Page 87 of Fighting for His Life

It’s time, though, to bring her back to her life. It’s time for her to get back to dealing with her art and people. To the girl that draws everyone in, makes everyone laugh and fall in love with her. It’s time for her to return to the old Zoey or, at the very least, find out who the new Zoey is.

As much as she may want to believe it is this girl who hides in the apartment, I know it’s not. I’ve seen it in the way she looks at me. I see that girl full of life and love and electricity. And I know it’s not reserved only for me.

She is in there, but she’s afraid. She’s afraid of falling apart. She’s afraid someone will see what she’s been through. She’s afraid of getting hurt.

“You getting up, baby?” I ask.

She peaks at me from under her arm. “I just want to stay here,” she whines slightly.

“Not today, Angel,” I say running my fingers through my hair. “Let’s go see who’s in our kitchen cooking.”

I already know the answer to that, but it gets her moving.

I leave her to get dressed, going. In the kitchen are plates of eggs, bacon, and toast set on the island with bowls of fruit and glasses of juice. “A little more effort than I expected,” I say with a smirk.

“Figured it’d be better to get her well fed before we completely ruin her day.”

I let out a low groan. “Can you at least be a little more positive about this?”

“She is going to throw a fit. You know, that right? Have you ever experienced the full effect of one of her tantrums?”

I give him a sardonic brow, “Of course, I’ve never experienced that. I’ve only been best friends with her for fourteen years.”

“All right, all right. Maybe you’ve seen it once or twice. But I’m her brother. I’ve been experiencing her tantrums for twenty-three years. Trust me when I say this is going to be bad.”

A part of me thinks he’s wrong. This won’t be the tantrum to end all tantrums. She’ll go right into her meeting and slay.

There’s also a part of me that’s well aware of how badly this could go. A fit? That would actually be the best-case scenario in how bad things might go. That would mean she’s in there fighting. Fighting means she will eventually be okay.

My biggest fear is that she’ll crawl into herself. She will slink into the deep, dark crevices of her mind, and will actually backslide. I’m afraid pushing her now will hurt more than help her.

I told her therapist that. She doesn’t agree, so here I am doing whatever it takes to get Zoey back into the real world even though I’d kill to keep her here in the apartment happy and safe.

“Do you think I haven’t played out every possible scenario? I know how epically bad this can go, Zee. But her therapist said that I’m enabling her. Do I think it’s too soon? Absolutely. She’s only been out of the hospital a month. But it’s been over a year since she was attacked. She has been hiding in some way or the other ever since. We need to get her back to her life.”

He drags a hand through his blond hair with a heaving sigh. “I know you’re right.”

“Glad you do,” I chuckle humorlessly. “Because I’m telling you, Zee, this is scaring the holy hell out of me. I’m scared she’s going to run away again.”

“We won’t let her,” he says emphatically.

“Won’t let who do what?” Zoey says slipping into the room. Zane and I both jump, a little too deep in thought and conversation.

“Let you out of going to lunch with us,” Zane covers nicely popping a grape into his mouth before sliding the bowl across the granite to Zoey.

“Why don’t I just make lunch here for all of us?” Zoey counters much like I knew she would.

“Nope,” Zane replies popping the P. “I want Maglio’s and that’s where we’re going.”

I watch the wheels turn in Zoey’s eyes. She’s trying to figure out a reason she can’t go. She rolling through the excuses that she thinks Zane will buy.

There is panic in her ice blue eyes as she comes up empty. Those long slender fingers make their way into her long dark locks – she dyed her hair back to its natural color shortly after we returned from New York – tugging at the roots. I’ve seen this since we were kids, but over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed her doing it more and more.

A silent breath whooshes out of me when I see the resignation in her eyes. She’s got nothing. At least nothing she thinks will satisfy her relentless, arrogant, and obnoxious brother. I could kiss him for all of those attributes right now.

“All right,” she sighs.

Zane nods in satisfaction. “Great. Now eat the breakfast I spent all morning long making.”

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