“I’m so tired,” she choked. “I’m so, so tired.”
“I know,” I whispered.
We stayed tangled together, two lost girls in a lavender room, holding each other like the world was ending.
And in a way, it was.
But for one night, we weren’t alone.
For one night, the shadows stayed quiet.
For one night, we were just Brittany and Corinne.
And that was enough.
Chapter 22
Brittany
The Past- Age 22
I was practically floating with nerves the whole morning.
Ever since they told me Jasper was coming today, I hadn’t been able to sit still. My fingers twisted in the hem of my sweater, my legs bounced under the breakfast table, and no matter how many deep breaths Dr. Flynn reminded me to take, they didn’t seem to stick. My stomach felt like it was full of bees, buzzing and jittery, and I kept glancing at the garden gates every time I passed the window.
What if he’s late? What if he doesn’t come at all? What if he looks at me and doesn’t recognize me?
The nurses smiled gently when they saw me pacing the hallway, but I could see the flickers of worry behind their eyes. I heard someone whisper, “She’s been like this all morning,” and part of me wanted to snap that I could hear them, but mostly, I just wanted to see Jasper.
I sat on the edge of the fountain in the garden, twisting my hands together, staring at the driveway so hard my eyes stung. I tried to distract myself—counting the roses blooming along the wall, watching the way the wind moved through the trees, even humming under my breath—but every sound of tires crunching on gravel made my heart leap into my throat.
Please come. Please still want to see me. Please don’t think I’m too broken.
When the gates finally opened and I saw him, I almost didn’t trust my own eyes. The sunlight hit his hair just right, making it gleam pale gold, and I knew that walk, that easy stride, that faint tilt of his head as he scanned the garden—looking for me.
For a split second, my feet froze. All the words I’d rehearsed vanished. But then his eyes landed on me, and everything broke loose inside my chest.
I ran.
---
The sunlight caught on Jasper’s hair, making it look even lighter than I remembered, and the second his eyes met mine, I ran. I didn’t care that I nearly tripped over the uneven stone path—I just needed to feel his arms around me.
“Jasper!” My voice cracked with excitement, and before I could think twice, I was in his arms.
He caught me with a grunt of surprise, laughing as he lifted me slightly off the ground. “Whoa there, Brit. You’re going to break both of us.” His voice was familiar—steady, low, and grounding, like home wrapped in sound.
“I missed you so much,” I mumbled into his chest, squeezing him tighter. He smelled like cedarwood and soap, like the old days when we’d sneak out to the woods behind the house and he’d build me makeshift forts out of sticks.
“I missed you too, Brit,” Jasper murmured, his voice soft as his hand ran through my hair. I felt the wet sting in my eyes and when I pulled back, I saw his own eyes looked glassy. My big brother, always the stoic one, blinking fast as if he could fight it back. I gave him a watery smile and quickly wiped my face.
“I have so much to tell you.” My words tumbled out fast, too fast, my mouth moving quicker than my thoughts. “You won’t believe how much progress I’ve made. Dr. Flynn says my episodes are shorter, and I’ve been writing again, and oh—wait till you meet Corinne! And the babies! And—and—”
Jasper chuckled, brushing my hair from my face. “Breathe, Brit. One thing at a time, okay?”
I nodded furiously. “Okay, okay.”
We started walking down the garden path. The sun was warm on my skin, the scent of lavender drifting in the air. I wanted totell him everything—about the group sessions, the art therapy, the days when the world didn’t seem like it was made of sharp glass. But as we rounded the corner near the rose bushes, I spotted her.
