Page 101 of Broken

I looked over at Chuck then. The large, quiet man had a hand on his son’s shoulder in silent reassurance, and my heart suddenly gave a little lurch in my chest. I swallowed, surprised. Daddy’s death wasn’t anything new, and I’d thought I’d adjusted pretty well this past year and a half, but now, I couldn’t help but find myself wishing he could be here with us. I turned away, not wanting to think about it anymore. Daddy was gone. There was no changing it.

On the other side of the room, I saw Mateo sitting in the corner next to Emma, his gaze staring solemnly at the ground with his hand placed on Emma’s thigh. She was leaning forward with her head buried in her hands and her elbows resting at her knees. I watched Mateo give her leg a comforting squeeze, and she sat back to lean against his shoulder.

My brow rose. Becausethatwas new. And it wasn’t a pair I’d have imagined. But maybe I was looking too far into it. Who knew? Maybe it was just comfort between friends on a hellish night.

A part of me repelled at calling it that because it hadn’t been all bad. The game had been epic, and Jet was finally about to get an amazing scholarship offer. Even Izzy said she had exciting news…

I trailed off at that, preferring the numb, unreal feeling I had right now to thinking too hard about my sister.

“How’s the water?” a deep, unnaturally rough voice asked from behind me, and I jumped as Tucker reached past me to grab one of the paper cups.

I shrugged. “It’s water.”

He nodded and lifted the cup to his lips, but I was certain he hadn’t really needed the drink, that he was just looking for an excuse to get up and move.

“How’re you holding up?” I asked for some stupid reason. It wasn’t like I didn’t already know the answer. I just didn’t know what else to say.

Tucker’s face crumpled in pain, and he gave a hard swallow. “Terrible. You?”

“Numb. I’m trying not to think about it too hard.”

“I wish I could feel nothing,” Tucker whispered, smashing the empty cup in his hands before dropping it into the trashcan.

I tossed mine in after his and waited for him to look back at me, but when he didn’t, I said, “She’s going to be alright, Tucker.” And right then, I knew it was true. She’d make it.

He closed his eyes, and a few tears trickled out from the corners as he replied, his voice so weak I wouldn’t have recognized it as his if I didn’t see him speak. “She has to be.”

TUCKER

I hadn’t meant to sound so pathetic, but I really was lost. Terrified of the worst. The only thing I could say was that Annie had enough conviction in her promise that it gave me a glimmerof hope, and for once since we’d gotten to the hospital, my feet felt like they might be able to stay on solid ground.

Annie would know. If anyone would, it would be her.

I closed my eyes, praying it would be true, and before I knew it, Annie’s arms were wrapping around me in a tight hug. I held back my grimace, pain shooting across my back, and returned her hug, relieved when she started to pull away, but she gave one last squeeze at the end that caught me off guard, and I winced loudly above her ear.

“Tucker? What’s wrong?” She let go, fresh concern covering her features.

“Nothing,” I shot back a little too quickly, stopping myself just a second too late from reaching for the stinging in my backside. Stepping behind me faster than a cat, Annie yanked up my T-shirt and gasped.

“Oh, my God! Tucker!”

Yanking my shirt back down, I shot Annie a glare as my mom gasped and rushed to my side.

“Oh, my gosh. What happened, honey?” Mom pulled my shirt back up. “This looks terrible. Chuck, look.”

“It’s just a bruise, Mom.” I tried to pull my shirt back down, turning away from her.

“From what?” she demanded. “That’s not just any bruise. It goes all the way across your back, and it’s got to be a couple of inches wide. It’s huge.”

I groaned and shot Annie another dirty look, but she ignored it, her hands on her hips as she waited for an answer with my mom.

“I told y’all I fought with Zane.” I finally gave in, frustrated that they were worrying about this. My back was nothing compared to Izzy…and maybe the baby. My stomach churned again with the revolving thought.

“Man, I know you screwed up his nose pretty bad, but your back lookshorrible,” Mateo said from the corner.

“Thanks,” I grumbled.

“You shouldn’t have fought him,” Mom scolded. “You know how I feel about that.”

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