Page 61 of Wicked Love

“You should sleep until my dad gets here.” He scooted to the side to make room for me. “Come on, make yourself at home.”

“You sure? Last thing you need is my hurting you more.”

“Grace, you don’t have it in you… To hurt people.”

I lay by Joe’s side and pulled the covers over both of us. “You wake me up if you’re in pain or I’m taking too much space. Or if I press against your wound. Or—”

Joe kissed me silent. “Stop. Close your eyes. Don’t overthink it. I’m fine. We’re fine.”

“Yeah.”

“Now let’s sleep. You must be exhausted.”

I woke up sometime later to the sound of Philip and Joe whispering. For a second, I wondered where I lay. “Come on, Grace. Let me drive you to the hotel,” Philip said, helping me up. “You deserve a good night’s sleep and a real bed.”

I rubbed my heavy lids. “What time is it?”

“Almost five in the morning. I’m sorry it took so long.”

I focused my attention on my boyfriend. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I wanna rub my hands against concrete because they’re itchy.”

“Did you sleep at all?”

“Like a baby. You were here. That made it all better.” He shifted on the bed. “Now go. I’ll call you when—never mind, we both lost our phones in the fire. I’ll have the doctor reach out to you when I’m being released.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. Love you.” He kissed me, and I melted inside. It felt weird with Philip standing next to us, but I wouldn’t trade my happiness for anyone, so I pushed the thought away.

“Did you find a litter box for DH?” I asked my stepdad.

“Yes. Everything is ready and waiting for you in your room. Come on, Joe needs his rest too.”

On the drive to the hotel, I asked Philip the question that had been nagging me. “Did you talk to my mom?”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to open that can of worms, but I had to appease my mind.

“I won’t lie to you, Grace. We talked. She admitted she’s been hard on you. I won’t defend her actions because I don’t agree with them. But I love your mother, and underneath the confident and ruthless personality she projects, there is a little girl who’s been hurt too a long time ago. I’m not asking you to forgive her now or ever, but sometimes seeing both sides of a situation helps to understand stuff we couldn’t before. I told her you needed time. And she agreed to give it to you. She’s not happy about it but will respect your wishes. If you need help—professional help—of any kind, please let me know so we can figure it out together. Your mom agreed to seek help too. I just hope one day you two will be able to mend the past.”

“Thanks. For all of it. Nobody ever took my side before. Only you and Joe.”

“We’re family, and family helps each other.” He parked the car, and we both climbed out. “Wanna know a secret? When my first wife died, Joe’s mom, I put all my energy into my work and neglected him for a while. He started acting out. For a long time, I blamed myself for my son hurting. Eventually, we sought outside help, and things got better between us. All this to say it’s never too late to turn things around. Give it some time.”

“Can I ask you something else?”

“Always.”

“Do you really think Joe will be able to play the piano like he used to?”

He said nothing for a long moment. “The truth?”

I nodded.

“I do. It may take a while, but when that kid sets his mind on something, he won’t let go until he’s done everything in his power to make it happen. As long as the nerves aren’t affected, I don’t see why he wouldn’t be able to play the piano again.”

“Thanks. For your honesty.”