He just nods at my words.
“Are you just going to continue to stare at me?”
“Yes,” he answers truthfully.
“How did it go with your mom?” I ask, changing the subject. He moves just slightly, but it’s enough for me to notice. I guess the question makes him uncomfortable.
“Fine.”
I roll my eyes at his words. “Tell me more. How did it go? She seemed better.”
“You should rest,” he informs me.
“And you should tell me.”
“She is better. She’s been clean for almost five years.”
A soft yawn leaves my mouth. “You can put my bed down now.”
August jumps up and adjusts my bed down, hovering over me as he does.
“August.”
“Hmmm,” he answers.
“Do you think we were broken before we even started?”
My eyes are closing, and I miss his answer as I fall asleep. But I swear I hear him mutter, “We can always be fixed.”
“Okay, it’s been a week. You’re up and moving, and the doctor has cleared you to go home,” my nurse says as she comes in, later on that week as I am sitting up on the bed.
“Yeah, about time,” Rhianna says, smiling as she packs up my things.
“What are you doing?” We both turn to August, standing in the doorway. Winter is in his arms.
“She’s going home.”
He looks to the nurse. “She lives by herself. She will need someone to look after her.”
The nurse looks down, red-cheeked, and answers him in a smaller voice than she was just using with us. “The doctor cleared her.”
“Then you’re staying with me,” he states, leaving no room for argument.
“I have a perfectly fine place to stay … my apartment.”
He doesn’t listen, just walks over, grabs the bag from Rhianna’s arm, and slings it over his shoulder. “Ready?” he asks. My eyes go wide, and I look back to Rhianna for help, but she gives me none.
“August.”
He ignores me, looks to Winter, and smiles at her. “Tell Mommy to hurry up. We have to get home and cook dinner.” Winter looks me right in the eyes and parrots exactly what August has just said, then leans her head on his shoulder. He smiles in triumph, knowing I won’t say no to her.
“Good luck,” Rhianna says as she leaves.
“Thanks for nothing,” I yell back to her.
“You should use a wheelchair,” he says as I make my way to the door.
I scrunch my brows at him. “No, I shouldn’t.” And with that I ignore him and walk out, August following behind, grumbling under his breath. He directs me to his car and puts Winter in her seat, buckling her in.
As I’m opening the door to get in, he tells me to wait. I stand there, confused, until he shuts the back door and comes to hold my door open and lets me in.
“I could have done that,” I whisper as I slide in, but he doesn’t reply.
He drives off, and Winter falls asleep in the back seat. We stay silent until we are almost at his place.
“Have you heard anything?” I ask, biting my lip and wondering what’s going to happen.
“He tried for bail, but it was denied.”
I breathe a sigh of relief.
“I had hardly seen nor spoken to him in five years. For him to come over like that…” I let the thought hang in the air.
“It’s over now. I’m sorry I never stopped it.”
My eyes flick to him. “This wasn’t your fault. You did not put the gun in his hand and squeeze the trigger. That was all on him and his stupid ways.”
August grinds his jaw, and I reach over and touch his hand, covering it with mine. He looks down for a quick second, then moves his so our fingers are entwined.
“He’s the one who should be dead.”
And I know what he’s referring to. He means Anderson should be dead instead of Paige. I just nod because no words can express the pain he has from losing her. It killed him so much, he had to leave, and I now understand his reasons.
“You should stay here. Forever,” he says as he slows the car and we turn into his driveway. “I have room, and Winter loves it here.”
“I have somewhere to live,” I tell him. “Plus, you only just separated from Mary. You need time to heal.”
“Time is something I don’t have. Don’t you see that? I’ve already missed so much. Just move in with me. You don’t have to be with me. I’m not asking that of you. I simply want you here, with our daughter.”
“That’s not something I can do,” I tell him honestly.
We can’t go from nothing to everything. Things don’t work that way. And if they do, they are bound to end up ruined.
And I can’t do that.
I don’t want us ruined.
I like us way too much.
Chapter 27
August
Rylee wants to go home, and I want her to stay. But I don’t want to force her. I want her to want me as much as I want her. And believe me, I want her. I always have. She is it for me, has been since that day in the bar when I called Rylee by her sister’s name, knowing full well what her name was. You see, her eyes, they’re different from Rhianna’s. Yes, they may look the same in color, but I see something completely different when I look into Rylee’s eyes.