Page 145 of Masked Sins
“I’m sorry to be the one to call you, but your father was in a considerable amount of pain, and we had to give him pain medication. Unfortunately, we were unable to rouse him just now, and he appears to be in a coma. I’ve asked the doctor toassess him, and we’ve determined he doesn’t have much time—maybe another couple of hours, if you’d like to come say goodbye.”
I let out a long, slow breath. “Yeah. I’ll be right there. Thank you.”
I end the call and stare down at the screen, waiting forsomekind of emotion to pass through me.
Nothing comes—I feel empty.
I feel nothing.
“Everything okay?” Layla asks, handing me a sparkling water.
“It’s my dad. He’s… in a coma and they don’t think he has much time left. They called me so I had time to say goodbye.”
Her brows pull together, and one of her hands comes to the back of my neck. I nuzzle into her touch as I close my eyes.
“What do you need?” she asks.
The scent of fresh strawberries makes me relax into her touch even further, and I place a kiss against the inside of her wrist.
When I open my eyes, she’s watching me with a worried expression.
“Nothing. I should go, though—so he’s not alone.”
Her brow relaxes, and she nods once. “Of course. My dad and I can always come stay with you, if needed.”
I smile glumly. “It’s okay. I think I need to do this myself.”
“Okay. Let me make you a quick bite to eat before you go.”
I watch her move to the kitchen, and something tightens in my chest. It’s been so long since anyone has made me something to eat.
Not since my mom.
She’s wrapping up an apple, stuffing crackers, beef jerky, and almonds into a bag, and I can’t help but feel a mix of emotions I’m not even sure how to name.
I’m not used to this—someone thinking about me like this. It’s such a small thing, really, making lunch, but it feels likemore.
Like something I’ve been missing for a long time.
I stand at the island, silent and waiting. My hands twitch on the counter, and I crack my knuckles to give them something to do.
I don’t want her to see how much this means to me, how much it hurts to realize what I’ve been missing, so I just stand there, taking it in, grateful and a little lost at the same time.
“Here you go,” she says a minute later, placing a canvas, reusable bag into my arms. Standing on her tiptoes, she kisses me on the lips. “Check in with me when you can, okay?”
She pulls away, but I grab her waist and pull her close. One of my hands wraps around the back of her head, and she moans when I kiss her—when my tongue parts her lips, when I inhale sharply, when I don’t let go.
After a minute, I pull away, taking the thoughtful lunch in my hands. “I will. Thank you for this. I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Okay.”
I walk toward the door, and Sparrow comes barreling around the corner of the hallway, meowing. He winds between my legs, so I crouch down to pet him.
“Take care of your mom,” I murmur, running my hand over his soft fur.
He meows, and just then, Earl comes flying into the room, too.
“You too, Earl. I’ll be back later.”
