Page 29

Her eyes widen. “I’ve been busy.”

“It’s been over two weeks since you’ve been here.”

She puts out her hands and shakes her head. “Wait, are you scolding me right now? Who the hell do you think you are? You don’t know me.” Her voice is getting louder, and I don’t need to drawing attention to us.

“I’m not scolding you, but your mother has been awake for five days–”

“Five days?”

“Yes.”

“I told someone to call me when she woke up. Why didn’t anyone call me when she woke up?”

I shrug. “I can’t tell you why. That’s not my job.”

She sways again, and her body starts to lean towards mine. I grab her by the arms, keeping her in place. Her eyes brim with tears before she blinks, making them cascade down her face.

“I didn’t know.” She hiccups. I know the alcohol is making her more emotional. I know this isn’t a natural reaction.

“You can’t be here when you’re drunk, Rhea.”

Confusion flashes on her face as she continues to wipe away the tears. “I–I'm not drunk.” She says, dragging out the word, drunk a little too long.

“Don’t,” I tell her holding up my hand. “I know you are. I can smell it on you, see it in your eyes, and by the way you look like you’re standing on a boat swaying rather than here on land, I can tell.” She doesn’t say anything. “Your mom has been without alcohol for what? A month or so?” Martha told me about Rose’s history in more detail once Hawk left. “Do you think it’s all right for you to be around her like this? Don’t you think it’s a little tempting?”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Here comes the defense drunk people usually start up with. “How do you have the right to tell me what to do? You don’t know me. You don’t know what I have to deal with. Don’t you dare judge me.”

“I’m not judging you. I’m only trying to get you to see reason. You being here under the influence isn’t the best thing for your mother while she’s recovering.”

She shoulders past me, not giving me another moment of her time. I know I have no right. I’m a custodian, nothing more. But Rose isn’t just any patient, she’s Hawks mother. He’s her son. And it’s time he takes hold of that position.

Pulling out my phone with shaky hands, I bring up his name.

Me: Your mom is awake.

Hawk: I’m on my way.

I pocket my phone. I know I did the right thing.

At least I hope.

Hawk

I blink the sleep from my eyes. I didn’t expect to get that text. Since I haven’t heard from Tessa at all, I didn’t think she’d tell me. That’s why I reached out to Martha and made sure she kept me in the loop on everything regarding my mom. I knew five days ago that Rose woke up, but I made a promise to myself that I wasn’t going to head back to Los Angeles until Tessa reached out. Only then did I know she was ready to have me back in her life.

My bag is already in the truck. It has been since Martha called me about my mom’s improvements. I wanted to be ready. I didn’t want shit to hold me back when it was time to get out of town.

“You headed back to L.A.?” Dyke asks as he walks up, holding an envelope.

“Yeah.”

He pushes the envelope into my chest. “Thought you’d want to see these.” He steps back, grabbing onto the edges of his cut that cover his chest and waits for me with no expression on his face. He’s still a beast of a guy. Sixty ain’t got nothing on him.

I open the envelope and pull out the papers and what looks like a stack of pictures. I thumb through the pictures first since they’re on top. The first photo is of a woman, who seems to be a younger version of Rose, is standing next to a man, and two little girls. The woman appears troubled, her eyes are vacant. One of the little girls is taller than the other with long, blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Just like mine. The other girl is shorter with brown, chin-length hair. She’s pulling on the taller girls arm, and by the look on the taller one’s face, she isn’t too happy.

“They were eight and seven there. Now they’re twenty and twenty-one.”

I look up from the pictures. “Who are they?”