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“It’s a migraine. I thought you’d understand better than anyone.” I take a quick breath before I push on with my real request. “I was going to put her in my room. You know how rowdy the guys get at night. She needs some quiet and rest.”
Mom’s mouth tightens. With soft fingers, she brushes the hair off Sunny’s face, likely noting the way she grimaces without the shield from the light. “Of course, come on.”
Relief floods my veins. I enter the house and take long strides to get her to my bedroom. Mom follows and closes the blinds as I set Sunny on my bed. She tightens into a ball, arms over her face. I doubt she even knows where she is at this point. Without medication, all she’s feeling is pain.
Mom motions to the hallway, knowing personally how much sound aggravates the symptoms. She pulls the door closed behind her and urges me down the hall to the dining room so we can speak without hurting Sunny. I’ve always hated watching Mom suffer through her migraines, but having someone who understands what Sunny is feeling, it’s a comfort.
“What has she taken? Did she have a prescription?”
I shake my head. “She won’t take anything. She says she doesn’t take pills.”
“Well, I guess your father can’t accuse her of being a drug addict anymore.”
I don’t know how to respond to that. It doesn’t surprise me that it’s come up, but it’s not helping my feelings toward him.
“Can you do anything for her? Maybe crush up some pills and hide them in some food?”
Mom frowns like I’m an ingrate. “She’s not a Labrador, Everett. I won’t go against her wishes either.” Hands on her hips, she chews on the inside of her lip as she thinks. “I’ll get a cold compress and some lavender oil. It won’t do a lot, but it might help.”
I glance down the hall, not eager to leave Sunny alone, but if things get backed up when the rest of them come in, it’ll get back to Dad. I don’t want him to have an excuse to go over my head and get rid of Sunny.
“Go,” Mom says, reading my thoughts, “I’ll take care of her. Don’t worry.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
I don’t know what it is that keeps me bonded to Sunny. Whether it’s the need to help the helpless, or not being able to walk away from someone in suffering, or maybe she’s the first friend I’ve made in too many years, but every step away from her pulls my heart and begs me to return to her side.
Chapter 15
Sunny
S
Short breaths. hort breaths.
In through the nose, out through the mouth.
Don’t squeeze your eyes. It makes it worse.
I try to talk myself through the unrelenting ache. I should take something. I know I should. The pain keeps getting worse. But those pills, they made me crazy. I can’t trust myself on medication. That’s when it happened. I don’t know what she gave me. What if the same thing happens here? I promised Rhett I wasn’t dangerous, and I can’t go back on my word.
“Sunny,” a soft voice calls the name I’ve taken as my own. Cool cloth slips over my forehead. Despite the comfort, I jerk to free myself, unable to trust this isn’t a trap. The voice speaks like a balm again. “Sunny, it’s just a compress. Relax. You’re safe.”
I don’t have it in me to fight. Surrendering, I cease my resistance and allow the coolness to ease the throbbing in my head. It’s not perfect, but it’s bearable.
“Sunny,” the voice speaks again, “I have medication, they could make it all go away. Would you like some?”
“No pills.” Desperate to make her understand, I say it again with more fervency. “Please, no pills.”
“Shhh, shhh,” she soothes me with a hand over mine, “you don’t have to. It’s okay. It’ll pass.”
I slip in and out of consciousness. Every time I go under, my stepmom glowers down at me, dark hair, beaked nose, sharp cheekbones and wicked eyes.
A horse whinnies. I taste dirt in my mouth. My back screams in agony. I came out of the saddle. It hurts too much to move.
“Get up. Get back in the saddle.” Dad pulls me to my feet, but I collapse to the dirt again.
I can’t. I can’t stand.
