Chapter 28 #2
“I’ll make a deal with you.” His lips were near her ear. “I will let you get up on one condition.”
“What’s the condition?” She had to move. His arm had to be throbbing by now.
“That you immediately resume this position on my other side. I’m not ready to let you go, but you won’t relax until you’re convinced I’m not in pain. Plus, my shirt is soaked on this side, so your face is in that wetness, and I don’t want that for you either.”
Now that he’d mentioned it, she realized that his shirt was drenched. And it didn’t feel good on her skin. Not at all. “You drive a hard bargain.”
“Don’t you forget it.” His arms loosened and he gave her a little boost to help her to her feet, but he kept hold of one hand and as soon as she crossed to the other side, he pulled her back down and scooched them around until she was tucked against him again.
Once she was there, she lay silent, breathing slowly until even the random aftershock shudders ended.
“I need to say something to you.” Mo squeezed her hand. “I didn’t know, but that’s not an excuse.”
What was he talking about?
“That day when I made such a jerk out of myself when you were visiting with Mom and Dad at the hospital, I didn’t know how important they were to you.
I didn’t know they’d spent so much time with you and that your relationship was solid.
I didn’t realize what I was asking them to do to you, or how important it was. To you or to them.”
“I know.”
“Dad ripped me a new one after you left. It was the only time in my life when I thought he might want to hit me. I’ve never seen him that angry.
He had to leave the room. And Mom”—Mo shuddered beside her—“let’s say that I understand how my parents treated you because they’ve often had to treat me the same way.
Meredith gets herself in trouble by being too good.
I get myself in trouble by being a jerk. She’s much easier to love than I am.”
“But they do love you.” Bronwyn knew that to her core.
“Oh, they do. Dad came to me later and apologized for his anger. Not for what he said, mind you. But for the way he reacted. He also told me in no uncertain terms that they would back you—whatever you decided—unless you decided to stay away from them, in which case they would fight for you.”
Bronwyn sat up and looked at him. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.” Mo looked like the act of telling the story was aging him. “Mom cried a lot. Meredith was mad at me for making them mad at me and for hurting you. It was bad. I deserved it. But still. It was bad.”
“I bet you had dinner with them within a few days.”
“Next day,” Mo confirmed with a grunt. “It was awkward. I apologized to everyone over dessert. They forgave me. And they meant it. But I have to tell you, I’m not sure the breach will ever be truly healed until they see that you and I are speaking to each other again.
They’ve been waiting for us to find some resolution.
When they get home from their trip, they’re going to yell at all of us.
Especially Aunt Carol. But when they’re done yelling, they’ll be thrilled. ”
“Why will they yell at Aunt Carol?”
“She agreed with Meredith and didn’t call them yesterday. They’re flying home as we speak. We’ll tell them everything after they get home.”
“Bad idea. Bad, bad idea. Your mom is going to . . .” Bronwyn didn’t want to think about it.
“To be fair, the original plan was to make sure I didn’t have a concussion before calling, but then we realized they were on a plane.
Their first flight was delayed due to weather, and the trickle effect has them hopping all over the place to get back home.
There’s nothing they can do, so there’s no need to worry them. ”
“Call them.” Bronwyn sat up and reached for the phone on the coffee table. “Call them right now. Leave them a message if they’re in the air.”
“Bron—”
“Mo, please. Lead with the fact that you’re okay, but don’t keep this from them.”
“They can’t do anything about it. They couldn’t have gotten home any earlier.”
“It doesn’t matter. Please, Mo. Please.” She couldn’t explain why it was so important.
Her own family was in shambles. Not that it had ever been whole.
But his? She hadn’t been joking when she said they were the only family she had.
She wouldn’t be party to any breach of trust with Doug and Jacque. She couldn’t.
Mo took the phone and said, “Hey, Siri. Call Dad.”
The phone rang four times before Doug Quinn’s voice came through the line. “Mo! You just caught us. We’re boarding in ten minutes. Can’t wait to see everyone.”
“Hi, Dad. And Mom, if you’re sitting there.”
“Mo. Oh baby, it’s so good to hear your voice. We’ve missed you.” Jacque’s soft Southern voice turned each one-syllable word into at least two, and an argument could be made for three.
“Mom, Dad, listen. I need to tell you something.” The silence on the line was ominous.
Bronwyn pinched him, and he yelped. “Ow!”
“Don’t leave them hanging. What is wrong with you? I had no idea you’d be so terrible at this.” She directed her voice to his phone. “He’s fine. He meant to lead with that.”
“Why is he fine?” Doug asked.
“Bronwyn?” Jacque asked.
“Bronwyn?” Doug repeated.
“Yes, that’s not why he’s calling.” Bronwyn pinched him again. “Talk to your parents.”
“I will if you’ll stop pinching me.”
“Why are you—?”
“What’s going on?”
Doug and Jacque were firing questions at them so fast, she couldn’t tell who was talking or what they were asking.
“Mom, Dad, I love you, and I need to tell you something before your flight takes off.”
“Okay. We’re listening.”
“Last night, when we were headed back to my house. Long story. Bronwyn’s got a creep at The Haven, and we agreed she should not be on the premises. Anyway, we stopped at the grocery store for ice cream. And while I was waiting, there was a drive-by shooting, and I was shot.” A long pause.
Bronwyn didn’t pinch him this time, but she did nudge him.
“Twice. Technically.”
“Son, there’s really no other way to get shot. You get shot or you don’t. How did you technically get shot?” Doug Quinn was clearly holding on by the narrowest of margins.
“He took the bullets for me.” Bronwyn cleared her throat.
She would not start crying again. “One hit his arm and made a little ditch in it. The other went through his calf. And he hit his head pretty hard, and his face is bruised up pretty bad. But Aunt Carol sent us to Asheville, and her plastic surgeon friend did all the stitches and says there will be very little scarring. And they did a CT scan, and he doesn’t have a concussion. ”
“So now we’re heavy on the no scarring?” Mo asked her in a whisper.
She whispered back. “I had to say something. I was afraid they might pass out in the airport if I didn’t give them some good news.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. He’s okay.” Doug’s voice came through the phone, but it was clear he was comforting Jacque.
“And it sounds like some good came out of it.” A pause.
“Oh.” Then his voice was louder. “Your mother says she’s not crying because you got shot.
She’s crying because Bronwyn is with you and you’re talking to each other. ”