Page 66 of Fall Into You
I take a deep breath and run my fingers through my hair. “She’s…I don’t really know. I haven’t seen a doctor yet. I just read her chart.” I lock the tablet screen before Vinny has a chance to see it open on the chair bedside me and ask to read it. I don’t want him to find out she’s pregnant this way—beforesheeven knows.
“And?” he asks with a raised eyebrow. “What did it say?”
“Dehydration and possible concussion. She’s…been sick these past couple of days,” I say, ashamed of myself. I should’ve taken better care of her, made sure she was staying hydrated and resting properly, and I know he’s thinking the same thing.
“The least you could do is make sure that my sister is staying healthy, Matt.” He rolls his eyes at me and checks the IV bag.
There it is.
“I was,” I growled. “She’s just been very stressed with school and this whole fight with you.” I don’t mean to put the blame on him, but I also don’tnotmean to blame it on him, because he really has played a big part in her general well-being.
Vinny sighs. Half his face is covered by his mask, but I can tell that he’s frowning, his brows furrowed. “I know.” He takes the tablet and hands it to me so he can sit next to me. “Everything got so messed up in the most ridiculous way possible. I mean, you guys were assholes for hiding it from me and you for going against my wishes, but I don’t fucking know what got into me over Thanksgiving, man. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten into a physical fight before.” Vinny shakes his head.
“Well, it definitely didn’t seem that way. Your right hook is insanely good,” I deadpan. Vinny chuckles and leans back in his seat.
“I guess Ikind ofwanted to apologize? But the more time went on, the stupider I felt, you know? Like, I don’t even know why I reacted that way. I mean, Iknowwhy, obviously, because the both of you are liars, but still.” I nod and stare at the floor. I don’t even try to deny it.
“It’s really gross that you’re dating my sister, Matt,” he says after a few moments of silence with a smile in his voice.
“Idon’t think so, but it’s okay if you do.”
“And I don’t really know if I would feel comfortable enough going back to being your friend in the same way that we were before I found out.” I frown, disappointed, but completely understand. “But it’s mostly because I need to put her first in the event that you ever hurt her, you know what I mean? I don’t ever want her to think that I’m picking you over her. Because she’s my sister, after all. I will always choose her.”
“That’s fair,” I say, trying really hard to control the hope in my voice. “I clearly picked her over you,” I say with a shrug, trying to make a joke out of the truth.
“Right,” he sighs.
“So, what are you saying?” I ask carefully.
“I’m saying…” He sighs and turns to look me in the eye. “I’m saying this is really fucking weird for me, but I think I’m okay with the two of you being together.” I can feel a smile spread quickly across my face, my chest about to burst. Liza will be so happy. “I realized that you guys weren’t the only ones who were being selfish. Yeah, in the beginning of your relationship you definitely put yourselves ahead of what I wanted, but I guess after you…fell in love”—he grimaces and playfully gags—“it was kind of a dick move for me to be mad about it. I care about the both of you, and I should have understood where you were coming from as well.” He runs both hands through his hair. “I just kind of felt abandoned all over again, you know?”
My jaw drops inside my mask, unable to grasp the amount of emotional maturing that Vinny has undergone these past three weeks in order to be able to admit that he wasn’t completely right about me and Liza.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he says gruffly. “I had a lot of help from Danielle, so you should thank her for this.”
I laugh—mostly in relief—and clasp him on the back for a brief and very awkward moment. I know I owe Danielle for so much more than this huge emotional growth of Vinny’s, and I plan to find some way to make it up to her.
“For the record, I never planned on ‘abandoning’ you, Vinny. I never stopped wanting to hang out with you or be your friend. Dating Liza and being your friend aren’t mutually exclusive concepts—both can happen at the same time. Ihopethat they do.” This conversation is making me just ateensybit uncomfortable. It’s not often Vinny and I discuss feelings on a nitty-gritty level, but I guess it was absolutely necessary for this situation.
We both clear our throats and sit up a little straighter in our seats. “Well, then. But I don’t want to see any touchy-feely things in my presence, alright?”
“Agreed. We’ll keep the PDA to a minimum in front of you.”
“Thank you,” he says.
I decide to take advantage of this moment and go for broke. “You should know I plan on asking her to move in with me, Vinny. And eventually, for her to marry me.”
We’re quiet, neither of us saying anything, not moving an inch—I don’t think I’m even breathing. He turns to look me in the eye, and I stare on back because I’m not backing down. I don’t know what he’s looking for in there, but he findssomething. “Okay. But you’re gonna have to do a better job at taking care of my sister.”
I smile and open my mouth to thank him but am interrupted by someone clearing their throat.
“I don’t understand why you insist I need taking care of,” Liza says from her bed.
“LIZA!”Matt and Vinny get up from where they’re sitting at the sound of my voice. Mattgentlywraps his arms around my waist, burying his face in my neck, and I melt in my hospital bed. Every time I see him after a long period of time, it’s like instant relief—even more so now that I’m lying in the ER with the worst headache imaginable. I breathe him in, closing my eyes, trying to hold his sweet cedar scent in my lungs as long as possible.
“Dude! You promised there wouldn’t be any PDA!” I hear Vinny protest beside us.
I sigh, still a little disoriented, and Matt softly pulls away from me. I prepare for Vinny’s anger, but I can see the smirk in their eyes.
