Page 23 of You Fall First

“And that won’t be good for your recovery.”

“Exactly.”

I take a deep, fortifying breath. “Man. We Stadlers sure suck at staying still, huh?”

“Precisely why I’m in the hospital.”

“Okay. We’ll stay put then,” I promise her. “For Dutton’s sake and for yours.”

“I’m so sorry, Noah.”

“Don’t do that, P.” My entire torso constricts. “No apologies. Not to me. This wouldn’t have even happened if I’d been there.”

She huffs a breath. “Now you’re being ridiculous.”

“I would’ve noticed something was wrong.”

“I’m a pretty good actor, Noah.”

She’s got a point. And me believing I could’ve prevented her appendicitis by sheer proximity is unrealistic. Arrogant, even. Still, being this far away is torture. My little sister’s about to be on an operating table. And as brave as she’s trying to be, I can tell she’s scared.

Of course she is.

“When’s the surgery?”

“Soon. The doctor was waiting for me to call you,” she chokes. “Assuming everything goes well, they say I’ll be discharged tomorrow.”

“Okay, that’s good.”

“I’m not gonna make that red-eye, though.”

“Yeah.” I drag a hand over my hair, pacing the porch, forcing my brain off worst-case scenarios. “Don’t worry about Dutton. We’ll be fine until you get here. I can take another couple days off work, no problem. I haven’t used any vacation since … ever.”

“Noah. I’m so, so⁠—”

“If you say sorry again, I will fly there and give you a hundred wet willies.”

This pulls a small laugh out of her, and for that I’m grateful.

“I’m going to be just fine,” she says. “So you keep your pants on there in North Carolina, okay?”

“I’ll have you know, my pants are totally cool.” I force a chuckle to prove it.

“Maybe so, but I can tell the rest of you wants to get dramatic.”

“I mean, it is surgery, Paige.”

“Appendectomies are completely routine. They let baby doctors do them.”

“You’re not helping.” And the word “routine” is hardly comforting, not when it comes to my baby sister. So until she’s out of surgery and safe, I need to focus on the after. “You’re sure Annie’s up for this?”

“She says I can stay with her until I’m safe to fly.”

“Tell her thank you for me.”

“I already did.”

“And not to be an ass, but I’m gonna want updates, any time of day or night. Nothing’s too late, or too early. Okay?”