I pushed off my sneakers and lifted the covers, so fucking worried I was going to startle her. Everything in me told me to stop what I was doing. To get out of that room. But I couldn’t. I carefully slipped under the covers and moved closer. “I’ve got you, G,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her.
She tensed for a beat, and then relaxed in my arms.
A long silence passed, and I prayed she’d fallen back asleep. I hadn’t expected to do this all night. I just knew I needed to make her pain stop.
“You don’t call me that anymore,” she whispered.
“You don’t like it,” I reminded her.
“I didn’t like it in high school in front of the senior boys,” she said. “But I liked that you chose it for me.”
More silence passed. “Is it okay I came in here? You sounded like you were crying.”
She sighed. “I was having a nightmare.”
“Do they happen often?”
I felt her shrug.
“Do you want me to leave?” I offered.
“Do you wanna leave?” she asked.
“I wanna know you’re okay.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever be okay,” she admitted.
Fuck me. I tightened my arms around her, inhaling her scent. “You’re gonna be okay, G. Kason and I won’t ever let anyone hurt you again.”
“That’s an impossible assurance.”
“Don’t you know your brother?”
A small chuckle left her lips.
“He made you come away with us, didn’t he?” I continued.
“You mean, I wasn’t invited because I bring the fun?” she asked, trying to make a joke.
“Well, that too.”
“Liar.”
I didn’t respond.
“My mom told me you stopped by to check on me,” she said.
“Yeah. I just wanted to make sure you were…you know.”
“Did she tell you where I was?”
“No.”
“I was able to get in to see a therapist,” she admitted.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh,” she said, and I wondered how many people she’d shared that information with.