Page 247 of Tempting-

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I don't know what I forgive. I'm not ready to ask myself that yet. I release Emma. "You want coffee?"

"Of course." She smiles. "You look good."

"You too."

She smacks her lips. "It's not too much?"

"That's in your vocabulary?" I tease.

Mom laughs. "Your hair is darling, Emma. I wish I could pull that off."

"You could, Mrs. Hart. Though I think purple would suit your complexion better. There's this great new brandwith smokey colors. The purple would look fierce on you," Emma says.

Mom laughs. "I'll think about that."

Brendon's eyes meet mine. I'm not sure exactly what he's saying, only that I want to hear every drop of it.

Chapter Fifty-Four

KAYLEE

We go straight to the hospital with Grandma. Brendon and Emma introduce themselves and say hello then they wait in the lobby.

Mom and I stay with her all morning. Dad joins in the evening. We get home, have dinner together, make small talk about nothing, sleep in separate spaces.

It's like that for days. We spend every minute of visiting hours in the hospital. Emma and I talk all night. Brendon is just there. Waiting for me. Ready for when I need him.

It's like that all week.

Until Friday.

I wake to Mom standing over my bed, tears running down her cheeks.

I don't have to ask to know. It's written all over her face.

Grandma is gone.

The world is a little colder.

A little darker.

A little uglier.

I wantto be strong for Mom. So she can fall apart. But I can't bring myself to leave my bed.

Dad brings me breakfast and tea.

I force myself to brush my teeth. Wash my face.

Then I collapse back in my bed. It whispers of Grandma too. The hot pink sheets. The landline phone in the shape of lips. The boy band posters all over the walls.

She'd want me to celebrate her life, not mourn her death.

And I want to do that.

But it hurts, knowing she's not here anymore.

That I can never go to her for advice. Or read her another chapter. Or argue about whether or not I'll call her Gigi.

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