Page 139 of Firecracker

It had taken something like this for her to tell him she loved him. But did she really? Or was she just reacting to the fact that he’d been injured? It still fucking hurt that she’d rejected him and then totally bailed on everything, running away because he’d screwed up and tried too hard to control her life. Over and over she’d told him she wanted to be independent and prove she could do things on her own, and over and over he kept butting in. And then she’d told him that he was the one stopping her from figuring out who she was and what she wanted to do with her life.

Those words had felt like fire burning through every layer of his skin.

He’d been doing a lot of thinking about that. About how many times people had told him they could handle things themselves. He’d been thinking a lot about Tara, and how he’d let her and his whole family down by not being there to save her the day she’d been abducted.

And how maybe he’d been trying a little too hard ever since then to make up for that.

Exhaustion and pain and drugs made it too hard to think about things. Made it too hard to even talk right now. “’Kay, thanks,” he mumbled.

After a long pause, she said, “Thanks?”

“For apologizing. ’Preciate it.” He closed his eyes. “Really tired, now.”

Still silence. All he could hear was distant beeping noises and chatter from outside his room. Then he heard a faint sniffle.

He cracked one eye open. Arden sat there, her face tight but stoic. Her eyes were still glossy, her lips pressed together. She gave a short nod. “I understand.” She picked up her purse from the floor. “Take care, Tyler. I want…” She closed her eyes briefly. “I want the best for you. In everything. Um…you know Sorcha’s in love with you, right?”

What the fuck? Sorcha? WasArdenon drugs?

“So maybe you should go out with her.” She gave a fast swipe at one eye. “Just saying. I want you to be happy. And healthy. And…I want everything for you.”

He stared at her, mind muddled, body hurting. She wanted him to go out with another woman? When she’d just told him she loved him?

“Bye, Tyler.”

And then she disappeared out the door.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Tyler wasn’t milking it. Not really. It was nice having his mom wait on him hand and foot, though, and she actually seemed to enjoy it.

“Can I get you something else to drink?” she asked. “Another pillow?”

“Nah, I’m good.” He held the remote control for the TV, pausing between binge-watching episodes ofGame of Thrones. It wasn’t really distracting him from thinking about Arden, though. He’d been a mess since she’d visited him in the hospital. Apologizing. Telling him she loved him. He was afraid to believe her, because…because he’d been hallucinating, and if that hadn’t been real…and because he’d been wanting that his whole life and he’d pushed her away by trying too hard to look after her.

The doorbell rang and Mom went to answer it.

Jamie strolled in seconds later. “Hey, how’s the patient?”

Tyler stopped the show. “I’m okay. How’re you?”

“Not bad. Mila told me I’m supposed to bring something when I visit, so I got you this.”

Tyler pushed up to sitting from his reclined position and took the gift Jamie proffered. “What is it?”

“It’s a plug-n-play retro TV games arcade kit. It comes with two hundred games.”

Tyler grinned, checking out the tiny handheld controller. “Retro is right.”

“You just plug it into your TV.”

“Cool. Thanks.” It was crazy, and Tyler would bet it set Jamie back a few hundred bucks, but that was him.

“Can I get you a drink, Jamie?” Mom asked. “Beer? Scotch? Coke?”

“A Coke would be great, Mrs. Ramirez. Thanks.” He threw himself down into an armchair.

Mom brought him a drink and then disappeared.

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