stop.” I drag my hand out from under
hers. “Don’t go in shrink-mode. Just go back to being my sister. I like that
version of you better. This one freaks me out.”
“Fine.” Her hands fly, palms out. “You want me to be real
with you? Stop entertaining anything having to do with Royal.”
My jaw hangs. She knows damn well I need this closure. She
knows more than anyone.
“You’re engaged. Do you realize how bad this looks? The
entire town of Rixton Falls is upset about Brooks. People are rooting for him.
Donating money. There are prayer circles every night at St. Andrews. Did you
know that? And there’s a charity auction next weekend. The Rixton Falls Herald
has a special page on their website dedicated to updates on Brooks.” Delilah
tilts her head. “If people see you hanging out with Royal while your future
husband lies comatose, they’re going to talk. The Rixton Falls rumor mill is
alive and well. They’re thirstier than ever, and it’s been a long time since
they’ve had anything this juicy to talk about.”
“I just want to keep him around long enough to find out what
happened. I have no intention of doing anything remotely inappropriate.”
“Doesn’t matter what your intentions are. All that matters
is how it looks from the outside. No one gives a damn about the truth, Demi. Not
when a version of the truth is ten times more entertaining.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you. And I know you’re not wrong,”
I say. “But I have to know what
happened seven years ago. I have to know why he left. I’m not shutting him out
until I get my answer.”
“Does it matter?” Her frankness hurts. “After all this time,
does it really even matter? Life moved on. It moved on without him. Your life
is over there now.” She points toward the hall that leads to the corridor
housing Brooks’s room. “Brooks Abbott is your life now.”
I have to tell her.
She has to know.
I need someone on my side.
I can’t do this alone anymore.
“Brooks . . .” I pull in a deep breath, summoning enough
strength to say this out loud for the first time.
“Oh, there you are, sweetheart.” Brenda Abbott strides our
way. I suddenly feel guilty about sitting here coloring with my sister and
niece. She oblivious. Or at least she’s not judging. I love Brenda. She
would’ve made the best mother-in-law. “Your parents and Derek are on their way
out.”
We both stand.
“Come on, Haven. Put the toys back.” Delilah takes her
chubby hand.
“The doctors said the EEG they ran on Brooks last night
shows promise. There’s activity there. And the swelling is subsiding.” Brenda’s
face lights with the smile of a hopeful mother. “They’re going to bring him out
of sedation soon.”
She calls it sedation because she can’t bear to call it what
it really is: a medically induced coma. Sedation sounds more hopeful, like he
was simply put under for a routine procedure.
“That’s . . . that’s great.” I hug her. And I’m happy.
Brooks might be a cheating asshole, allegedly, but he doesn’t deserve to die
for it.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Brenda pulls away, dabbing the corners
of her eyes with the back of her hand. “Delilah, did you hear?”
Brenda gushes to my sister, but I tune them out. I see
Brenda’s arms flailing and Delilah jumping for joy. They hug and cry. We
weren’t even married yet, and already our families had begun to intertwine.
Subtract the doubts and the fears and the lies and the
cheating . . . we might’ve had a beautiful little life together.
Delilah loops her arm around my shoulder. “Told you
everything was going to work out.”
Chapter Fifteen
Royal
Fucking mailman.
I step on a stack of mail, the bottom of my boots leaving
clumps of melting snow that leave the envelopes soggy within seconds.
There’s a set of mailboxes on the main floor, in the back of
the laundromat, but the key rarely works, so he insists on shoving mine beneath
the bottom of the
hers. “Don’t go in shrink-mode. Just go back to being my sister. I like that
version of you better. This one freaks me out.”
“Fine.” Her hands fly, palms out. “You want me to be real
with you? Stop entertaining anything having to do with Royal.”
My jaw hangs. She knows damn well I need this closure. She
knows more than anyone.
“You’re engaged. Do you realize how bad this looks? The
entire town of Rixton Falls is upset about Brooks. People are rooting for him.
Donating money. There are prayer circles every night at St. Andrews. Did you
know that? And there’s a charity auction next weekend. The Rixton Falls Herald
has a special page on their website dedicated to updates on Brooks.” Delilah
tilts her head. “If people see you hanging out with Royal while your future
husband lies comatose, they’re going to talk. The Rixton Falls rumor mill is
alive and well. They’re thirstier than ever, and it’s been a long time since
they’ve had anything this juicy to talk about.”
“I just want to keep him around long enough to find out what
happened. I have no intention of doing anything remotely inappropriate.”
“Doesn’t matter what your intentions are. All that matters
is how it looks from the outside. No one gives a damn about the truth, Demi. Not
when a version of the truth is ten times more entertaining.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you. And I know you’re not wrong,”
I say. “But I have to know what
happened seven years ago. I have to know why he left. I’m not shutting him out
until I get my answer.”
“Does it matter?” Her frankness hurts. “After all this time,
does it really even matter? Life moved on. It moved on without him. Your life
is over there now.” She points toward the hall that leads to the corridor
housing Brooks’s room. “Brooks Abbott is your life now.”
I have to tell her.
She has to know.
I need someone on my side.
I can’t do this alone anymore.
“Brooks . . .” I pull in a deep breath, summoning enough
strength to say this out loud for the first time.
“Oh, there you are, sweetheart.” Brenda Abbott strides our
way. I suddenly feel guilty about sitting here coloring with my sister and
niece. She oblivious. Or at least she’s not judging. I love Brenda. She
would’ve made the best mother-in-law. “Your parents and Derek are on their way
out.”
We both stand.
“Come on, Haven. Put the toys back.” Delilah takes her
chubby hand.
“The doctors said the EEG they ran on Brooks last night
shows promise. There’s activity there. And the swelling is subsiding.” Brenda’s
face lights with the smile of a hopeful mother. “They’re going to bring him out
of sedation soon.”
She calls it sedation because she can’t bear to call it what
it really is: a medically induced coma. Sedation sounds more hopeful, like he
was simply put under for a routine procedure.
“That’s . . . that’s great.” I hug her. And I’m happy.
Brooks might be a cheating asshole, allegedly, but he doesn’t deserve to die
for it.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Brenda pulls away, dabbing the corners
of her eyes with the back of her hand. “Delilah, did you hear?”
Brenda gushes to my sister, but I tune them out. I see
Brenda’s arms flailing and Delilah jumping for joy. They hug and cry. We
weren’t even married yet, and already our families had begun to intertwine.
Subtract the doubts and the fears and the lies and the
cheating . . . we might’ve had a beautiful little life together.
Delilah loops her arm around my shoulder. “Told you
everything was going to work out.”
Chapter Fifteen
Royal
Fucking mailman.
I step on a stack of mail, the bottom of my boots leaving
clumps of melting snow that leave the envelopes soggy within seconds.
There’s a set of mailboxes on the main floor, in the back of
the laundromat, but the key rarely works, so he insists on shoving mine beneath
the bottom of the
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