Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95453 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Her smile is just the same as it used to be. With a slight wave of her fingers, she motions for me to come in, then looks over my shoulder like she expects Leni, who follows close behind.
“I brought somebody else to see you today.” Because George got in the way last time. First, though, the way her face changes reminds me of the way I look. “It’s nothing. It doesn’t even hurt.” Leni could at least wear a scarf to cover up the marks George left on her neck.
Something tells me bruising is going to be the last thing on Mom’s mind once Nix comes in.
And he does—before I have a chance to warn her—because he’s never been very patient.
“Mom?” he whispers, his face mostly hidden by the hood he always uses when we’re in public.
Even though she can’t see much of him, her smile is joyful. He steps in front of her chair, then kneels in front of her, taking her hands. “Mom. Colt told me he found you. He told me you woke up. I’ve even seen you while you were asleep. But looking at you like this… I didn’t think it would make me feel this way.”
Her brows draw together as she reaches out, touching a hand to the side of his face—the side that will always bring the memory of what he did to end our father’s hold over us. Her mouth opens, and something like a choked whimper makes me cringe.
Nix covers her hand with his and shakes his head. “I am fine. There was an accident, but I made it out okay. Just a little marked up.” He presses his lips to her palm and releases a deep breath.
“We’re all together again,” I remind her, since she still looks worried. “That’s all that matters. And we came here to tell you we’re all going to move.”
“Including you,” Nix adds. “It’s time for a fresh start. They take good care of you here, but there are other places in other cities that are even better. We’re gonna get you back on your feet. You’ll be running marathons in no time.”
“Let’s leave all the bad stuff behind.” Kneeling next to Nix, I watch as Mom looks at me, then back at him. Tears fill her eyes, but I know they come from happiness. I know because I understand the feeling. Just the idea of never coming back to this town, never seeing places where I have memories of my father, is good enough for me.
Leni stands behind us, one hand on each of our shoulders, and I get the feeling life is never going to get more perfect than this. Everyone who matters, all together, nothing but the future ahead of us.
32
LENI
“I do wish we had been able to spend more time together.” Dr. Miller looks like she actually means it, putting her notes aside with a sigh. “But it makes sense that you would want to move on and make a fresh start. Do you feel like you’re ready for that?”
Right away, I want to fire off a quick response—yes, of course I am. I’m ready to put everything behind me all at once and never look back.
And that is true. But it would be an empty answer, in a way. The kind of answer that makes people raise their eyebrows and purse their lips and keep their thoughts to themselves because they don’t want to hurt your feelings by telling you you’re delusional.
“It’s time for something new,” I reply. “I’m looking forward to living somewhere where there aren’t any ugly memories. I want to make some good memories now. And I don’t want to be the girl whose mom died in an explosion.”
“That’s only natural. You’re a young woman. You have so much ahead of you. It will be good to start again.” Then she pauses, because of course she does. It’s her job to look at both sides of the situation. “And you’re secure in this arrangement you have with these two men in your life?”
That is still an easy question to answer on the surface, but just like the first question, she’ll want to dig deeper. I might as well give her the full answer she’s looking for. “I know it’s unconventional. I know it won’t be easy all the time—it’s not easy with one of them alone, much less two of them at the same time. They’re both stubborn and super protective and competitive. But… I don’t know. Together, we make sense.”
“How so, do you think?”
“It’s tough to put into words. It’s like they balance each other out. They have this shorthand they can use. Sometimes, they don’t even need to speak out loud—they just understand each other. If one of them is acting like a jerk, the other one calls him on it. If anything, it sort of makes my life easier.”