“No,” she whispered.
I paused, drawing out a thoughtful breath before continuing, “For a few years after my accident, to anyone looking, I would have seemed okay. But inside, I raged at the world. I swore to myself I’d never draw again, never make any kind of art.”
She glanced down at my sketch pad, open to a beautiful rendering of Bambi’s sleeping face on my thigh. “What a waste that would have been, to hold on to that anger.”
“A terrible waste.” I ran my ragged palm along her knee.
“Terrible.” She hinted at a smile.
“Can we talk now? Really talk?”
“I think we’d better.”
Chapter twenty
Will
Maureen sat up taller and folded her hands primly on her lap. “Okay, I’m ready. Tell me.”
I coughed dramatically, straightening my spine against the headboard. “After all this time, you finally want to hear?”
“Are you planning to make this difficult?” Her voice teased as she shifted in her seat. “It’s not like whatever your big reveal is won’t be a total letdown anyway.” She raised her hand to her mouth and yawned exaggeratedly.
“Ouch.” I laughed. “Bored already? Maybe I shouldn’t bother then.”
“Seriously—” She slapped me lightly on the arm. “You’ve been begging me for a year to let youhave your say.” Her fingerscrunched into air quotes. “Now I’m ready to listen, and you want to play around?”
“I enjoy playing with you. It’s been my favorite activity the past few days.” My mind immediately went to the shower, and I assumed hers did as well since her neck flushed and a swallow worked its way down her throat.
As much as I wanted to explain things to her, I didn’t want our conversation to be how it would have been if we’d had it months ago. Or even three days ago. A somber mood didn’t feel right for this discussion. Not anymore.
I kept playing.
Clapping my hands in front of me, I blew out a breath. “Are you certain you’re ready to hear? I just want to make doubly sure—”
“Will—”
“I mean, you’ve been so adamant.” I couldn’t stop myself from grinning.
She huffed. “Just tell me, jackass.”
“So, so adamant.” I cleared my throat again and inhaled deeply, practically hyperventilating.
“I swear to god, if you take one more big, dramatic breath without actually telling me anything, I’m gonna hurt you.”
“But, Maureen…thesuspense.”
“You know, I bet recently concussed people are much easier to smother.” She grabbed a small decorative pillow near the foot of the bed. It had a picture of Will Ferrell’s face as Buddy the Elf on it.
“Alright, alright.” I held my hands up. “But it’s going to take a minute to get the whole thing out, so you need to promise to listen to all of it before you attack me with the goose down.”
“Pretty sure it’s cotton batting, but I’ll do my best.” Maureen smiled, but her white-knuckling of the pillow said something different.
I turned my head to face her directly.
“There’s part of it that has to do with everything leading up to my accident and its aftermath—the stuff I told you and James and Marley yesterday—but truthfully, I barely scratched the surface. Between the two of us, I want to say all of it. I want you to understand.”
The last traces of levity left her face. “Okay.”
