Page 61 of Desperate Haste

“Why must you always question me?” He sighs indignantly.

I sit up straight in my seat and bring my eyes to my hands which are now in my lap after being scolded.

“She’s in the hallway, I can go get her if you want?”

“I’d like that very much, thank you.” My feet push against the floor as I stand to go and grab her. Once I’m nearing the end of the bed, Marshall speaks again.

“I’ll always be in your corner, kid. Never forget that.”

I stare at him for a beat and try to come up with something good to say. Something meaningful. But instead I can only come up with, “I know.”

Once I reach the hallway, I find Ophelia leaning against the wall with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her head is stooped and tucked into her chest and once I move to stand in front of her, she quickly wipes her cheek with the back of her hand before meeting my gaze.

“He wants to talk to you.”

“He does? Why?”

“I don’t know, I asked him that and then got yelled at for being difficult.” We both chuckle and the feeling of shared joy between us makes my heart feel a little less sore.

“Malcolm,” she starts and reaches for my hand.

“You should go, he gets annoyed when people don’t listen to him.” I try to smile but it does nothing to change the disheartened look on her face. I take a step closer to her and she welcomes me in, wrapping her arms around my center. Leaning down, I place a soft kiss on her cheek and whisper into her ear. “Go get him, little fox.”

She pulls away and looks at me with tears threatening to spill over her eyes and nods before heading into the room. I position myself on the wall along the open door but out of sight so they can’t see me. When they start to speak, I can hear every word.

“Hello, Mr. Westing.”

“Ohh, none of that now. It’s a little too late for formalities, don’t you think? Please just call me Marshall.”

“Okay, Marshall. You look like shit,” she deadpans and it elicits a booming laugh from him. One that everyone knows is his when they hear it and I feel my cheeks push into my eyes before they sink quickly as the sounds of his wheezing fill the room.

“Youarea spitfire. I’m not surprised our boy is in love with you.” I want so badly to turn around the doorway to see her reaction to his words but something in me freezes me where I stand. Whether it be the fear of any sign of rejection or the revelation that what he says is true for her, too, I can’t bring myself to move. So instead, I continue to listen. I can hear her fall into the same chair I once sat in and move it closer to the bed, the wooden frame of it scraping against the old linoleum tiled floor.

“He’snotin lovewith me,” she says, and I can just picture the eye roll she gives him.

“Oh, he’s something. Might be love, might be something more than love. Whatever it is, he has it for you. I can see it in his eyes,” Marshall’s raspy voice affirms. There’s a long stretch of silence before his voice starts again. “Can you do something for me?”

“Sure…”

“Don’t be silly like me and wait until it’s too late to tell someone you love them. I know it’s scary and it can hurt like hell, but it can also heal you in ways you can never imagine.”

“Who did you wait too long to tell them you love them?” I’m glad to hear her ask because I wonder the very same thing. He’s been single as long as I’ve known him. He’s always just been Marshall.

“Let’s just say sometimes the people we’re closest to can also become the people we love the most.” I hear her gasp as she realizes what he means at the same time I do.

Reese.

“Oh, Marshall.”

I hear her voice crack and want to move to her, to console her. I almost do but then I hear the shushing noises.

“Now, now, none of that. I have something else I need you to do for me.”

“I can try.” She’s crying now; I can tell by the way she’s breathing. My fists clench at my sides and my jaw tightens, trying to keep myself together as I eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Promise me you’ll take care of him, of Malcolm. He’s going to need someone strong like you to help him through what comes next.”

“Don’t talk like?—”

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