Anti-Stepbrother(109)

It was also my nervous rambling habit talking—or trying to.

A whole host of nerves blasted me as he stepped closer, his eyes lingering on me before moving to Colton.

“You should’ve called me,” he told his brother.

“Why? They’re going to get a divorce anyway.”

“You don’t need to be here for that.”

Colton stood and placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Hate to break it to you, Caden, but you can’t protect me from everything. Mom and Dad might be pains in my ass sometimes, but they’re still my parents. They’re stupid when it comes to my disability, but they still love me.” He added, “In their way.”

“They’re in the private room here?”

Colton nodded.

Caden looked at me. “You’ll stay?”

I’d stay forever. “Yeah.”

“Okay.” He turned to Colton. “You want to come in for this or stay out here?”

“I’ll stay out here.” He gestured back to his seat beside me. “Marcus is coming, too. He won’t know what to do without a greeting chorus.”

One corner of Caden’s mouth lifted, but the half-grin didn’t reach his eyes. He looked serious, and a tingle went through me—he looked dangerous too. I pitied his parents.

“I’ll be back,” he said.

Once he was gone, I turned to Colton. “And down to two.”

He laughed, leaning back in his seat. “He’s really only going in there to yell at them for being selfish. That’s all he’s doing. He can’t stop the divorce. I don’t even think anyone wants to stop the divorce. It’s been coming since I got hit.”

I covered his hand with mine. There were no words.

He patted my fingers. “I’d turn my hand around, but I don’t think Caden would like that. Speaking of, what’s the issue with you guys? He said you needed time, but it doesn’t seem like you’re the one who wanted time away.”

I pulled my hand back and clasped my fingers together, pressing them down in my lap. “That was part of the problem. I wasn’t dealing with something.”

“Have you now?”

Had I? I thought about my mom every morning when I woke up. I could smell her perfume. I felt her fingers when she’d tucked my hair behind my ears. I could hear her whispering, “I love you, my little Summer.” I’d heard, felt, smelled, and thought about my mom nearly constantly over the last two months. Every time that hole hurt, but it was getting smaller and I didn’t always feel like I had to shove it down anymore.

“Yes.” I hadn’t realized it myself until then, but the answer was yes. I hadn’t lost my mom. She was still with me. She wasn’t ever going to leave me.

“Good. Not that I don’t love having him around, but he’s been at the house almost every night. You know it’s bad when he’s choosing to spend that much time with me and not staying at the fraternity, or with you, who he really wants to see.”

“You make it sound like he doesn’t want to hang out with his brother. I know that’s not true.”

He patted my hand again before pulling away. “I’m not throwing my brother under the bus, but no one wants to spend time with a brain-injured person. Trust me. You’ve seen me on some good days. For a while I can put up a good front. Wait one more hour and you’ll see the real Colton. I’m not a picnic anymore.”

My throat swelled. “Don’t talk like that.”

“It’s true.” He tried to smile. He failed. “We’re like walking zombies that don’t want to eat people. It wears on a normal person. Caden will never admit it, but I know it’s hard on him to see me like this.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I rested my head on his shoulder. It felt right, being there on that bench with him. We were both waiting for someone we loved to come.

“Summer?”

Kevin stood a few feet away, holding a girl’s hand. He frowned at me, and my gaze lifted over his shoulder. Caden was coming back. I could see him weaving through the crowd, his eyes on me. A group of waiting customers moved aside for him, and he was here. His eyes found mine. It was time. I started to stand, and then the patio and crowds of people started swimming around. Stars began blinking at me, and everything went dark.

I fainted.





I heard beeping when I woke, then saw the hospital gown. There were tubes going into my arm, and an ID bracelet around my wrist. The next things I noticed were in this order: the putrid smell of anxiety and sickness, that my body ached everywhere, and that there was a hand holding on to mine.

I looked up and could hear heaven’s doors opening, along with a choir singing alleluia. Caden sat next to me, his eyes closed, and his head resting on my bedrail.