Page 44 of Beautiful Crazy
When they come back out, Gemma’s parents go back next.
“It’s getting late,” Grace says, blowing out a breath as she stands up. “I gotta go pick the kids up from Ethan. He’s heading out of town bright and early in the morning for his job, and they’ve got school tomorrow.” Bringing a hand to Sutton’s shoulder, she adds, “Come on, sweetie. You can stay at my house tonight.”
He looks up at his aunt, then looks at me. “Can I go home with Everett?” he asks. “I want to sleep in my own bed tonight.”
“I know you do, babe, but it’ll just be for a night or two.”
“He can,” I blurt, realizing I probably shouldn’t say this in front of him and get his hopes up, but it’s too late now. Grace flits her gaze over to me. “I mean, if it’s okay with you guys. I can take the couch at their place, and we’re going to the same place in the morning, so it would honestly be no trouble for me.”
Grace looks at me like she’s not sure what to do. She glances from me to Sutton, then back to me again. “Are you sure?” she mouths, probably not wanting Sutton to hear.
I breathe out a laugh through my nose as I nod. “It’s no trouble, I promise. Let me help you guys. I can swing by your place in the morning to take Beau and Blakely to school too if you want, so you can come back here first thing.”
Thinking for another moment, she finally gives me a clipped nod. “Okay. Thank you, Everett. You have my number now, right?”
“Yup.”
“Okay, call if you need anything. And I’ll text you later with my address.”
As Sutton and I leave the hospital, I realize there isn’t much I wouldn’t do for thisfriendof mine who doesn’t really feel like just a friend if I’m being honest with myself. Taking Sutton home and making sure he makes it to school in the morning is the least I could do for Gemma right now. And I’m more than glad to do it.
Nineteen
Gemma
“Are you sure you don’t want me to spend the night?” my sister asks for no less than the tenth time since she picked me up at the hospital twenty minutes ago.
“Grace, I appreciate the offer, but I’m okay, I promise.” We’re walking into my house, and based on the overwhelming aroma of Pine-Sol, I know Georgia has been here, probably on her hands and knees with a bucket and a sponge, scrubbing my floors for me because it’s her favorite way to show support. A smile curls my lips at the thought. “I’m barely even sore, I can move around just fine, and anything I really need help with, Sutton can do.”
Dropping the discharge paperwork on the counter, my stubborn, full-of-love little sister places her hand on her hip as she looks over at me with an unamused look on her face. One that has me chuckling—which is a mistake, becauseow, that doesn’t feel great.
“Fine,” she huffs out. “But I’m staying long enough to at least cook you a nice, hot, homemade dinner, and you won’t talk me out of it.”
“Knock, knock!” The sound of a new voice startles me just as I hear a knock on the screen door.
Eyes narrowed on the very guilty-looking woman in front of me, I ask, “Why the hell is Charley here, Grace?”
Shrugging and giving me her very best innocent look, fluttering eyelashes and all, Grace so seriously says, “Why, I don’t have a clue, big sis.” Then calls out to Charley, “It’s unlocked!”
A moment later, my guilty-looking, wide-smiling friend rounds the corner to join us in the kitchen.
“Grace put you up to this, didn’t she?” I ask as Charley sets a few bags of groceries on the counter, and starts unloading them. Conveniently, it all looks like ingredients needed to make dinner.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she responds, lips lifting into a grin that says she very muchdoes. “How are you feeling, Gem?”
“I’m fine. You guys don’t need to babysit me.”
“We’re not babysitting you,” Grace murmurs. “We’re just here to cook you dinner and hang out with you for a little bit. You really should be better at accepting help, my gosh.”
Charley chuckles as she grabs two wineglasses out of the cabinet. “I know you can’t have wine right now, but I picked up some of your favorite sweet tea from Taylor’s.”
“Okay, okay,” Grace cuts in, damn near pushing me out of my own kitchen. “You need to sit down and rest,” she orders. “I’m going to get started on dinner, Charley willbring you your tea, and you two can hang out while I fix us some dinner.”
“You’re kind of a bitch when you set your mind to something, you know that?” I tease over my shoulder as I pad through the hallway toward my living room.
“Yeah, well, you’re kind of a stubborn twat,” she throws back, and I can’t help but laugh.
Again, bad idea.