26. Bailey
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Bailey
NOW
I can tell the instant she walks into the room that Kaitlyn’s been crying, and I know my idiotic brother is to blame.
Maybe it’s not fair to call Hunter an idiot, but in my defense, Henry called him one first after my parents finished giving the rundown of what happened after they went to the house.
Mirabelle tried calling JJ to ask if he was okay, but he was quick to decline. At least he followed up with a text a few minutes later saying he was at a meeting and would call her later. It seemed to help everyone in the room relax a little.
I kept it to myself that Hunter gave me a heads-up last night when he swung by, because there’s more to it than anyone else knows, and it’s none of their business.
We’ve just been waiting to see if Kaitlyn would show up at the hospital when she and Hunter were done talking. It doesn’t take a genius to guess that it didn’t go very well, and I don’t miss how she came by herself.
I want to know what happened, but it’s not the time and place to ask if she’s okay .
Her eyes land on me for a brief moment, and a thousand questions form on the tip of my tongue before they shift to Javi.
“Kaitlyn,” he rasps, his throat sore from the breathing tube. He lifts his hand out for her, and my mom stands up to allow Kaitlyn to occupy the seat beside Javi.
He’s been fighting sleep to wait for her to get here, even though we all promised to wake him up when she did.
“You can sit here, sweetheart. We were just about to get a round of coffee for everyone,” Mom says, glancing at Dad, and Mirabelle’s eyes widen.
“I have to pee,” she interrupts, getting up out of the other chair to go to the bathroom.
“Ca va?” ? 1 Henry asks, frowning as he looks his sister over.
“Je vais bien.” ? 2 She pushes a smile on her face, but it doesn’t meet her eyes.
Please look at me. I need to see that you’re okay.
“Hi, buddy. How are you feeling?” she asks Javi, kissing her hand to press it to his forehead, and his smile only grows wider.
I can’t help feeling jealous of how affectionate she can be with him, then I feel guilty because he’s a five-year-old who just had open heart surgery.
Of course she should be affectionate with Javi.
“Tired,” he says, and I try not to laugh as he continues fighting to keep his eyes open. “I can’t play mermaids for a while. Can we still be friends?”
“We can still be friends.” She combs his dark hair back, and his eyes finally shut, clutching the stuffed monkey in his other hand.
“Will you stay until I wake up?” Javi mumbles, and I think my heart melts.
“I promise.”
Unfortunately, my family is making it painfully obvious they’re waiting for her to say anything about what happened between her and Hunter.
She still won’t look at me. What did Hunter say to her? Is it selfish of me to wonder if they broke up?
Nervous energy builds in me, and it’s like my nerves are on fire. God, I just want Kait to look at me.
Henry and I make eye contact, and he tilts his head in the direction of his sister as if asking why I’m not making a move.
What exactly does he want me to do?
The bathroom door creaks open, and Mirabelle walks out. “I’m officially over being pregnant. I think I pee a hundred times a day,” she grumbles, plopping into her chair from before. “Did I miss anything?”
My phone rings in my hand and Luna’s name flashes across the screen. She told me earlier she’d call after she got out of class, and of course it’s right after Kaitlyn gets here. I hesitate, but Lu will raise hell if I don’t answer.
“Sorry, I have to take this,” I say, avoiding Mirabelle and Henry’s questioning glances. “Hey,” I answer, holding the phone up to my ear as I walk down the hall and away from any listening ears. My parents aren’t outside the room, so I’m able to slip away without any questions from them.
“How’s Javi doing?” Luna blurts out, and I smile at the sound of her voice.
“I told you he was awake,” I say, and she scoffs.
“Yeah, that’s literally all it said. We need to work on you providing details.”
“I’ll get right on that,” I muse. “Doc said he’s doing good. He’s tired and hurting, but he refused to close his eyes until Kaitlyn got here.”
She gasps dramatically, and I roll my eyes. “She’s there? Have you told her the truth yet?”
“Lu, you know I’m not doing that,” I remind her, but I can’t help wondering for a brief moment what it would be like if I did.
