Death and Relaxation (Ordinary Magic #1)(79)
I chuckled. “Thanks.”
She pushed the tray around until it was over my lap. I took a bite of the soft white bread. Peanut butter and jam with chocolate milk was a pretty nice turn of events, considering.
“You’re staying overnight, right?” Myra asked.
“Absolutely,” I lied while I chewed.
She stood, watching me. “You know you still have enough time to find the right person.”
“Which right person?”
“The one you need to give the power to in three days. Heim’s power.”
I picked up the chocolate milk and chased the straw for a moment before I got it in my mouth. Extra cold, just how Dad used to make it. It made me think of him, made me wish he were here. “That’s not a lot of time, Myra.”
“It’s enough. And it means you can spend one night here in bed, resting from a bullet that clipped you across the ribs and the surgery to patch you up, right?”
“I already said yes.”
“You were lying.”
“Well, yes, but I understand how concerned you are now.” I shrugged, and muscles pulled hot and stiff down my wrapped ribs. Ouch. Sudden movements were going to be a little out of my league.
“How bad is it?” I asked. I’d been ignoring that question, and my sisters had both waited until I was ready to know the answer.
“You’re very lucky. It went all the way through, but broke a rib.”
“Do I get to mummy up in one of those stretchy wraps?”
“They don’t do that anymore.”
“So I get shot and other than a broken rib and a bandage, I’m good to go?”
“I said you were lucky.”
“Well, there’s that at least.” I shifted again and winced. I wanted the stretchy bandage, darn it. Even though the medication was keeping the pain at bay, it felt like my bones were rubbing together.
“Need more meds?”
“I think I need sleep.” I gently pushed the tray away, and she reached over to drag it all the way to the side. “You don’t have to stay here while I sleep, Myra. I have the cool little button thing.” I lifted the call buttons in my right hand.
“I’ll be here.”
“Go home. Get out of your duckie pants—have you been in them all day?—and check in on all the things you need to. I’m here.” I looked her straight in the eyes. “And I’ll be here when you get back. Promise.”
Her pale blue eyes misted just a bit. “You scared the crap out of me,” she whispered hoarsely. “I wasn’t there. I wasn’t there in time. Me. Late.” Then my cool, steady sister lunged forward and draped her arms over me, laying her head on my chest.
“Hey now.” I patted her gently with my right hand. “It’s going to be all right. I’m all right. We’re still all together. We’re still all here.”
She held me for a long moment, and I settled into stroking her hair. She’d grown serious beyond her years when we’d lost Mom. I’d hoped that pain would pass for her and let a little light into her life, a little humor into her heart, but she kept her emotions closely guarded, even all these years later.
“I love you, My-my,” I said softly.
She finally sniffed, then breathed in, pulling herself together. “I love you too,” she said, straightening. “Get some sleep. And don’t sneak out on me.”
“Promise, and promise.”
She watched me for a moment then bent to give me a kiss on my cheek. I stroked the back of her thick, smooth hair.
“See you in the morning,” I said.
She nodded, wiped at one eye then straightened, and walked out of the room.
Chapter 24
I JERKED awake in the middle of the night. Someone was in the room with me. I thought it might be the night nurse, and tried to scrub an itch by my eye, but was too drowsy to lift my hand. They must have upped the dose on my medicines because even my tongue felt numb. I finally opened my eyes, rolled my head to one side.
A figure sat slumped in the chair by my bed, head bent into one hand with elbow propped on knee, other hand extended and resting on the back of my hand. I knew that silhouette.
“Ryder?” I whispered.
He stiffened slightly, raised his head. The only light in the room slipped pale and watery from under the door, just enough to see his face.
Had he been crying?
“Delaney.” Spoken so softly, though there were only the two of us in the room. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” My heart picked up a beat.
Was there something else that had happened? Was someone else hurt?
“I shouldn’t have left you. I should have stayed. This is my fault. Us. This. All this.”
He wasn’t making any sense. He looked angry.
“I got shot. That doesn’t have anything to do with you. Part of the job. My job.”
He shook his head once, his eyes going hard, lips pressed in a frown. He was pulling away, even though he hadn’t shifted an inch. He was leaving me. Ending us. Even as he sat right there, his hand on mine.
“I’m sorry.” His voice was low, soft, and so very, very cold. “Last night was a mistake.”
“No,” I breathed.
He went on as if I hadn’t spoken, his words even, almost recited. “I left this morning because I realized you got the wrong idea. That it might be something more than one night. I was just up for a good time. Curious, after all this time of knowing you, what it would be like.”