“He’s even more handsome than that picture you sent me.”
I throw a glance over my shoulder at him. “He’s always an angel when he’s sleeping,” I joke. “But, yeah, he’s pretty special.”
Chesley turns her hand over underneath mine and closes around it weakly. “I know it couldn’t have been easy, but thank you for helping me.” Her tired eyes are only half open, but she looks at me with such ferocity. This is a life-long dream come true for her.
“You’re welcome. It was a fight.” I watch my thumb gently skim along the top of her bony hand. “But there’s nothing I won’t do to help him. I love him.”
I flinch when I say the words. Did I really just say that out loud? Heat creeps up into my cheeks, and I begin to stammer, looking back up to her as I try to explain what I just said. But she’s no longer interested in what I said, or even the fact that I’m in this room. Her breath is frozen in her chest, and she doesn’t dare blink as she stares across the room at Wes, who has damn impeccable timing when it comes to waking up. Perfect.
Thankfully, he doesn’t acknowledge what I said, so I’m just going to tell myself that he didn’t hear it. I’m also going to tell myself that he’s a lot dumber than he looks. That’s the only way I’m going to survive the next few minutes without melting right into the floor.
When neither of them makes any effort to speak, I realize I’m going to have to bridge the gap, so I cross the room and hold out my hand to Wes until he takes it. Dragging him along behind me, I approach the side of the bed again.
“Chesley, I want you to meet Wes.”
A feeble smile brightens her face, and she slightly raises her hand to shake his, as if she’s simply meeting a new neighbor. This just proves to me that she knows she’s treading on thin ice with him, and she doesn’t want to push him into anything more than what he’s comfortable with.
He looks down at her hand, seemingly torn between taking it or just leaving her hanging there. But when he takes that single step in front of me and sits at the edge of the bed, leaning over her, I nearly fall out in the floor. He’s hugging her. Like really hugging her.
Before I can fully comprehend it, tears are rolling down my face so fast, I can’t keep them wiped away. Chesley is openly sobbing at this point, and I don’t think Wes is too composed either. I never would’ve expected this kind of a response. Not from him. He’s always acted so aloof, so cool. Like he could care less if he ever even heard her name.
This, though . . . this tells me that there’s so much more inside of him that anyone has ever known. Perhaps like Eve, this is a day that he’s planned his entire life. Maybe, it’s even something he’s secretly wanted. Needed.
“I’m . . . so sor-ry,” Chesley croaks between broken sobs, still clinging to him. “I n-never would’ve left y-you if I had a ch-choice. Never.”
Wes’ voice is shaky and barely audible. “I know that now . . . Callie explained everything.”
“I ne-never thought I’d live to . . . hold you in my arms a-again. Or get to look at those eyes.” She places a hand on each cheek and pushes him back just enough to be able to look at his face. “I always knew they were going to be blue . . . like your dad’s.” Her heavy lids fight so hard to stay open, but they only flutter and close over and over.
“I’ll come back again in a while, so we can talk more,” Wes promises, taking her hands and resting them over her stomach. Surprisingly, he doesn’t take his away; he just rubs the backs of his fingers over her knuckles. “Just rest.”
She gives only half a nod before sleep overcomes her and her breath becomes deep and slow. Wes watches her for a few minutes longer and finally stands, careful not to move the bed too much. His head whips around to me, as if he’s just remembering I’m here, and the first thing I notice is the solitary trail of moisture down his left cheek. Seeing him that vulnerable, split that wide open, it’s a reminder of why I’m here. This is what I wanted to help him find. And now that I’ve done that, if he doesn’t want to take a chance on me, I think I can walk away, knowing that there’s hope for him. But, damn it, that’s the last thing I want to do.
“We need to talk, Callie.”
Well, there are five words that I could’ve gone my entire life without hearing again.
“Yeah,” I sigh. “I know.”
CELL PHONE CLOSE by in case there are any more updates on Chesley? Check.
Full pot of coffee to get me through this discussion with Wes? Check.