Page 6

Two weeks later…

“You sure you want to leave?”

I looked over my shoulder to where my dad leaned against my doorjamb. Andrew Davis was what people called a man’s man, with broad shoulders and a height of over six feet. He looked good for his fifty-six years, but the last few weeks had taken its toll. He had circles under his eyes, his face lined with concern. Most people found him intimidating, and so they should because he didn’t take crap from anyone, but all I saw was the man who raised me on his own for eleven — almost twelve — years. My heart swelled with love.

“It’s been almost three weeks, daddy. I’d like to get back to my life in my own apartment, with Maddy.”

It had been a month since my accident, and almost three weeks since I’d woken up from my medically induced coma. My oldest brother, Connor, was the neurologist at Blackburn Community Hospital, and according to him I was extremely lucky to be alive. I was also told that as a result of my injuries, I had retrograde amnesia and couldn’t recall anything that happened in the year preceding the accident. I lost my entire first year of college, along with all of those memories.

At Connor’s insistence, I came home to recover but after nearing three weeks of being driven crazy I told my Dad I wanted to go back to school, and the apartment I shared with my best friend, Maddison. After several arguments, and an overly dramatic outburst from yours truly, he conceded. I didn’t want him to know how anxious it made me, he’d had more than enough to deal with so I tried my hardest to reassure him that I was going to be fine. That I was fine. There was no mistaking that things were different, my entire life had changed, but being at home under the watch of five overbearing and overprotective men was starting to do my head in. I needed space, and time to adjust, but I couldn’t do that with the constant hovering.

“You don’t think it’s too soon?” My dad pushed away from the door, and came over to help me zip up my suitcase. He wasn’t happy about me leaving, I knew that, but I couldn’t stay cooped up in my bubble forever. He didn’t know that I wasn’t sleeping, I hid it well, but I had to get back to my life at some point, even if it was kind of like starting over.

“The summer session has already started, and Connor said going back to school is a good idea. I think it’s time, daddy. I’ll be fine.”

He responded with a sigh, a sure sign that he was unhappy with me, but he lugged my bags from my bed, and took them downstairs anyway. He muttered “stubborn” under his breath, and I smiled at his back. Pot meet kettle. Everything I am I learned from him.

Maddison was standing in the kitchen with my brother, Jackson, their heads close together as they spoke in hushed voices. He was quite a bit taller, and if he moved his head any lower it would look like he was going to kiss her. Interesting.

My Dad cleared his throat and they flew apart like they’d been caught doing something they shouldn’t. I gazed at them curiously, noting the way my best friend’s cheeks reddened.

“Ready to go?” asked Jackson. He offered to drive us to the apartment, and make sure I got settled. His expression, and the way he looked at Maddy intrigued me and I made a mental note to ask her about it later when we were alone.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied, trying to disguise my nerves with a laugh. My Dad grumbled next to me, and then made his way outside where Jackson’s truck was parked at the curb. He put my bags in the back, and then turned to my brother.

“Be careful.”

Jackson nodded, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Every time we had to drive anywhere, everyone seemed to tense, and they always watched me as if I was on the verge freaking the hell out. There were a few times I nearly had, but I was careful to keep it contained until I was alone. Being in a car scared me, and I knew it’s because I was in a serious car accident, but the fear didn’t accompany any memories from that night. I couldn’t remember what happened, or how, but I had a feeling my body did. Some days I froze up in the car, and other days I had no reaction at all. That had been one of the things that frustrated me the most. I could never tell when my body was going to react, or when it wasn’t.

My Dad turned his gaze to me, his eyes sad. “Promise me you’ll call if you need anything, sweetheart.”

I placed my vanity bag on the ground, and wrapped my arms around my Dad’s waist. “I’ll be fine Daddy. Promise. And I’ll still see you often, someone has to make sure you’re eating when you’re stuck in your office all day.”

He inhaled deeply, and when I felt his lips touch the crown of my head, I swallowed back the lump in my throat. I couldn’t tell him I was scared, but I could tell him, “I’m going to miss you.”

“Me too,” he mumbled, ruffling my blonde hair with his breath. “Even your crappy taste in music.”

I giggled, thinking about the times I went to the ice rink with my Dad just to get out of the house. He hated it when I chose the music, and complained the entire drive to the recreation center. But he indulged me, like any good dad would do.

He let me go and cleared his throat again. It became obvious he was trying not to cry — not entirely because I was leaving, but more so because he almost lost me. He always told me I was the last piece he had of my mother, because I looked just like her, and my accident had hit him the hardest. He tried to hide it, but I always saw it in his eyes.

“I’m only a short drive away,” I reminded him. “And I’ll still come home for Sunday barbecues.”

“You’d better. Your brother’s will kill me if they don’t get your potato salad and pumpkin pie.”

I laughed, and shook my head thinking about the house full of boys I grew up with. Sure, they drove me nuts more often than not, and pressed every last one of my buttons, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

“We’d better get going,” said Jackson. “The team has a late afternoon practice.”

“I’ll see you there,” replied my Dad. I reached up on my toes, and kissed his rough, aged cheek. He needed to shave, the silly man.

“Love you,” I told him, putting on a brave face. He needed to see that I could handle this.

“Love you more, sweetheart.”

I walked away before I changed my mind, and climbed into the backseat of Jackson’s truck. Maddison gave me a quizzical look, but understanding dawned and she climbed into the front passenger seat. She probably thought it was because I was scared to sit in front, but really I wanted the chance to see her and Jackson interact.

Less than five minutes later, and they were talking as if they were the only two in the car. I watched them from the backseat with a keen interest — they spoke like they’d been friends forever, and I didn’t know if I’d ever seen Maddy so comfortable with a guy before. Of course it wasn’t just any guy, but still, she was happy when talking to Jackson, and he was clearly comfortable around her too. That is what had me curious. Jackson was the quietest of my four brothers, the most serious. I rarely saw him smiling, or laughing, and yet when he was with Maddy he did both. And without restraint too.