What She Didn't Know (What She 1)

44

My parents were overjoyed to find me awake when they came back. They came into the room and made a big fuss over me, and I was beginning to think they’d never leave. I faked a yawn, making sure I didn’t cover my mouth. My arm and shoulder hurt too much to lift them far anyway. Being stabbed hurt like a bitch.

“Maybe some of us should leave so that Mason can get some rest,” my mother announced.

“Mom,” I said. “You and Dad should go home and go to bed.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” she said cautiously, her eyes sweeping the room and meeting everyone’s but Lynn’s. I had a feeling that they’d had words, but I didn’t know what they were. I wanted to find out.

“I’ll be fine,” I assured her. “I need to talk to Lynn about some things.”

Her face fell. “I think a talk would be a good idea.” She nodded her head and sat down in a chair.

I caught my dad’s eye and nodded toward the door. He nodded his head, a subtle movement, but one I caught. “Come on, honey,” he said. “We need to go home.”

“But,” she protested, “I’m not ready to go.”

“We can come back tomorrow,” he said, gently taking her elbow to lift her from the chair.

“But,” she tried again.

“I love you, Mom,” I said. Her eyes filled with tears but she blinked them back.

“I was so worried about you,” she said.

“I know you were. But I’m fine.” Despite all I’d been through, I was sitting up. I was damn tired, though.

She bent over me and adjusted the covers, and lifted the hair from my forehead so she could press her lips there. She lingered long enough that I heard her breath catch. Then Dad ushered her out of the room. He winked at me on the way out.

Malcolm stood up too. “I’m going to go home. Aubrey’s going to kill me if I don’t come and help her.” He grabbed my knee and gave it a squeeze.

“Thanks for staying,” I said. “I appreciate it.”

“I’d do just about anything for you, numbnuts.”

Lynn held up her finger. “Except go see Shelly.”

He cringed. “Except that. I’ll drop by tomorrow.”

He kissed Lynn’s temple and then he left. We were suddenly, very fiercely, alone. Except we weren’t. We were three now.

A sob built in Lynn’s chest and I opened my arms to her. She crawled on her knees up the bed until she could lie down beside me, my good arm around her. I rolled so that we could be face to face. “I missed you,” I said.

She pressed her lips to mine. “I missed you too.”

“I didn’t know why you left.”

“You know now, though, right?” Her chest heaved with a sob. “I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

I laughed. “Well, I’m pretty sure you didn’t get pregnant all by yourself.”

“I never missed a dose, Mason. Not even when I was gone.”

“I know.” I shushed her with my lips against hers. “Nothing is one hundred percent. We both knew it.”

“What are we going to do?”

I didn’t know the right answer. “The same thing we’ve always done. I’m going to love you like crazy and you’re going to love me back.”