Chapter 21
s out from beneath Madi's door. She's in the spare bedroom—now her room, and it has been since Pam left her and took off.
"Madi, what can I do?" Lindsey asks softly.
I hear a shuddering sob and fist the crutches until my knuckles pop.
"Nothing. I'm fine."
Yeah, right.
"Is this…about your mom?" I hear Lindsey ask in a tentative tone. "Your birthday?"
I still and even hold my breath so I don't miss Mads's answer.
"She texted," Madi says, sniffling. "She didn't even call me. Probably so I won't go off on her about leaving me."
Lindsey is silent, and while I can't see them, I picture Lindsey patting Madi's hair or…something.
"All she said was happy birthday, and I'll be back soon. I tried to respond, but she's blocked me again."
I silently curse Pam and want to wring her neck for hurting Mads. She's just a kid. Maybe she's turned seventeen but to abandon her?
"You don't deserve that, Madi. I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do to make this better."
I hear Madi cry a little harder before getting herself under control again. That's when I hear Lindsey repeating, "It's okay. You're going to be okay. It's all going to be okay."
I want to haul that woman into my arms and kiss her again for reassuring Madi when she needs it most. I know for a fact Madi isn't going to confide in me the way she does Lindsey, which makes it all the more important that Lindsey sticks around and I keep my hands to myself.
"I know I'm not your mom, but I think you're a pretty awesome young woman. You're so strong, Madi. You shouldn't have to be, no, but you are, and don't you ever forget that."
I hear Madi scoff.
"Something's wrong with me. She left me here. And who says Kace won't kick me out, too?"
"Oh, honey, your uncle is not going to do that."
"How do you know? You're the one who told me to be useful that first day on the way home from the hospital, and then you turned around and offered to stay here. You're doing all the stuff I could be doing so he'll need me and want me to stay."
“Whoa. Hold up. I said no such thing,” Lindsey argues softly. “Don’t put words in my mouth. What I said was that just because your arrival wasn’t planned, you wouldn’t be forgotten as things were sorted out.”
I can't handle listening anymore, and I stretch out my hand to push the door open.
It squeaks and alerts the two of my presence, and I swing myself into Mads's room, not stopping until I'm standing beside Lindsey, where she sits on the side of Madi's bed.
The bedside light is on, and I can see that Mads has cried so hard her eyes are swollen. It guts me.
How long has Lindsey been in here? How long did Madi cry while I slept?
Madi quickly swipes at her eyes and sits up, looking everywhere but at me and acting as though she's ready to go to war. "Listen up, Mads," I say, my tone harsher than I intend because of the anger I feel toward Pam. "I don't want you here because of what you can do for me. You got that?"
My niece bites her lower lip and looks up at me with spiky lashes, a red nose and swollen eyes that look far too knowing.
"Mads, you're my family and you're welcome here because I love you.
Yes, I appreciate you pitching in around the house and with Dani, because that's what family does.
Yes, it's expected of you because we all need to carry our own weight and help, because that's another thing family does.
I'm not going to kick you out. Honey, I'm proud of you.
Despite what your mom's done, you're working a job and you're so sweet to Dani.
I may have been drugged, but I saw you at the hospital after my accident.
Patting Dani and comforting her when she was freaked out and upset about my injuries and me dying. I can never thank you enough for that."
"That's why you got me the Vespa?" Madi asks in a small voice.
"No, kiddo. I got you that so you have your own wheels to get to work and because— Because you deserve it, and we all need something of our own to take care of. I thought you'd like something you could use here on the island."
"I do. I love it." Madi swipes at her eyes again and nods before adding, "Thank you. I can't wait to ride it for real."
Being able to ride it for real means getting official paperwork done, and that is something I can't keep putting off. "We'll work on that. So you good, Mads?"
"Yeah," she says softly. "I'm good."
"You sure?"
She nods, but a frown pinches her face, and she looks away from me. "Yeah, but…what happens when my mom comes back? You got me this nice thing, but…if she does, I should leave the Vespa here. She'll just hock it."
My heart squeezes at her words. "We'll come up with something. Okay? No more worrying. We'll get this figured out."
Mads sits up and lunges into my arms, giving me a hug. I squeeze her tight and feel the way doing so eases some of the tension loosening her rigid muscles. "I've got you, kiddo. Just…give me time."
She nods but doesn't say anything. I feel her hesitation, though.
Madi isn't the only one afraid of hope. Because hope has a way of making the fall hurt a lot worse when you get it wrong.
And that? That's something Lindsey and I have both already learned.