and it was only when I played her question back three times that I realized I actually wanted chocolate chips. But she was already making the pancakes, already layering in the fruit, and I didn’t have the heart to ask her to change it.
Will you marry her? Brody’s question kept bouncing around in my head.
