Fix Me

“I am.”

“I wasn’t,” I started to defend myself.

“You have every right to ask about a woman that comes into his life,” Lisa answered. “He really does like you. Luke never really had girlfriends, at least not when I was living at home. He was always busy with his modeling career, work or taking care of our mother.”

I slowly nodded. Again, I wanted to ask about the mom, but kept my question to myself. “He’s a good guy.”

“He’s an empath,” Lisa said. “He can’t help but want to take care of everyone in his life.”

It seemed like that may have been directed at me. “If he and I decide to pursue a relationship, he won’t need to take care of me. No matter how this turns out, I can take care of myself.”

I heard a slow clap and knew it was coming from Mel. “Damn right you can.”

“I’m getting there,” I said. “My dad isn’t going to let me be alone. If Luke isn’t my caregiver, someone else will be. I don’t want anyone else. Luke understands me and we have a good relationship. He pushes me when I need to be pushed.”

“And he takes care of you when you need it,” Lisa added.

“Yes, he does.”

“It’s what he does best,” she said, her tone a little glib.

“What’s it like living in England?” Mel asked, quickly changing the subject.

“It’s good. It was a little weird at first, but I adjusted. I like it there.”

“Do you have any kids?” I asked.

Lisa laughed. “No, definitely not. My husband is a little older. We like our lifestyle just the way it is. We do a lot of traveling for his job, which would be difficult, if not impossible, if we had children.”

“Do you work?” Mel asked.

Lisa giggled. “Nope. I married a sugar daddy.”

“Good girl,” Mel said with a laugh.

“Honestly, I didn’t marry him for his money, though. I married him for his accent and the promise to take me out of Texas. The money was a bonus.”

I smiled, listening to her story. She was a little abrasive, but I could hear her softness underneath it all. I did like her I decided, though I wasn’t sure if I would at first. “Is your husband here with you?”

“No, he had to be in Seattle for the week. I figured since we were going to be in the states, it would be a good chance to catch up with Luke. I wasn’t planning on visiting my mother, but she is getting older and I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”

There was a brief silence before the gate buzzed, announcing that our food had arrived. “I’m going to get the food,” Mel said. “When I get back, there will be no more talk about getting old or anything serious. We are here to kick up our heels and have a good time.”

I raised my glass. “Do I need more wine?”

They both burst into laughter. “I’ll get you a refill,” Lisa volunteered.

We spent the next two hours talking about celebrities, silly fashion trends and life in general. I was glad I had agreed to the girl’s night. I had been worried it would be boring and uncomfortable with me not being able to see, but it had been fun. It felt good to forget all about my worries and just be one of the girls for a while.

Chapter Eight

Luke

I WALKED THROUGH THE door of the cottage and immediately kicked off my shoes. It had been a long day. I had to get Lisa to the airport bright and early that morning. That had been a hell of a send-off. She was trying to back out of going to see Mom. I did have an ulterior motive for encouraging my sister to go visit her. I was hoping it would distract Mom’s attention away from me. I was hoping that with Lisa there, my mom would give me a break and quit calling me all the damn time.

When I got to the house to work my normal shift, Bree was in a hell of a mood. She was down and out, but I didn’t know why. I had dealt with depressed people before, but it was different with her. She had been so vibrant before the doctor appointment. I missed the small glimpse of the woman I had gotten to know. I missed her smile and her laughter. It was like she crawled back inside the box she had been in when we had first met.

I knew enough about depression to know there wasn’t always a reason. Sometimes, they were just sad. Sometimes, they got angry. Sometimes, they didn’t have the strength to get out of bed or take a shower. That’s where things stood with Bree. It seemed like she was sinking deeper instead of coming out of it.