I nodded, slowly lowering my hand atop hers. I searched her expression for any sign of discomfort, but there was none. Gently, I turned her wrist over so I could see the worst of the scars. I traced one with my finger. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
Hallie’s breathing grew ragged. “I got out.Yousaved me.”
“I wish I would’ve gotten to you a hell of a lot sooner.” She’d been missing for thirty-three days. Spent over a month with a madman. What did that do to a person?
“But you got to me. That’s what matters. When I had what felt like endless cruelty, you gave me kindness. You gave me blue.”
My gaze locked with hers. “Blue?”
The corners of Hallie’s mouth lifted. “Your eyes. I thought I could drown in all that blue, but it would be okay because there was only goodness there. Safety. Peace.”
Pain struck my chest, jagged and brutal. “I want you to have all of that.”
Her smile widened. “I’m finding it. Because you’re giving it to me all over again.”
13
HALLIE
“You really didn’t haveto make breakfast,” Lawson said as he cut off a bite of the egg casserole.
“Shut it, Dad. This is amazing,” Drew mumbled, his mouth full.
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. “I really don’t mind. I need to cook for myself anyway, and it’s hard cooking for one person.”
Drew shot me a grin. “Marry me, Hallie. My babes will understand.”
Luke snorted. “Like you could pull Hallie.”
Drew sent his brother an affronted look. “I’m a catch.”
“For one of your middle school sycophants, maybe.”
“What the Hades is a syco-whatever?” Drew snapped.
“Children…” Lawson warned.
But just the fact that Luke had said anything in my presence gave me a bizarre sense of hope.
Drew turned to his dad. “That’s a curse, isn’t it? You should take his phone for another day.”
Luke glared at Drew. “Pick up a book once in a while, moron.”
Drew shoved back his chair to go at Luke, but Lawson caught him by the T-shirt. “No bloodshed before first period. Go get your books. You need to leave in five.” Then Lawson turned to Luke. “Apologize to your brother for the name-calling.”
Luke’s eyes went hot. “Sorry,” he grumbled.
Drew pulled out of Lawson’s hold and headed for his room. “Real believable.”
Charlie’s gaze ping-ponged between all the participants of the altercation. “Is it a bad word?” he whispered to me.
“No,” I assured him.
“What’s it mean?”
I glanced at Luke. “It’s a fancy word for a follower. Your brother must be reading some pretty advanced books to know what it means.”
Luke pushed back from the table. “Gotta get my stuff.”
