Shiver

“Come sit down, Clear,” Sherry urged. She signaled for Cade to vacate his chair, who did so with a long-suffering sigh.

My mother nervously rubbed her hands together. “It just worries me that she’s so … mellow, Sherry. I mean, she’s been through hell. I’d hate it if she was sobbing, but at least that would be a normal response.”

Blake sighed. “Clear, this is a normal response for someone with so many drugs in her system. She had so much adrenaline pumping through her, it was a struggle for the doctors to steady her heartbeat. Now it’s calm and stable. Do not fuck with that.”

And then I heard her sniffling. “Mom, quit crying. You’re messing with my buzz.”

“You shouldn’t have a buzz,” she said. “You could have been killed today.”

“Take some of these wondrous drugs and then tell me I shouldn’t have a buzz.”

“I’ll try them.” Sarah’s smile was strained. “I don’t mind admitting that my nerves are shot. Considering how bad the crash was, you’re lucky you don’t have more injuries.”

“Thank the G80.” Damn, I loved that car. It had stood up well against the crash. My old Nissan would have been nothing but a lump of twisted metal. “I’m going to miss it.”

Blake’s mouth curved a little against my hair. “I’ll get you a new one.”

I could buy my own car, actually, but … “I’m feeling too mellow to argue with you.”

“I know. I’m taking advantage of that.”

Clear rubbed my shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want to lie down, sweetie?”

“As you pointed out, Kensey’s been through hell today,” said Blake. I could tell his patience was paper-thin at this point. “If she wants to sit up, she can sit up. If she wants to lean on me, she can lean on me. If she wants to fucking tap dance, she can tap dance—I don’t fucking care as long as she’s calm.”

Sherry chuckled. “I don’t think she’s in any condition to tap dance, but she’ll appreciate the sentiment.”

Clear’s mouth thinned. “Fine. But I still think the doctor shouldn’t have agreed to discharge her.”

Were we really back to this again? Honestly?

“She doesn’t want to stay here,” Blake reminded her for, like, the twelfth time.

“But she’s hurt.” Clear appealed to him with a look. “This is the best place for her.”

No, it was far from it. Of course, Clear wouldn’t understand that. She liked to be babied when she was ill or hurt; it made her feel better. It made me feel smothered, which never failed to make me crazy.

Blake ground his teeth. “She’s got the cast, she’s had stitches and every bit of treatment she needs. As soon as the doc is done with the paperwork and officially discharges her, I’m taking her home. Deal with it.”

“But—”

“Leave it be, Clear,” Sherry intervened, firm. “She said she’s fine.”

Clear turned to her. “I don’t want her bottling things up. She’ll feel worse for it later.”

Sherry patted the chair beside her. “I don’t think she’s bottling up anything. Except maybe the urge to hurt you for faffing around her.”

“I don’t faff,” said Clear as she took the seat. “Dodger, do I faff?”

Dodger sighed. “Yeah.”

Sarah squeezed Clear’s shoulder. “Kensey’s tough. You know that. And you also know that this isn’t somewhere she can properly relax. She doesn’t like crowded places. She likes space, quiet, and privacy. You don’t get that in a hospital. But she’ll get it at home.”

With a resigned sigh, Clear folded her arms. “I called your dad, Kensey. He’s devastated that you were hurt and that he can’t be here for you. He’s also blaming himself. They wouldn’t have had any interest in you if Michael wasn’t your dad.”

“Nobody should be blaming themselves,” I said. “But I know Sherry and Dodger are feeling responsible because they hired Reed and had him working beside me, day after day. I know Sarah and Cade are feeling bad because they never saw Reed for what he is. I know Blake’s feeling bad for not getting to me sooner or locating Ricky, just as Rossi’s feeling bad for passing out during the accident. And I know you feel that you should have somehow protected me, Mom. It’s all stupid. Ricky and Reed are to blame—no one else. None of us saw that cruelty in Reed. People like him are good at hiding what they are; they have to be.”

Silence descended. Ah, blessed, blessed silence. It didn’t last long.

“You’re right of course,” said Clear. “Blake, thank you for finding her. I honestly don’t think I’d survive if something happened to her.”

There was a metallic ting as the curtain was pulled along its rod. Bastien then entered, bringing with him the smells of cologne and coffee. “Hey, Lyons, how are you doing?”

I gave him a slow smile, even as I thought, ‘Uh-oh, Sarah’s gonna freak if he stays long.’ “Fine, thanks.”

He tilted his head. “You look surprisingly chilled out.”

“Seriously, Bastien, these painkillers are the shit.”

He chuckled. “I’m glad you’re okay. You had us all worried.” He gave Blake a nod of greeting. “I expected to find you pacing and half out of your mind.” Turning, he locked his gaze on Sarah. A gaze that went all soft … and then hardened to stone. “Where’s the choker?”

“I put it on Mom’s cat,” said Sarah. “Looks good on her.”

I smiled, betting that the jewelry was safe in Sarah’s purse.

“If you two are going to argue, do it elsewhere,” said Blake. “Kensey doesn’t need the drama.”

“We’re not going to argue. We’re going to talk.” Bastien held his hand out to Sarah, who sniffed at it like he’d offered her a plastic bracelet he found in a Christmas cracker.

“I don’t think my sister wants to talk to you.” Cade glared at him. “Which suits me just fine, since I don’t want her to talk to you. I’ve no idea what happened between you two, but you almost made her cry. Sarah’s eyes actually welled up. Do you know how rare it is that my hard-hearted sister ever cries?”

Sarah gaped at him. “Hey! I do not have a hard heart!”

“Well you don’t have a soft one.”

Sherry rolled her eyes. “Children, children, enough.”

From behind the curtain, someone loudly cleared their throat. “Miss Lyons, it’s Officer Bartley. My partner and I were hoping to speak to you. We have some questions.”

Blake shot them a glare they couldn’t see. “And you have to ask those questions right now?”

“It would be best to do so while everything is fresh in Miss Lyons’s mind,” replied Bartley. “We won’t take long.”

Tipping my head back, I said to Blake, “I’d rather get it over with. But I need a minute alone with you before I talk to them.”

Sherry pushed out of her chair. “All right, everyone. Time to go. I’ll tell the cops you’ll call them in when you’re ready, Kensey.”

“Thanks, Sherry.” With brief goodbyes, each of the visitors filed out, though my mother lingered a little. Once they were gone, I turned back to Blake. “I didn’t tell you this before now because I thought it might be better to tell you when we at home alone. I didn’t count on the police turning up here.” I should have done.