Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“Are you ready?” Noah asks.
“For what?”
“To go to the lake,” Quinn says. “We’re all going.”
“I’m not,” I tell them. If they didn’t clear it with Elle, it’s not happening. Like it or not, she’s my boss and I’ll do whatever she says. If it means I’m emasculated by letting her control my life, then so be it. She’s trying to keep me alive and somewhat healthy.
“Elle knows. She’s going to,” Quinn says. “She didn’t tell you?”
“No, she didn’t.” Clearly. I get up off the couch and climb the stairs slowly. They’re hard to manage sometimes and usually once I come down them in the morning, I stay downstairs. The many naps I take happen on the couch or in Grandpa’s recliner. He had Liam move it so it faces the window, and I can look out and see what the neighbor kids are doing. Honestly, as nice as it is, it makes me feel like I’m eighty years old.
I find Elle sitting in a chair by the bedroom window. Her head is back and she’s letting the sun beat down on her face. “Am I interrupting?” I ask after tapping lightly on the door.
She opens her eyes and looks at me. “Not at all,” she says. “What does Grandpa say when he’s napping—just resting my eyes.” Elle turns her face back toward the sun and closes her eyes again. “The sun feels good.”
“Speaking of, did you tell Quinn and Noah we’d go to the lake?”
“Mhm,” she hums. “Liam rented a boat or a mini yacht for tomorrow. We’re all going out there.”
“Uh, apparently it’s today.”
Her eyes shoot open. “What? Liam said Friday.”
“Today is Friday,” I tell her, and as if she doesn’t believe me, she picks her phone up off the nightstand and looks at the date.
“Shit.”
“So, we’re going?”
Elle nods. “Yep. Crap. I can’t believe I lost a day.”
“Well, I mean technically it feels like we’re on vacation. I haven’t had chemo this week, so we’re resting.”
Elle stands and goes to the closet. She grabs her tote bag and then goes to the dresser we share and takes out her swimsuit, a pair of shorts, and a shirt. “So, the plan is to go to the lake today. Everyone is going, and like I said, Liam has a boat. We’re going to hang out, have some fun, eat, play some games, and just relax by the water. Liam’s bringing some inner tubes. Oh, and my dad is supposed to be in town today, so Mom and Oliver will join us later.”
“Sounds like fun. How come you forgot to tell me?”
Elle stands there with her clothes in her hand. “I don’t know,” she says with a shake of her head. “It slipped my mind. I guess maybe in the back of my mind, I thought the guys would tell you as they’d be here at some point after they brought it up. No ill intent meant, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“I’m not. Just curious if you want to go, is all.”
“I do. Do you want to go?”
I nod. “I’ll get changed and pack all my crap.”
Elle laughs, but it’s not funny. I swear I take a med kit wherever I go, just in case. There are so many “just in case” scenarios right now that it’s better to have some sort of kit on hand. Elle keeps everything centrally located in the bathroom, so it’s really a matter of zipping the bag and taking it with me. When I get back to the bedroom, my swim trunks are lying on the bed, along with a T-shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of sweatpants. She knows I’m going to get cold.
“Thanks for getting this stuff out.”
“Of course. I’ll meet you downstairs.” She lingers in the room for a moment and then gives me a soft smile. She’s hard to read sometimes, but part of me thinks she wants to kiss me, more than the pecks we share occasionally. I know I miss being her person, but she hasn’t told me how she feels about us since I told her about the cancer. I sort of miss the fighting because it meant we were talking about our feelings. Now, it seems we only talk about how I’m feeling, which is pretty shitty most of the time.
Elle drives us over to the lake in her rental. We could’ve ridden with any of the others, but I don’t want to burden anyone if I need to leave. When we get there, our large group of family and friends have taken up a sizable space near the lake.
Katelyn’s in the water with Oliver. He’s in one of those baby floaties with an umbrella to protect his head. Plus, he’s wearing a hat. It’s funny how many precautions people take with their babies but forget about themselves.