Page 92 of Friend Me

“Wait.” I pulled back and glared at Jackson. “You can’t be here! You’re scheduled in meetings all day!”

His face broke into an unconcerned smile. “That’s what’s great about being the flaky founder. I can blow off those meetings and dump it all on Cooper. He stayed up late to take the calls from Amsterdam.”

Even Cooper was helping me. Warmth spread through me at the reminder that I wasn’t alone.

I smiled back at Jackson. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad you’re shirking your responsibilities.”

He massaged my shoulder, and a little more of my tension drained out. “Though I’m worried about—”

Alicia interrupted him. “The team will be fine without you for a few hours. Even down one. Or two.You,on the other hand”—she squeezed my other shoulder—“need our help.”

I pretended to roll my eyes to hide the tears that welled up. I turned to the window to blink them away. “Thanks.”

Jackson said, “Whatever you need. You’ve always been there for me, and now it’s my turn to help you.”

That only made the tears come faster. I sniffed and said, “In that case, would you mind getting me a cup of coffee?”

Alicia said, “And some fruit and yogurt. I bet you haven’t eaten in a while.”

Since lunch yesterday. I’d refused to let myself feel anything as selfish as hunger.

Jackson patted my shoulder. “I’ll be right back.” The door shut a few seconds later.

Alicia walked over to Dad’s bedside. “His color is good,” she said. “Maybe he’ll wake up soon.”

“I hope so. I’m—I’m worried.”

She turned to face me. “Of course you are. It’s tough to see a loved one…”

“Oh!” Guilt stabbed me. She’d lost her sister to cancer several years before. She must’ve hated hospitals. “You don’t have to stay with me—”

“Course I do, Marlee.” She stroked my arm. “That’s what friends do.”

“You’re going to make me cry again.”

“Crying is okay. Trying to hold it in, trying to do it all yourself, that’s not okay. Let’s sit.” Stepping aside so I could take the chair by the bed, she sank into the other chair and passed a hand over her rounded belly.

Easing onto the unforgiving vinyl, I watched her. “You know, just before he—he fell, Dad told me he and my mother weren’t in love when they got married. They were pregnant.”

“Oh.” Alicia’s forehead creased. “How do you feel about that?”

“Not wonderful. Surprised. I always thought they had this perfect marriage, you know?” I touched my pendant.

“People can still love each other and not be perfect,” she said. “Jackson and I love each other very much, and we still argue.”

“How did you—how did you know Jackson was the one for you?”

“Well, as you know, he’s not perfect. And there were lots of reasons why we shouldn’t be together: we worked together, we lived in different cities, our personalities and lifestyles were completely at odds. But”—a smile floated onto her face—“I realized I was miserable when we were apart. And happy when we were together. I was a better person with him. He felt the same way.”

I was miserable now, all right. And it wasn’t only because Dad was injured and in the hospital.

When I’d danced with Tyler at Alicia’s wedding, I’d been so happy I’d forgotten about my silly crush on Cooper.

Sitting on the lawn outside the Civic Center, eating the best tamales in San Francisco, the setting sun gilding our skin, turning us rose gold. We’d both laughed that day. And he’d given me his handkerchief when I teared up atHamilton.

“Maggie?” The hoarse whisper came from behind me. I whirled to look at Dad. His eyelid twitched. I blinked hard to be sure it hadn’t been my own eye twitching. When I opened my eyes, his blue-gray ones looked back at me. His face was still pale, but seeing him awake made the band constricting my lungs ease.

I slid my palm under his to avoid the tubes attached to the back. “I’m so glad you’re awake.”

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