“You were sixteen, almost grown, and I thought you needed your dad more than you needed me. You were soangry. The way you looked at me was awful. I thought I was doing what was best for you, but I didn’t want to leave you. You’re my firstborn, and I love you in a way that can’t compare to your sister and brother.”
“Naw.” I shake my head. “You blamed me for telling Dad, took Artie away for revenge, and left a damn note on the fridge instead of saying goodbye.”
“No,” she gasps, reaching for my arm. I flinch out of her reach, and she moves in again, grasping my wrist firmly. “Hunter, none of this was your fault. I made these choices, I’m the one responsible for this. I was then, and I still am now. It was never your burden to carry; I shouldn’t have asked you to.” She takes a deep breath, eyes red with emotion. “Leaving the way I did was wrong, and I’ll spend however long it takes making up for it. This isn’t something I can fix in one trip, I know that, but I need you to hear how very sorry I am for leaving you. For ruining everything.”
Silent tears roll down her face as she says the words. They sound genuine and full of accountability, which would have worked when I was younger. Now, they do nothing to dissolve the hate filled crevice reserved for her in my heart. She’s saying the right things, but nothing in her behavior has suggested otherwise. My mother—the great deceiver—wants me to take her word for it.Thatis something I just can’t do. Not with her.
“You can leave now.” Turning my back on her, I face the window. I’ve said more words to her in the last twenty minutes than I have in the last ten years. There’s nothing left to say. “I’m tired.”
“Of course. You need your rest. I just came to give you this and say goodbye. Properly.” I look over my shoulder as she reaches into her oversized purse and places a large square-shaped present on the bedside table. “Theron is in the waiting room, wanting to say goodbye too, and then we’re headed back to Sweden a few days early.”
“Of course you are,” I huff, turning back to the window.
“Only until the divorce is final. Then we’re coming back to live in the states. New York or LA, I haven’t decided. But wearecoming back, Hunter. I’ll do whatever I need to fix this. No more running.” She squeezes my shoulder, lingering for a moment before her heels click across the vinyl floor.
After discharge, I’m more than ready to go to my apartment and sleep. It’s almost two in the morning. I want my bed, my space, and some uninterrupted quiet. But Dad is a hard sell when I ask him to take me home.
“Not happening. And I already hid your keys. The doctor wants you observed for another twenty-four hours. I can’t do that if you’re holed up in your apartment alone.”
With the alternating light and dark shadows from the streetlights streaming into the car, I see the deep worry lines across his forehead. We’ve been through so much together. Apart from his depression after the divorce, he’s been a solid constant in my life—one of the best people I know.
“…Thanks, Dad,” I whisper, unsure of any other way to show my appreciation after all of the holiday chaos.
“Hey.” He puts his hand on my arm, juggling his gaze between the road and me. “I’m just glad you’re alright.” His smile doesn’t reach the exhaustion in his eyes. I don’t think he’s slept a wink since I’ve been in the hospital.
We’re met with bright lights and a detective rerun on the TV when we walk into the house. Kayla pops her head over the couch and waves as we come into view. Chase is standing in the kitchen, hooking up a brand-new coffee machine. I spot my phone on the counter, right where I left it.
“What are you two doing here?” I ask.
“We volunteered for the first round of ‘Hunter Duty.’” Kayla hops off the couch and wraps her arms around me with a squeeze. “Hey, big bro.”
“Hunter Duty?” My brows furrow as I hug her back.What kind of duty requires them being here at two in the morning?
“Yeah. You two need sleep. We napped earlier, so we’ll stay up and check on you every hour. Make sure you don’t croak while you’re knocked out.” Chase chuckles, walking around the island and clapping me on the shoulder. “Glad you’re okay, man.”
The annoying burn behind my eyes from the concern in theirs sends me scurrying to hide. “Aww…” I slap my hand to my heart sarcastically. “I’m gonna go shower.”
“There’s the Hunter we know and love,” Kayla mumbles, shaking her head. We drive each other nuts and bicker like we grew up together, but avoidance is something we have in common. Despite my discomfort, I give her another squeeze. An understanding smile lands on her face. She gets it, and I couldn’t ask for a better sister.
After almost falling asleep in the shower, the queen-sized mattress in my childhood bedroom feels like paradise. I barely had the strength to slip on pajama pants, foregoing a shirt. My head hits the pillow, and I’m shaken awake in what feels like seconds. Groggy like I slept for a decade, I squint against the brightness streaming through my window. My heart skips a beat.
“Ash? What are you doing here?” Her golden-brown curls glow in the sunlight, the ends brushing her pink velour zip-up. The spark of her fingers caressing my arm is the only clue I’m not dreaming.
“Your dad made breakfast and asked me to bring it up to you.” She smiles, but worry fills her eyes. “I didn’t realize your allergy was that severe… How are you feeling?”
“It’s not airborne for me, just can’t touch or eat them.” Slowly, I anchor my back against the slatted headboard, draping an arm across my bare chest. “Drinking them is generally frowned upon too,” I joke to lighten the mood. But her face falls, and I feel like an ass. “I’m alright, Ash. Tired.”
Hunger pangs scatter through my stomach when she hands me a plate of bacon and eggs. She settles on the edge of the bed, next to my feet.Too far away.
“Oh!” My phone buzzes as she slides it from her jacket. “I almost forgot… Chase charged it while you were sleeping.”
“Are they still here?”
“Nope, they left about an hour ago. It’s just me.” She flashes a timid grin.
“Which leads me back to my original question. What are you doing here?”
“My flight got in at seven-thirty, and I came right over.” Shrugging, she drops her eyes to the navy bedspread. “I’m on Hunter Duty.”