Maybe it’s better to never know the answer, than tell her and have her still pick Hunter over me. It’s not that I don’t want her to pick me over Hunter, but I wish there was a way for everyone to be happy without someone losing.
“And you know I think you’re an idiot.”
I roll my eyes, because I’m very aware of what Luna thinks when it comes to the mess with Hunter and Kaitlyn, but at the same time, if anyone understands what it’s like to be in a complicated situation with family, it’s her. “I will hang up on you.”
“Whatever. How are you doing with Javi being in the hospital?” she asks, moving on, and I know Henry and Mira weren’t wrong to suggest that I go home and shower.
I know Javi won’t wake up alone, and I can tell my family adores him, but I feel like I’m letting him down if I leave—even if it’s only for an hour.
It’s been just me and him for so long, it’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that I don’t have to be the only one there anymore.
“I’m fine. I need to go home and shower, but shit hit the fan with Hunte—” Luna cuts me off with a groan.
“What’d golden boy do now?” she asks, and I shake my head, trying not to laugh at the nickname she gave him shortly after I told her everything that happened between us. Hunter’s not her favorite person. “You know, I don’t actually care what he did.”
“I thought I told you not to call him that.”
“You did, but you don’t tell me what to do, so I’ll call him whatever I want,” she replies, her voice dripping in sarcasm. “Are you really fine, or are you doing that thing where you think if you say you’re fine, I’ll worry less about you?”
I kind of hate how well she knows me at this point, but I guess when someone’s there for you in your darkest moments, it makes it hard to stay mad.
Dragging a hand through my hair, I find a stairwell to hide in while we talk.
“It’s hard seeing him like this, but I’m happy he’s going to be okay,” I admit, my back tight from sleeping in the chair for the few hours of sleep I got last night.
It’s far from the worst place I’ve ever slept, but after over a month of sleeping on my plush mattress, I’d almost forgotten. “I’ll be okay.”
“You’ll probably feel better if you take a break and shower,” she says a moment later. “He’ll be okay, B. He’s a fighter.”
Luna’s right. He is a fighter. I’ll never forget the day his aunt told me to take him. How could anyone treat a child the way they did Javi?
“He is,” I agree, feeling a little bit of the tension slip from my shoulders. “Maybe I’ll go home in a little bit. I’m no good to Javi if I can’t take care of myself.”
She’s quiet for a moment, and I’m about to check to see if we were disconnected when she says, “I’m really proud of you, B.”
A rough laugh slips from me. “For saying I’m going to take care of myself?”
“Dude, you’re ruining the moment, let me finish. I’m really proud of you for going back, and it’s nice to hear you call it home again.”
I blink, caught off guard because I guess my brain made the unconscious shift in what this place means to me, taking the decision away from me.
“Thanks, Lu. I’m not sure I could’ve come back if it weren’t for you and everything you did to help me.”
“It’s kind of the least I could do after everything my family did to ruin your life,” she says, and despite everything, my friendship with Luna is something I’ve never regretted. “I’m sorry to even bring this up, but have you heard from Carter recently?”
“Not since he kicked me out. Why?” I ask, trying to figure out where she might be leading with this. It’s been over a year since the day he told me to leave. An uneasy feeling crawls up my spine, further unsettling me.
“He asked if I was still in contact with you, so I wasn’t sure if he had reached out. I’m sorry, I just had to ask.”
I rub my brow, trying to erase the memories threatening to surface, bringing the guilt I’ve been ignoring with it. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I appreciate the heads up that he was asking.”
How different would everything be if I hadn’t answered his messages three years ago?
Nope. I can’t go there. I lived in the what ifs during my first months on the streets, and it nearly destroyed me.
“Will you have Javi call me later when he’s up?”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I somehow find my voice again. “Yeah, I can do that,” I say, hoping Luna can’t hear my voice shake.
“Hey, B?”
I hum, hoping she takes that as an acknowledgement I heard her.
“I know I don’t know them, but I think if your family knew the truth, it wouldn’t change anything for them. Despite what you believe, you’re pretty easy to love.”
Even though I think she might be right, I can still hope they never learn the things I’ve done.
1 ? Are you okay?
2 ? I’m fine.