Page 103 of Reckless Devotion

Long dark hair shifts, my sister’s sallow face turning this way from where she stands next to the hospital bed where our mother lies. Machines beep and staff bustle about like worker bees in a busy hive.

I reach the edge of the bed and pull her into a hug right as she bursts into tears.

“There was nothing we could do to stop her! She just—”

“It’s okay,” I soothe, rubbing my hand up and down her back. “Landau told me what happened as soon as they let me out.”

Emily pulls back, sniffing. “That was really fucking stupid what you did, by the way.”

“Less about that and more about this.” I dip my head toward our mother, who lies prone, hooked up to machines that bleep softly and bandaged from head to toe.

“She arrived not long after you left—just when I got back from hair and makeup—and she was so drunk she just…” She trails off, her blue gaze leaping to Mom. “I don’t think she even felt all of the glass that was on the table when she fell.”

I let my sister go and turn to face the languid waves of the heart monitor, sucking in a deep breath. “Enough is enough. I should have done something a long time ago.”

“You? What about me? At least you were here! I was off…” She stops and lets out a sharp little growl, shaking her head. “I was off making stupid decisions.”

I hitch my cheek in confusion and she tilts her head, scuffing her hand over her brow.

“I suppose now is as good a time as ever to tell you.” She glances down at the end of the bed, her finger tapping six times on the industrial plastic, repeating until I break her out of it with my question.

“Tell me what?”

Her shoulders shake as she inhales, fidgeting in the black gown she wears barefoot as she meets my gaze, her heels discarded on the chair behind her. “I’m having a baby.”

The soggy ball of noodles sloshing around my head where my brain should be cannot process the words that come out of her mouth. So I just stare. She twists her hands up in front of herself, nibbling on her bottom lip.

“Pardon me?”

“I’m having a baby.”

It’s those four words again. The ones that make absolutely no fucking sense because they are coming out of my baby sister’s mouth. Except…she’s not a baby anymore. Not by a long shot.

“What…why…how?” I stammer, and then quickly correct myself when she raises her eyebrows in alarm. “I don’t meanhowhow.”Christ,I don’t even want to think about that for one second. “I mean, with who? Who’s the dad? The guy from Milan?”

“No dad, just me. He’s not in the picture.” She shrugs one shoulder and waits for me to process.

“And that’s what you want?”

She nods, her gaze dropping to her fumbling hands. “Doesn’t mean I’m not terrified.”

I huff out a small laugh, purely out of shock. My baby sister is having a baby. I groan internally, because this meansanotherniece or nephew to keep up with.

“Well, I’m here for whatever you need.” I place my hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “Except maybe diapers. You can do that part.”

She smiles softly and slaps my arm, both of us stealing a soaring moment of joy despite the gloom that waits to reclaim it at any moment.

“You’re going to be an amazing mother, Em.”

“Am I?” She doesn’t look so convinced. “What if I accidentally let it play in the bath with a toaster?”

I crease my brow and stare at her like she’s lost her mind. “I’m going to say that’s unlikely.”

Air rushes out of her mouth and her shoulders deflate, turning her attention back to our mom and reluctantly dragging mine the same way. The levity of the moment dies, replaced with niggling worry.

“You go and fix this thing with Pepper. I’ve got this.” She waves a hand toward the door. I open my mouth to object, but she cuts me off. “I mean it, Chase. I’ll speak to the doctors and get her into some kind of program.”

She folds her arms in determination—an expression I’ve seen on her too many times over the years. “It’s time for me to step up.”