Heck, while I’m praying, I may as well say the same Hail Marys she loves so much for a complete and miraculous healing of her CIDP.
My phone vibrates from where I have it wedged on the inside of the couch-bed I’m snuggled up on. It’s Holland.
“Hey,” I answer.
“Hi.” The rumble of his low voice is like a massage over the phone. My shoulders drop, and my entire body sighs. “Is it an okay time?” he asks.
“Yeah. I’m watching my mom sleep…not in a creepy way.”
“I actually prefer when people watch me when I sleep. Totally normal.”
I let out a soft chuckle.
“How are you?” Holland’s voice is serious.
“I…I don’t know. I’m exhausted. My brain is full of medical terminology, and I’m worried about her future.” I feel tears clogging my throat. “I don’t want to talk about it right now, if that’s okay.”
“You don’t have to.” Holland soothes. After a moment, he adds, “I thought I could read to you, if you wanted.”
Tears spring into my eyes.
“I would like that,” I croak out.
“Okay. Make yourself comfortable.”
I snort. “That’s impossible.” I tell him about the couch.
“Well, imagine you’re lying against my chest, and I’m rubbing your back and playing with your hair.”
“You and my hair. So obsessed,” I mutter, as I let my eyelids fall closed.
“You’re one to talk. You manhandled my luscious locks last night.”
I sigh, my lips hitching up. “I know. You’ve got great hair.”
“See? We were meant to be. We could do a couples shampoo commercial. Dual shower heads, steam, lots of bubbles—“
“O-kay, Holland.” I can’t help the girlish giggle that escapes. “That’s enough of that.”
“You know we’d make millions.”
“Are we going to need millions?” I ask, good humor fleeing as I remember the mess I left behind in Cashmere Cove.
“I told you not to worry about it,” Holland scolds.
“Just tell me. What did Vivian say? What is the network going to do?”
“They’re not going to do anything. We’re figuring out how to spin the images that leaked. They’ve already been removed from most of the main sites. Leaks are common with any reality TV programming, so we’re not all that special.”
“I still can’t believe someone sold us out. Who was it?” It’s been gnawing at me. The people of Cashmere Cove were so welcoming and warm. They seemed to have our best interests and happiness at heart. I can’t imagine any of them would have taken photos of us and then gone out of their way to sell them to a gossip rag, and yet…who else could it be?
“It was Jennah.”
Ah. That makes more sense.
“Remember that SUV that blasted us with water when we were, um…otherwise engaged.”
“Call it what it was Holland. I was kissing your face off.”
