I step off the bed.
“Don’t go!” Lily clasps my one hand with two of hers.
I edge closer to her. “I wasn’t going to, love.” I kiss her nose lightly and she exhales a large breath. Everyone stands to exit the suite.
Greg buttons his suit jacket and nods to Lily, “We’ll see you afterwards. You’ll do great.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Lily looks high off the encouragement, or maybe it’s the drugs. Either way, I’m realizing this is turning out to be a good memory, for both of us.
Samantha even acknowledges Lily with a smile, no words. But right now, I think it’s better that way. The room is dwindling in seconds. My dad toasts us with his coffee like he has some giant glass of bourbon in his hand, and then he leaves with Lily’s parents.
Ryke squeezes my shoulder, and Daisy gives her sister a side-hug.
“Hey,” Ryke says, and I meet his brown eyes, more flecked with hazel than usual. “I’m here for you.” He’s the first person I’d go to if I ever felt overwhelmed. By now, he knows that.
I nod. It’s all I can do, emotions starting to constrict my lungs. Somehow, though, I choke out, “Thanks.”
He pats my shoulder before heading through the door with his girlfriend.
Connor slips his phone in his black slacks and nears the edge of the bed. Nurses begin to mill around the room. The doctor isn’t here yet, but reality is still hitting me full force. “Don’t blink,” he says in a smooth voice. “It’ll happen faster than you realize.” He winks at me before he departs with a confident stride.
Don’t blink.
My stomach is in knots.
“Rose?” Lily whips her head around the room, trying to find her older sister. Her eyes start to well with tears, thinking Rose left without saying anything.
I’m about to go find her, but she suddenly appears, walking out of the bathroom. “I’m right here, stop crying.” She fixes her glossy hair with her fingers. “I didn’t want to use the public toilets.”
I wipe Lily’s cheeks with my thumb.
Rose gives her a look. “We made a pact, no tears.”
“That sounds like something a demon would say,” I tell her.
She sets her hands on her hips, and Lily cuts her off, “Daisy and I rejected that pact. You were vetoed.”
I laugh, no fucking way. That almost never happens.
Rose purses her lips. “Thank you for the reminder. You may cry then.” She’s fooling herself if she thinks she’s not going to shed a tear when she sees Lily holding her son. Even if Rose isn’t the softest person, when it comes to her sisters, she can turn into a puddle.
Lily lets out a long breath. “Can you give me a quick tip?”
“Don’t be scared.”
“In case something happens to me,” Lily says—I shoot her the sharpest look. She holds her hands in defense and adds, “I just would like a hug.”
I tell Lily, “Nothing is going to happen to you.” I can’t entertain the idea without losing oxygen, my eyes burning. Two nurses and a doctor stand in the room. We’re in a hospital. Nothing is going to go wrong.
“IknowIknow,” she says quickly. She lets go of my hand and spreads her arms out at Rose.
Her older sister looks like she was just asked to climb a ladder and clean the drain pipes. But she leans down and gives a stiff couple of pats to Lily’s shoulder. “I love you,” Rose whispers before she steps away. When she stands up, she brushes her fingers below one eye.
I tilt my head at her.
She points at me, “Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
She raises her chin and marches right out the door.
Besides the hospital staff, we’re alone. I keep my hand on her head, watching her eyes nervously flit around the room. “Are you in any pain?” I ask.
“No,” she whispers. “I can’t feel anything down below.” She scratches her arm, and I swiftly take her hand in mine, lacing our fingers.
“Lily Calloway,” I murmur, and she finally looks up at me. I love you. I don’t even have to say the words before her eyes well with tears. I breathe deeply, my muscles wound tight. Years and years with Lily, my best friend, rush through my veins.
It’s a connection that spawned early on, from chasing her around a golf course and hiding underneath pillows on a yacht. From escaping to a bedroom and playing pretend behind a bar. From shutting out the world until it was just us.
I open my mouth to say more, but it’s hard to put everything to words.