She blinks once, and a tear falls from her face onto the paper before she looks up at me. Her eyes are swimming with tears that are begging to be released. Her face looks like it’s ready to crumple, and suddenly I’m worried. Did I cross a line? I know she’s been worried about Lily. I was just trying to help. We’ve come to a mutual understanding, and I wanted to show her that I can be more than a cold prick. Fuck.
“You made a deal for me?” she asks quietly, her tone full of suspicion.
I nod.
“But everyone gets to send a letter home?” she questions.
I shake my head.
“Not even you?”
I shrug. I won’t lie. I contemplated bargaining myself in on this deal. I wanted to check in. To make sure things are okay. I knew I didn’t have much leverage, though. I didn’t want to push my luck entirely.
The next thing I know, she’s flinging her arms around me and crawling into my lap. Then she wraps her legs around me, and I hold her in my arms as she completely falls apart into my neck. I’m stunned at her reaction. I guess I was thinking she would say thank you. Do a stupid happy dance or some shit. I didn’t expect… all of this.
When her sobs soften, she slowly pulls away and looks at me with red-rimmed eyes. “Thank you, Landon. You don’t know what this… Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I say, sincerity dripping off my words.
She gives me a warm smile before all but practically sprinting away to presumably a private place. I smile as she goes, feeling an odd amount of pride that I’m the one that put that smile on her face. It doesn’t matter obviously. I’m glad that she can talk to her sick sister and check in.
A small voice in the back of my head is there to remind me, though, that it absolutely matters, and it makes me feel fucking good to know that I can do something that brings her that much joy.
About an hour or so goes by and there’s still no sign of Courtney. Frowning to myself, I go in search of her. I’ve made sure to stay in close proximity to Noah, just in case. I wouldn’t be surprised ifthe asshole tries to corner her again, so while she’s taking her space, I’ve been making sure she isn’t interrupted. I can tell by the shit-scared look on his face that he knows I’m happy to teach him another lesson about keeping our hands to ourselves. Or, I guess, his hands to himself. I make no promises about my own.
I walk through the house and don’t find Courtney in any of the common areas, but when I push open our bedroom door, there she is sitting cross-legged on the bed, writing on the paper. She looks up at me as I shut the door.
“Hey, I just wanted to check on you.”
She sniffs loudly and wipes beneath her eyes as she gives me a forced smile. “Hey. Sorry I’m taking a while. Do they need it soon?”
I shrug. “They didn’t say. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
She nods as she looks down at the paper again. “Kinda one of those things where I have so much to tell her and so little time. So much to ask her. Obviously, we can’t talk about what my life has been like for the… fuck however long we’ve been here now. And thinking about what her life has been like while I’ve been here…” She winces.
“You feel guilty,” I fill in.
She cocks her head to the side like she’s surprised I understand before nodding.
I cross the room and take a seat on the bed beside her. “You shouldn’t, though, Lily wouldn’t want you to.”
Courtney’s face pinches for a moment before she relaxes.
“What?” I ask.
“I’m just surprised you remembered her name.”
“Why? You think I don’t listen? Or do you assume I have a shit memory?”
She shrugs. “I mean, you are a man. Typically, details aren’t a thing for your species.”
“Species? You really think you can generalize a gender and put it on the polar opposite end of another?”
She nods confidently. “Yes.”
I scoff and shake my head. “I listen, Courtney. Even when you think I don’t. I’m always listening.”
Something like acceptance passes across her face as she nods.
