strawberry blonde hair grazing her shoulders.
Trenton used his good hand to push up. I rushed to lock his wheels, and the nurse’s eyes grew wide.
“Please don’t!” she said.
Trenton hobbled into the elevator, steadying himself with the railing on the gurney. He nodded to me. “See you up top.”
The elevator doors swept closed, and I waited three seconds before pushing the button again.
Abby huffed.
“You’re still angry?” I asked.
“Yes. I’m sorry, but yes. I can’t help but think she doesn’t deserve all the fuss he’s making over her,” she said.
The other elevator opened, revealing an empty space. I guided Dad on, and Abby followed behind. She seemed embarrassed to be talking poorly about Camille around Dad.
“I understand, sis,” Dad said. “It’s an emotional day. Sometimes we have to blame someone to make sense of it all.”
“I …” Abby thought about arguing, but thought better of it. Dad was always right.
When the elevator opened, we stepped out to see Thomas standing at the fourth floor nurses’ station.
“Tommy!” I said.
He flipped around, and came at me with open arms. “Have you heard anything?”
I shoved my hands in my pockets and shrugged. “Trenton’s arm is broken in two places. Carried her over a mile to the closest house.”
Thomas shook his head. “That’s what the nurses said. Holy hell. He’s been here one night and already a legend.”
Abby shrugged with an innocent smile on her face. “It’s so great that you came.”
Thomas hugged his dad, and then nodded, his head swirling with thoughts. He glanced at all of us. “Can we go see them?”
“Yeah,” Dad said. “They put her at the end of the hall … four-fourteen.”
Thomas was in a hurry to get to the room, and Abby shot me a glance just before he pushed through the door. Once he saw Camille, he froze, covering his mouth. His hand left his lips and ran over the top of his short dirty-blond hair. “You … you okay, little brother?” he asked, his eyes never leaving Camille.
“I’ll live,” Trenton said.
Abby closed the door behind the nurses as they left, and we watched Thomas approach Camille’s bed. He touched her fingers tenderly. Trenton watched her, too, confusion darkening his face.
“What the fuck are you doing, Tommy?” Trenton asked.
“I should have come sooner,” he said, his face crumpling. “I’m sorry, Trent.”
Trenton wrinkled his nose. “What are you talkin’ about?”
“I … didn’t fly in. I’ve been sitting in my car waiting just long enough to make you believe that I was. It was fucking agony, and I’m so tired of … I’m sorry,” Thomas said again, this time to Camille.
“Tommy,” I said, taking a step. “You all right, man?”
Thomas turned to face us, hesitating when he looked to Dad. “I’ve been in town. I came because of the fire, but then I stayed …”
“Because of the fire?” Abby asked, lifting her chin. She studied Thomas the way she did cards in her hand. Her expression smoothed, as if she were relieved by a freeing truth. “Thomas James,” she whispered.
I frowned, irritated that I hadn’t caught on. But Trenton had. He paled. “No.”
“Trenton,” Thomas began.
“No!” Trenton said, louder than we’d been speaking for hours. His breath became labored, and then he struggled for every lungful of air. He looked at our oldest brother, hurt and disappointed. “Tommy! Tell me I’m wrong!”
Abby leaned in to whisper in my ear. “The guy from California Cami was dating … T.J.”
The wrinkles between my brows smoothed as recognition hit. “Oh, fuck.”
Thomas stood in the middle of the room, guilty, ashamed, and more alone than I’d ever seen him. I walked over to him, and then paused, my gaze falling on Trenton. I didn’t know what to do. We’d never experienced this before.
“It’s okay,” Trenton said finally. “It’s okay, Tommy. I get it.”
Thomas was overwhelmed with Trenton’s
Trenton used his good hand to push up. I rushed to lock his wheels, and the nurse’s eyes grew wide.
“Please don’t!” she said.
Trenton hobbled into the elevator, steadying himself with the railing on the gurney. He nodded to me. “See you up top.”
The elevator doors swept closed, and I waited three seconds before pushing the button again.
Abby huffed.
“You’re still angry?” I asked.
“Yes. I’m sorry, but yes. I can’t help but think she doesn’t deserve all the fuss he’s making over her,” she said.
The other elevator opened, revealing an empty space. I guided Dad on, and Abby followed behind. She seemed embarrassed to be talking poorly about Camille around Dad.
“I understand, sis,” Dad said. “It’s an emotional day. Sometimes we have to blame someone to make sense of it all.”
“I …” Abby thought about arguing, but thought better of it. Dad was always right.
When the elevator opened, we stepped out to see Thomas standing at the fourth floor nurses’ station.
“Tommy!” I said.
He flipped around, and came at me with open arms. “Have you heard anything?”
I shoved my hands in my pockets and shrugged. “Trenton’s arm is broken in two places. Carried her over a mile to the closest house.”
Thomas shook his head. “That’s what the nurses said. Holy hell. He’s been here one night and already a legend.”
Abby shrugged with an innocent smile on her face. “It’s so great that you came.”
Thomas hugged his dad, and then nodded, his head swirling with thoughts. He glanced at all of us. “Can we go see them?”
“Yeah,” Dad said. “They put her at the end of the hall … four-fourteen.”
Thomas was in a hurry to get to the room, and Abby shot me a glance just before he pushed through the door. Once he saw Camille, he froze, covering his mouth. His hand left his lips and ran over the top of his short dirty-blond hair. “You … you okay, little brother?” he asked, his eyes never leaving Camille.
“I’ll live,” Trenton said.
Abby closed the door behind the nurses as they left, and we watched Thomas approach Camille’s bed. He touched her fingers tenderly. Trenton watched her, too, confusion darkening his face.
“What the fuck are you doing, Tommy?” Trenton asked.
“I should have come sooner,” he said, his face crumpling. “I’m sorry, Trent.”
Trenton wrinkled his nose. “What are you talkin’ about?”
“I … didn’t fly in. I’ve been sitting in my car waiting just long enough to make you believe that I was. It was fucking agony, and I’m so tired of … I’m sorry,” Thomas said again, this time to Camille.
“Tommy,” I said, taking a step. “You all right, man?”
Thomas turned to face us, hesitating when he looked to Dad. “I’ve been in town. I came because of the fire, but then I stayed …”
“Because of the fire?” Abby asked, lifting her chin. She studied Thomas the way she did cards in her hand. Her expression smoothed, as if she were relieved by a freeing truth. “Thomas James,” she whispered.
I frowned, irritated that I hadn’t caught on. But Trenton had. He paled. “No.”
“Trenton,” Thomas began.
“No!” Trenton said, louder than we’d been speaking for hours. His breath became labored, and then he struggled for every lungful of air. He looked at our oldest brother, hurt and disappointed. “Tommy! Tell me I’m wrong!”
Abby leaned in to whisper in my ear. “The guy from California Cami was dating … T.J.”
The wrinkles between my brows smoothed as recognition hit. “Oh, fuck.”
Thomas stood in the middle of the room, guilty, ashamed, and more alone than I’d ever seen him. I walked over to him, and then paused, my gaze falling on Trenton. I didn’t know what to do. We’d never experienced this before.
“It’s okay,” Trenton said finally. “It’s okay, Tommy. I get it.”
Thomas was overwhelmed with Trenton’s
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