Dirty Little Secrets (Dirty Little #1)(54)
“No,” I reply, shaking my head. “I think he wanted us to have some time just the two of us. I think there’s another part of him that’s just really modest, and was worried about what it might look like if he showed up here. I think he didn’t want you to feel like you owe him anything.”
“Mia,” Marcus says incredulously. “I owe him everything.”
“He’s weird like that,” I reply with a wide smile.”
Marcus’s eyes widen, and he smiles. He looks lighter, happier than I’ve seen him in a long time. I’ve almost forgotten what he looks like when he’s happy. “You’re in love with him.”
“Yeah, I am.” I’m not even going to try to deny it.
“Who would’ve thought? When you took off that night, who would’ve thought this could happen?”
“Not me, that’s for sure,” I say, laughing.
Marcus wraps his arms around me, giving me another long, tight hug. “I can never thank you enough for what you did for us.”
Even though it was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done, I can’t find it in myself to regret it. It led me here, to this point. “How is she doing?” I ask, motioning toward the door that leads to Amelia’s room.
“She’s doing okay. She had another operation yesterday, and her doctors have her in a medically induced coma. She’s probably not going to be awake for a while.”
I ask the question that I’ve been avoiding for a while, but I just have to know. “Is she ever going to get out of here?” This is a really nice facility, but I can’t imagine spending an extended period of time in a hospital, no matter how nice it is. Knowing Amelia—as independent as she was—she wouldn’t want that, either. She’s always been so bright and full of life, and all I want is for her to get back to that point, or as close as she can get to it.
Marcus looks down at the floor, where he shuffles his feet. “It’s going to be a while, but the doctors are hopeful. The only reason she’s gotten as far as she has is because of you, and I…” He bows his head as he trails off. I step up, and hug him.
“I know,” I say soothingly. “I know.”
“You want to go see her?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
We walk into the room, and I’m struck by the sight of Amelia, laying still in her bed, wrapped from head to toe in bandages. She’s attached to so many tubes and machines, and all I can hear in the room is the steady beeping of her heart monitor, and the gentle whoosh of the machine that’s breathing for her.
I have to swallow down the lump that’s rising in my throat. I can’t cry, not now. How many times has she held it together while sitting by my bedside, trying to make me feel better? Even if she can’t hear me, I have to be here for her now. So, I do what she always did for me. I pull a chair up to the side of her bed, and gently wrap my hand around the tips of her fingers, which are bandage-free.
Then I lean forward, and start humming.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Later, after the hospital nurses kick Marcus and me out of the room so that Amelia can get some rest, we meet Caleb at our favorite pizza place. Like I expected, Caleb and Marcus hit it off instantly. We’re sitting in the corner of the restaurant, and Caleb is nursing a beer while Marcus regales him with tales of my most embarrassing moments.
“She what?” Caleb asks, laughing so hard that he’s almost doubled over.
“She shoved it right up her nose,” Marcus replies. “And it fit! Her nostrils are huge.”
“What?!” I cry, completely offended. “They are not! And it was one of the plain candies, not the kind with peanuts in it. It’s not like it took a lot of work to get it up there.” God, why am I helping them with this? “I was a curious kid, okay?”
If anything, Caleb looks at me like these stupid, embarrassing stories have made him fall even more in love with me. I’m glad that it’s going to end whenever we leave, it’s not like I’m going to reveal any of these things about myself. This must be what it feels like to have your mother sit down with your boyfriend and show him your baby photos. I suppose if there’s a positive to having all of my embarrassing baby pictures incinerated in an explosion, it’s that they can’t ever be used as ammunition for embarrassment.
Laughing, Caleb leans forward and kisses me. “I love you,” he says. “But I guess I’m going to have to watch you around the bite-sized candy from now on.” I give him a light smack on the wrist, and glare at Marcus, who’s cackling.
When the laughter dies down, Marcus turns to Caleb. “I can’t thank you enough for what you did for my mother and me, what you did for Mia, and what you did for all the other tenants in Kemp’s buildings who don’t have any way out of that situation. None of them know that you probably just saved their lives.”
Caleb gives him a warm smile, and simply says, “You’re welcome.” No long speeches, or heartfelt anecdotes. “I hope your mother gets better, and I hope that you’ll keep me updated.” He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a business card, and hands it to Marcus. “If you need anything, my number’s on there. Or, you can let Mia know. I’ll make sure that it gets taken care of.”