Page 31 of C*cky Best Friend
Chapter Fourteen
Samantha
Puffy eyes brighten as the hospital room fills with friends. Marion is so genuinely shocked, it’s obvious she never expected anyone to do something like this for her.
But you’ve gotta rise above when it’s the right thing to do. Sure, she belittles me every chance she has. Marion feels important by making others feel small. But I don’t think it’s a chronic condition. Pretty sure it’s something that can be healed with a little love.
And some hard boundaries.
It’s partly my fault it’s gone on for this long. I just ignored it, so how could she know how intensely her constant digs annoyed me? Or see how much other people knew what she was doing and therefore developed a dislike of her in general.
Her eyes fill with fresh tears as she gasps, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you guys are here!”
A couple of the singers take credit for it, but my sister isn’t having any of that.
“It was Samantha’s idea,” she interjects with enough volume to make it clear she means business.
Marion locks eyes with me, face a mess from crying. “This was your idea?”
I nod, a lump forming in my throat.
“Thank you!” she whispers and covers her face as her shoulders shake.
Some of the guys start shouting, “What kind of pizza are we having?” “I’m starving!” “Me too!” Toppings fly out on a wave of enthusiastic suggestions.
Asher strolls into the room, and we lock eyes. I give him a smile. He goes to Marion to ask how she feels. Lexi chooses now to tug me toward the door, demanding this instant, a private conversation.
It’s gotta be hard working in a hospital the way our brother, Caden, does. It feels like they’re always this busy. And so much pain. I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I’m not that tough.
Lexi’s bright green eyes zip over serious faces of nurses and doctors heading in different, urgent directions. “I could never be a doctor.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
“The hours are too long.”
I laugh, “You mean the ones in college?”
“And there’s that.”
“I don’t think it feels like long hours when you love what you do.”
She shrugs off the persistent fact that she hasn’t found her purpose yet, “I wouldn’t know,” and leans to me while darting a quick look around. “So this guy Asher.”
Double checking we aren’t being spied on, I whisper, “He kissed me tonight.”
“I know, I watched the performance!”
“Before the show.”
Lexi grabs my arm. She knows it’s been forever since I’ve dated anyone I liked. “How was it?”
“Good. But Dad and Mom interrupted before I got a chance to really find out. Logan was with them. You should’ve seen his face. He felt so bad they caught me.”
Her eyes widen. “Logan saw you kissing him? How did he take it?”
I frown, “How did he take it?”
Lexi jumps out of the way of a racing gurney. “You being kissed by some other dude. I know you are just friends.”