By Your Side(42)

His eyes fluttered open, startling me, even though it wasn’t a new development. It was very disconcerting to see him like that, awake and yet not, but I tried to work past my initial reaction and be strong.

“Can you hear me?” I asked.

He blinked very slowly, but I didn’t know if that was an actual answer. I stood and put myself in his field of vision. His eyes were unfocused, almost glassy, but they were green and beautiful and I was so happy to see them open. I gently placed a hand on his arm. “Can you see me? Dallin said to say hi.” His eyes slowly closed and didn’t open again. I sat back down, my breath short, my heart beating double time. I only stayed for a few minutes after that, then let myself out of the room.

When I went back to report, the waiting room was empty except for Lisa and Mrs. Matson. My heart sank.

“Anything new?” Mrs. Matson asked.

“He opened his eyes for a little while, but that was it.”

She smiled. “I thought he might for you.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

Lisa stood. “Let us know when he gets out of the ICU so we can see him,” she said.

“I will.”

“Thanks.”

“Come back and see us soon, Autumn,” Mrs. Matson said.

I nodded, then left with Lisa. When we were in the elevator I asked, “Where did everyone go?”

“They all had different excuses, but I think they had planned on just staying to say hi and then leaving.”

I put my face in my hands. “Don’t sugarcoat it. Was everyone mad at me or just Dallin?”

“Mainly Dallin, but he’ll get over it. It’s not your fault.”

“I didn’t think Mrs. Matson would do that with everyone there.”

“Me neither.”

“I feel terrible.”

“Autumn, don’t feel terrible. You’re her hope right now. You were only trying to help. Don’t let Dallin make you feel bad.”

It was too late. I already did. The elevator dinged on the bottom floor and we got out.

There was something else that was bothering me too. “I guess Jeff didn’t talk about me to Dallin?”

“Not all guys tell their best friends everything. I’d trust his mom more than Dallin,” Lisa said. “And his mom acted like he talked about you all the time.”

“You’re right.” But I couldn’t shake the worry. If Dallin didn’t know Jeff liked me, maybe he didn’t.





CHAPTER 28


I had dropped Lisa off at home and was heading home myself when I saw a café and made a sharp turn into the parking lot. I was starving.

The girl inside was sweeping the floor.

“Are you closed?”

“No.”

I’d originally thought about getting a sandwich, turkey-avocado maybe, but as I walked toward the register I noticed a lit glass case of bakery items. There wasn’t much, the leftovers at the end of a long day, but somehow there were still two cronuts on a tray. My body seemed to let out a breath of relief just at the thought of them, at the memory they conjured. If the memory of a conversation with Dax could relax me so much, how well would an actual conversation work?

“Are you ready?” the girl asked, coming around the counter.

“Yes, I’ll take those two.”

She bagged them and I paid, then raced out to my car.

Dax’s caregiver raised his eyebrows when he opened the door.

“You’re back,” he said.

“Yes. I am. I’m Autumn, by the way. I don’t think I introduced myself last time.”

“Hello, Autumn. I’m Mr. Peterson. I take it I’ll be seeing a lot of you.”

“Much to Dax’s dismay, yes,” I said with a smile.

He smiled back and opened the door wider. “Come in.”

I silently cheered and followed after him.

The house was lived in but organized. A bench seat with hooks lined the wall to my right in the entryway, coats and hats hanging off it, shoes underneath it. I wondered how many foster kids actually lived here. I wondered if any of those things were Dax’s.

“Follow me.”

We passed four or five doors before coming to the one on the end. It was half open and I could see a bunk bed on the far wall. Mr. Peterson knocked on the door.

A voice that wasn’t Dax’s said, “Yeah?”

Mr. Peterson pushed open the door. “Hello, Russell,” he said. Then, “Dax, you have a visitor.”

“Who?” His voice sounded from a part of the room I couldn’t see.

Russell was staring at me with a half smile.

“Autumn,” Mr. Peterson said.

I wasn’t sure if Dax made a face or something but Russell said, “Might not want to voice many opinions; she’s standing right there.”

Dax appeared around the door, again looking neither surprised nor happy to see me. His eyes went to the bag of cronuts I held, then back up to my face.

“She can stay until eight thirty,” Mr. Peterson said, then walked away.

“What?” Russell called after him. “Why don’t they have to follow the rules?”

When Mr. Peterson didn’t respond, Russell got up and followed after him with loud protests.