Chapter 31
Levi
I wake up the next morning feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck. My shoulder throbs despite the pain meds, and every time I try to move, I’m reminded of exactly why I’m in a hospital bed.
But Magnolia’s asleep in the chair next to me, her hand still holding mine, and that makes everything better.
The doctors say I can go home today as long as I have someone to stay with me for the first twenty-four hours. I’d been about to tell them Magnolia would be there when my hospital room door bursts open and Molly walks in.
“Alright, little brother,” she announces. “I’m here to take y’all home.”
Magnolia startles awake, looking around in confusion before her eyes land on me. She smiles, soft and sleepy, and squeezes my hand.
“Molly,” I say. “I’m good. Magnolia’s going to…”
“Oh, I know exactly what Magnolia’s going to do,” Molly interrupts, crossing her arms and giving me a look. “But right now, your big sister is exercising her right to fuss over you. So I’m taking both of you home, and that’s final.”
I look at Magnolia, who’s trying not to laugh. “She’s always been like this.”
“I know,” Magnolia says. “It’s one of the things I love about her.”
Molly’s expression softens. “I also want to talk to you. Both of you. So humor me, okay?”
The drive home is quiet. I’m having a hard time getting comfortable in the car, but I keep telling myself it’ll only be this bad for a few minutes.
When we get to the house, Molly helps me inside and gets me settled on the couch. Magnolia hovers nearby, and I can see she wants to be the one taking care of me, but she’s letting Molly have this moment.
Once I’m situated with pillows and a blanket that I absolutely don’t need, Molly sits down in the chair across from us. Magnolia perches on the arm of the couch next to me, her hand automatically finding mine. I try not to think about the time we had sex on this couch.
“So,” Molly says, and there’s a gleam in her eye that I know all too well. “You and my best friend. How long has this been going on?”
“Molly…” I start.
“No, no, let me guess.” She taps her chin dramatically. “Since that night at the Lean-To? The one where you picked her up and conveniently didn’t mention it to me?”
My cheeks heat. “Maybe.”
“I knew it!” She points at me triumphantly. “I knew something was going on. The way you two kept looking at each other at Thanksgiving, the fact that Magnolia was ‘staying at an AirBnB’ that looked suspiciously like your house in the background of her videos. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
“I hoped you wouldn’t,” Magnolia says quietly. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say anything.”
Molly’s expression softens. “Mags, I’ve been your best friend since we were five years old. Did you really think I’d be mad about this?”
“I don’t know,” Magnolia admits. “It all happened so fast, and I’m still married, and…”
“Stop,” Molly says firmly. “You’re getting divorced. Cody’s going to jail for a very long time. And more importantly, I’ve watched my little brother be in love with you since he was fifteen years old.”
I groan. “Molly, Jesus.”
“What? It’s true.” She grins at me. “You weren’t exactly subtle, Levi. Blushing every time she walked in the room, finding excuses to be wherever she was, that time you punched Brian Meyers because he said something crude about her at that party junior year.”
“He deserved it,” I mutter.
Magnolia’s looking at me with something like wonder in her eyes. “You punched someone for me?”
“You don’t remember that?” I ask, surprised she doesn’t. She’d asked me about it.
“I remember you had a black eye at school that week, but you said you got it playing football,” she scoffs, defending herself.
“Yeah, well.” I squeeze her hand. “I didn’t want you to think I was some kind of caveman.”
“You’re an idiot,” she says, but she’s smiling. “A sweet, protective idiot.”
Molly stands up, and her expression is serious now.
“Look, I’m not going to pretend I understand everything you two are feeling or going through.
But I do know this—you’re both people I love, and seeing you together makes me happy.
You’re good for each other. You make each other happy, and that’s all that matters to me. ”
She crosses to us, pulling Magnolia up and hugging her tight. “He’s a good man, Mags. The best I know. Take care of him.”
“I will,” Magnolia promises, her voice thick with emotion.
Then Molly turns to me, and I see tears in her eyes. “And you take care of her. She deserves someone who’ll love her the way she should be loved.”
“That’s the plan,” I say, the promise right there in my voice.
Molly swipes at her eyes, laughing a little. “Okay, okay, enough of this mushy stuff. I’m going to leave you two alone now. But Levi? If you need anything, call me. And Mags? Same goes for you.”
She heads for the door, but pauses with her hand on the knob.
“Oh, and just so you know? Everyone already knows, like the whole town. It was posted on the Laurel Springs page. The family is trying to be nice, though. They’re just waiting for you two to make it official before they start planning the wedding. ”
“Molly!” I yell, but she’s already out the door, her laughter echoing behind her.
Magnolia and I look at each other, and then we’re both laughing, and it hurts my shoulder but I don’t care.
“Your family,” she says, shaking her head.
“Our family,” I correct, pulling her down next to me. “They’re ours now.”
She settles against my good side, careful not to jostle my shoulder, and I wrap my arm around her.
“I love you, Magnolia Grace,” I say softly.
“I love you too, hotshot.”
And sitting there in our home, with Molly’s blessing and my family’s support and a future stretching out before us, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.