Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 89503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89503 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Besides, this is becoming the story of my life. It’ll wind up on my tombstone.
Here lies Markie St. James, the woman who died single anyway.
“I appreciate you,” I say. And I do. Talking things out with Mira wiped me out, though, and I don’t think I have any more words left in my brain. “But I really don’t want to talk about it tonight.”
“I do.”
Grinning, I sigh. “I know, Gianna, but I need to sort through things in my head before I start talking shit. Otherwise, I’ll convince myself of God knows what and nothing will be better for that.”
“You know what? I do that. I never made the connection.”
“Well, you just learned something.” I laugh. “I’m going to try to go to bed. My head hurts. My heart hurts. I just need to sleep and hope that, in the morning, I’ll be calmer and smarter.”
“I think you’re pretty calm and pretty smart. But call me any time. I’ll have my phone on.”
“Thanks, Gianna.”
“Of course. Since I know Nettie’s around, I’m going to call her for an update on Brooks's friends. It’ll give me something to think about aside from worrying about you.”
“You’re just nosey.”
“So?”
I smile. “Well, I hope she gives you all the details.”
“She will.” She laughs. “Call me.”
“I will. Bye.”
“Goodbye.”
I hold my phone to my chest and consider calling Jory. But he hasn’t called me, and he’s probably busy with Gus. Besides, didn’t he just tell me goodbye?
Me: I’m saying a prayer for Gus and his family. You are all in my thoughts.
I hit send and wait a few minutes, but there’s no reply. So, I roll over onto my side, tugging his practice shirt over my bent knees, and try to sleep.
Wisdom is in the space between emotion and acting on it.
Let’s hope it hits me before I wake up.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
Jory
Everything hurts.
“Dr. Michaels, please call Extension 2244. Dr. Michaels, Extension 2244.”
I shift my weight, groaning as my right hip throbs from sitting in the car for eight hours. I got speared by an opponent a few years ago—his head drove straight into my bone—and it’s never been quite right since.
My elbows rest on my knees, a paper cup halfway filled with nasty-ass coffee between my hands. The growing acidity in my stomach, either from the coffee or worrying about Gus and Markie, feels like a hole burning through the lining. I grimace, rubbing my eyes with the back of one hand. I’d give almost anything to be in bed right now.
I take out my phone and reread Markie’s text. I didn’t get it until we got here, and I truly hope she didn’t wait on me to respond. I’ve warred with whether to just respond to it now at this ungodly hour and hope it doesn’t wake her up, or whether to wait until a more respectable hour and just call her.
Neither seem right.
Nothing about this godforsaken day seems right.
“Dr. Michaels, please call Extension 2244. Dr. Michaels, Extension 2244.”
If I knew how to call the extension, I’d do it and pretend to be Dr. Michaels just to stop the announcement every five minutes.
I look up as the doors to the waiting room open and spot Gus. He waves to some of Deidre’s family members on the other side of the room but makes a beeline my way.
My boy.
“Hey,” I say, wrapping my arm around him as he sits beside me. His big, green eyes are filled with emotion. He’s been crying, evident by the tear stains on his cheeks. “How are you doing?”
He shrugs. “I’m sad.”
“I know, bud. I’m so sad that you’re going through losing someone again. As you said to Markie, it sucks.”
“The nurses came in needing to do a few things, so they asked me if I’d step out,” he says. “I was ready for a break anyway. It’s a lot in there.”
“You know that you don’t have to sit in there. You can tap out at any point. Just blame it on me, if you need a scapegoat.”
He sighs, as if he’s been holding that lungful of air all night. “At least I got to tell Papa that I love him, right? That matters.”
“That matters.” I pat his leg. “But, even if you didn’t make it here to tell him, you know that he knew that.”
“You think?”
“Well, let me ask you this,” I say. “Do you know that Papa Ernie loves you?”
He nods. “Yeah. He told me every time I talked to him.”
“Exactly. So, don’t you think he knows that you love him, too? He’s probably smarter than you. I mean, I’ve seen videos of you on Brandon’s skateboard.”
I bump his shoulder with mine, earning a lazy smile in return.
The exhaustion that the last nine or so hours has taken on him is written on his face. It tears at my heart as he falls back into his seat. He yawns, leaning his head on me. I contemplate taking him to a hotel but would like to talk to Deidre first.