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“Awe, you guys like each other,” she teases playfully, and I chuckle.
“Yeah, well, don’t expect us to start having sleep overs and braiding each other’s hair or anything,” I say.
“I would never… Sander’s hair is way too short for braids,” she says, and I throw my head back, a bark of laughter booming from my chest.
“You’re hilarious,” I tell her, and she shrugs stiffly.
“Even so, I still don’t want you two involved,” she says.
As if that matters at all at this point.
“Tough,” I tell her, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Excuse me?”
I stand up from my seat beside her bed and lean in close to her, placing a sweet kiss against her split lips.
“I said, tough.”
It wasn’t easy to see, but I knew that Keaton was attempting to arch her brow in challenge. But the swelling and butterfly tape kept her from being completely successful.
I chuckle at her effort.
There’s my girl.
Keaton
I swear, if I could get out of this hospital bed right now, I’d probably strangle Bodhi.
Everything I’ve worked so hard to hide these past couple of years. He just told Sander like it was nothing. And now they’re both involved in my mess.
“Bodhi, this isn’t your battle to fight. It isn’t Sander’s, either,” I tell him, trying to be firm, but it’s useless. He’s just standing there with his arms crossed, smirking.
Prick.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he says, coming closer, taking my hand in his.
“How is that?”
He watches me for a moment, memorizing my face, but I don’t want him to. Not when I look like this. I haven’t had a chance to see myself, but I know what it feels like, and I’m guessing I look pretty messed up.
I turn my head to the side, only for him to catch my chin and gently guide me back to him.
“Do not hide from me,” he whispers, ghosting his fingertips over my bruised cheekbone. “I love you. That much is clear. And, yes, Sander does, too. Just in a different way,” he chuckles softly.
After the day on the beach, I figured those feelings would fade. But knowing he was here with Bodhi the whole time makes me so happy I could cry again.
“We are your family. Okay?” He tucks my hair back behind my ears. “Family doesn’t stand by and watch the people they love go through hell. They sure as hell don’t let them do that shit by themselves.”
“But—”
“No, Keaton,” his expression tenses. “Look at where fighting these demons on your own has gotten you.”
“Bodhi—” I try, but he cuts me off again, albeit gently.
“Keaton,” he shakes his head. “I thought I lost you. We all thought we lost you. You can’t expect any of us to turn a blind eye to everything after what happened to you.”
“You have to,” I cry out, unable to hold back any longer. I blink back the sting in my eyes and sniffle. “I can’t let you fight this battle for me. Not after seeing how far they’ll go.”
