Page 47 of Love Me Gently

“What happens after?” she asked, and I flinched at the pain in her voice. “When she’s better. Are you planning on having her stay…there? I mean?”

I wanted it more than my last breath, but I couldn’t tell her that. Not then. “Too early to make that call, honey.”

“But you want that…never mind. Don’t answer. Good night, Cole.”

The line ended before I could say a thing, although truthfully, what was left to say?

She’d found the pics of Trina, and she’d heard the stories. Getting her to move to Deer Creek and live in the same town when half the folks knew my high school girlfriend and soulmate vanished on me and her family wasn’t a thrilling prospect for her. Then she’d found the letters, and everything went downward from there.

She stayed in town for the girls, to give them the life in a small town she wanted for them.

This was already hard enough for her, and now I’d made it even harder.

“Cole?”

I tore my gaze off my phone and my regrets and failures and turned to face Dr. McElroy.

“Yeah? Everything okay?”

“She’s awake. I’ll let you two talk and then I’ll fill you in before I leave.”

Trina was awake. Alert.Thank God.

There wasn’ta word to describe the void in Trina’s expression as I entered the room. She looked exactly the same. Somehow, I’d expected color to return or for her to look happy or something when she finally woke up, but the darkness in her eyes could have blanketed the entire town. And that darkness had nothing to do with the discoloration and swelling on her face.

“Hey,” I said, and stepped further toward the bed.

Her eyes were on the window, curtains and blinds open. There wasn’t much to see but trees and maybe a hint of the afternoon sun peeking through them.

Hard to believe it was still afternoon. Considering the day, I felt like I’d aged a decade in twenty-four hours.

“You’re awake.”

Trina’s eyes strayed to a picture on the nightstand table. It was a photo of June, Ella, and me at Oak Island over the summer. Both of them were clinging to my shoulders. A nice mom who’d been grappling with her own three kids all day had offered to take our picture. My trunks were soaked and clung to my thighs, my hair an absolute mess from being in the water all day. June and Ella’s weren’t any better, but they’d thought it was hilarious that I bought swim trunks that matched their yellow and white hibiscus flowered ones, so there we were.

Thrilled.

Happy.

Joyful.

Smiling and sun-kissed and laughing.

Slowly, Trina’s head twisted, and she met my gaze straight on. With no change of expression in her eyes, no light whatsoever, she deadpanned, “You have kids now.”

It was absolutely the very last way I expected her to start a conversation.

“Yeah.” I choked down the words climbing up my throat. The comments I’d usually make bragging about them, giving her their names and ages, and telling her everything about how awesome they were.

The look in her eyes stopped me.

“Good. That’s good you have that now.”

There was no happiness in her tone that said she meant it, only the same chillingly blank tone and expression.

“Did Sheila tell you what happened or where you are?”

“Deer Creek. Your house. You were at the hospital.” She said it like an accusation.

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