Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
Poppy is hovering. It’s kind of sweet. But if I smile right now, she’s going to chew my ass out for not taking this seriously.
I am taking this seriously. I’m about to go in and get bone marrow harvested from my body.
The thing is, I don’t care what happens to me, as long as they can use whatever they take to save my sister.
Poppy found out I had a whiskey at that bar with Alfie, back in Texas. Let’s just say I never knew a lecture could be fucking hot, but having Poppy lecture me about my health was hot as hell.
“You know I’m going to be fine,” I tell her.
“I know that.” She frowns at me. “Why would you say that? Do you think something could go wrong?”
“No. I think you think something could go wrong. It’s perfectly fine. They do this stuff all the time, babe.”
“It’s not so much the procedure I’m worried about,” she says.
“What are you worried about?”
“What if after they take your marrow, they realize it’s not good enough?” she asks. “No one else in your family is a match.”
“It will be good enough,” I assure her. “And if it’s not, we can just get some from the black market.” I shrug.
“You can’t be serious?” Poppy squints her eyes at me. “Oh, god, you are.”
“I’ve spent the last two weeks watching Imogen get sicker and sicker. There is nothing I won’t do to save my sister.”
“I know,” Poppy says.
I know what she’s really worried about. She’s worried about the fact Imogen might not make it and I’ll be distraught. Which, of course, I will be. She’s my fucking sister. Imogen has been my best friend since the day she was born. I couldn’t imagine living life without her in it.
“Hey.” I grab hold of Poppy’s hand and pull her towards me. “I’m never leaving you,” I tell her. Because, deep down, I know that’s what she’s stressed about.
“You probably shouldn’t say never. You haven’t had to eat my cooking yet.” She laughs.
“I will eat whatever you cook.”
Poppy was so insistent on me eating right in the lead-up to the procedure, I ended up hiring a chef, which put her mind at ease. It’s also been fucking great having all our meals cooked for us.
“I just… it would be my kind of luck to get you and then lose you,” Poppy whispers. “But that’s not happening, because you’re going to be fine and Imogen is going to be fine. We’re going to be fine.”
The first few days, she made a point of looking at apartments to rent.
But then I kept her so busy, mostly in bed, that the thought of her getting her own place got put on the side burner.
I had her stuff from LA moved into my apartment.
Our apartment. And have tasked Jaxson with having her cottage packed up and ready to be shipped here.
“I need you to do something for me,” I tell Poppy.
“What?”
“Can you stay with my mom while I’m in there? She’s going to be a mess, and this city doesn’t need that.” The truth is, it’s more for Poppy than my mom. I don’t want her to be alone.
“Sure, I can do that.” Poppy nods. “Sammie, I love you.”
“I love you.”
“Okay, well, don’t go doing anything crazy like dying on me in there,” she says. “Because I will find a witch to cast a spell that will lock your soul to mine. You’ll be stuck following me around for the rest of my days.”
“Babe, my soul is already locked to yours. No need for a witch,” I tell her.
“We’re ready for you, Mr. Russo.” A nurse comes into the room.
I nod. Poppy’s hand still gripped firmly in mine, I walk out of the room and over to my parents. “I’m going in now.”
My mom wraps her arms around me. “I love you,” she says.
“I love you, Mom.”
My dad pulls her back and then he’s hugging me too. He doesn’t say anything.
“Keep an eye on Poppy for me,” I tell him.
“I will,” he says.
I follow the nurse to a hospital bed. I climb on, and not long after that, I’m knocked out cold.
“It’s about time you woke up.” My sister’s voice has me turning my head to the side.
“Hey, how are you?” I ask her.
She lifts a shoulder. “Good. How are you feeling?”
“Like I was drugged,” I tell her. I look at the IV that’s connected to her arm. She’s lying in a hospital bed right next to me. “Where is everyone?”
“Mom and Dad took Poppy to get something to eat,” Imogen says. “I told them I’d message when you woke up.”
“Did the doctors say anything? About the marrow? Is it good enough?”
“It’s currently getting infused, Sammie J. Thank you for doing this.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Imogen. You’re my sister. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”
“I know, but still… thank you.”
“How are you feeling really? Does it hurt?” I ask her.
“No, I don’t really feel anything,” she says. “I have a good feeling about this, though, Sammie J.”
“Yeah, me too.” I smile at her.
The door opens, and my parents and Poppy walk in.
“Hey, you’re awake.” Poppy rushes over to my side.
“Did you think I wouldn’t wake up?” I laugh.
“That’s not funny.” Poppy slaps at my chest, then immediately grimaces. “Sorry.”
“She’s right, Sammie J,” my mom adds.
“You know, I don’t think I like this thing where you two are besties. You’re supposed to be on my side.” I pout at my mom.
“Yeah, from now on, I’m always taking Poppy’s side. She’s smarter than you are.” Mom smirks.
“Well, fuck, I can’t argue with that. Poppy is smarter.”
My dad is standing back. He’s quiet.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him.
“When you have kids, I hope for your sake you never have to see them in a hospital bed,” he tells me as he walks over to Imogen. He sits on the edge of the mattress and picks up her hand.
Poppy lowers into one of the shitty plastic chairs by my side. I lace her fingers with mine. “I want to get married,” I blurt out.
Poppy’s eyes widen, and she looks from me to my parents. “I think he’s still stoned from meds or something.”
“I’m not. I want to get married. To you, if that wasn’t clear,” I say again.
My mom and sister shriek, but it’s Poppy I’m focusing on. She’s quiet, just staring at me. “Are you sure? I mean, you haven’t tasted my cooking yet.”
“I can afford to hire another chef if you want one, remember? I’m not marrying you to cook and clean for me, Poppy. I want to marry you because I love you.”
“This is insane,” Poppy whispers.
“So, that’s a yes?”
She nods her head. “Don’t make me regret this, Sammie J. But, yes, I will marry you.”
Sammie J. Poppy is the only one in the family who doesn’t usually call me that. She always just calls me Sammie. But I like that she’s picking up on family habits.
“Thank fuck. I really didn’t want to have to coerce you into it,” I tell her.
“How would you have coerced me?”
“Lots and lots of orgasms.” I laugh.
“Sammie, you cannot say shit like that to me in front of your mother. Oh, my goodness.” Poppy slaps my chest. This time, she doesn’t look like she feels bad about it.
“Again, she’s right,” my mom mutters under her breath.
“I’m going to do this properly, when it’s just the two of us, and I have a ring,” I tell Poppy.
“No need. This was perfect.” She smiles. “So, should I tell Jaxson to saddle up the horses? Oh, maybe he can get us some white ones. They would look so good.”
“Still not getting married on horses,” I grunt. “Unless you really, really want to… I’ll do anything for you.”
Poppy leans down and presses her lips to mine. “I don’t want horses, just you,” she says.
I wish I hadn’t done this in front of my entire family, but I couldn’t not do it. “We’re going to be okay,” I tell Poppy.
“Yeah, we are.” She smiles.