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“Sounds like a good plan.” I can see why Kase has nightmares.
“Now, tell me what conversation you’re avoiding?”
I sigh, rolling my head over to her. I haven’t been lucid long enough for this conversation, but she won’t let me off that easy. “Kase and I. Where we stand. We haven’t talked since Texas and the only thing I know is he didn’t choose Everly.”
She rolls her eyes and gives me an incredulous glare. “That man loves you more than the ocean and you know the weird obsession he has with that.” We both giggle. “Don’t doubt his love for you. There’ll be an adjustment between you and your sister because of Reed, but lover boy isn’t going anywhere. If you still want him.”
She’s right. Us being together might affect Everly and my relationship too. The struggle of wanting to be closer to my sister and being with Kase is real.
I’m enjoying a break of being alone, reflecting on the past week. So much has happened in the small amount of time, it’s dizzying. I’m in a wind tunnel, everything rushing past me, surrounding me at a powerful speed. I’m not sure how to come out alive without hurting people.
After a tap on the door, Everly sticks her head in. “Want company?”
Reed’s head peeks in under hers and his smile beams. “You definitely want to see me, right?”
I nod and motion for them to come in. Reed always enters a room with a force of energy, there’s no denying where he got that from. When Kase enters a room, it’s hard to look away.
“Did they let you keep the bullet?” Reed asks while he sits down next to me.
“Reed!” Everly stares at Reed with wide eyes.
He shrugs. “What? It’d be cool to keep something like that. I mean you keep my teeth.”
“No, I don’t,” she retorts. “The tooth fairy keeps them.”
His expression is priceless. Hers even more. She learned that her son doesn’t believe in the tooth fairy.
“It’s okay,” I pat her hand, consoling her. “It was bound to happen.”
“Are you sure she’s not real?”
His smart-ass smirk is identical to Kase's when he gets ready to tell me a cheesy pick-up line. “Mom. As soon as you installed a tooth fairy door, I learned it was you.”
My brows pinch together wondering what in the world he’s talking about.
“It was so cute though.” She smiles wide when she sees my confusion. “It’s a little door, with a little door handle and you put it on—” She stops herself and waves her hand. “Never mind. It was cute.”
I scratch my face and exchange a knowing look with Reed. His mom is a little too much. “To answer your question Reed, no. They didn’t give me the bullet.”
His eyes widen. “Do you still have a hole? Can you see through it?”
“No, Reed.” Everly shakes her head. “Okay, you said hi, why don’t you go back out with the guys.”
“Fine. They’re cooler than you anyway,” he says, strolling out of the room.
“I’m sorry. He doesn’t use his filter like he should.”
“It’s all right. He’s a cool little kid.”
“So…” She pulls her hair up in a bun, clasps her hands together in between her legs and stares at me for a moment. She sighs. “I don’t know if I should thank you or yell at you right now. I’ve thought a lot about this the last twenty-four hours and I’ve flipped flopped so many times I’ll just do both.” She swallows after her word dump. “Thank you for taking a bullet for me.” She put a hand up stopping me from talking when I open my mouth. “But why did you do it? If you would’ve died, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself.”
“Ray wasn’t there for you, that bullet was always meant for me. You have a son that needs you, I have…” I turn my head to stare out the window. I’ve never had a lot of important people in my life. I’ve always been a loner, always questioning people’s motives for wanting to get close so it was easier not to get close.
“Don’t you dare say you don’t have anyone because the waiting room staff would tell you a different story. I’ve met so many people who love you that have come to see how you’re doing.” Her eyes tear up, and she sniffles in between her words. “They told me stories about you and how much you mean to them. And then there’s Kase, he would’ve been destroyed.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, the tears falling down the sides of my face from hearing her describe what has been happening.
“Please don’t ever think I’m more important than you.”
