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“I don’t do anything to talk about. Look at me. I’m in a hospital bed with no hope of getting out anytime soon.”
“Oh, well, right.” I clear my throat. “So, anyway, yeah, she’s nice. I’ve known her for a long time. She thought you might like someone to hang out with. Someone who thought they’d wipe the floor with you at Fortnite but might actually learn something instead.” I chuckle and for the first time, Eli’s lips curl upward. Not a lot, just a little. But it’s enough to tell me I’ve broken through. Okay, maybe I made a hairline crack, if anything.
Still. That tells me there’s hope.
“I guess it’d be cool.” He shrugs. “You can stay. My brother’s gonna be here soon, though.”
“So you live with your brother?”
Eli nods. “Yeah. He does everything for me now that my mom is gone.”
“You’re lucky to have him.”
“I know. He’s my best friend. I hate to see him go through this. He works really long hours to make money for us to live. My mom used to steal from him, too.” He shakes his head. “We’re all we’ve got now.”
Christ, I want to just write a check to this kid, any amount that’ll take away the stress he’s under. He needs to stay positive to beat the cancer, but he looks so beaten down, so sad and alone. That’s what the damn disease feeds off of.
But that’s why I’m here. I want to help him. I know how much it sucks to feel lost and alone. I feel that way a lot…or at least I did before Sloane finally wiggled her way back into my life. I pull open the bag I brought. “Hey, do you like chocolate?” I turn it over and shake the contents onto his bed not waiting for a response. Packages of Raisinets, M&Ms, Blow Pops, Twizzlers, Starburst jelly beans, and Reese’s peanut butter cups spill onto his lap and I swear his face glows like a lightbulb for the next few seconds while he surveys all of his sugary options before a look of dismay shadows his face.
His eyes narrow at me.
“Oh, shit. I didn’t even think about it…are you okay to eat this stuff? I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I got everything, but is it safe for you?” I push back my hair. Act first, think never. So fucking typical of me. What if he loves this stuff, but is forbidden to eat it? So I just dumped a whole boatload of the forbidden right in front of him? What an asshole I am!
He rolls his eyes. “Dude, I can’t eat any of this. I have cancer.” He peeks into the bag and lets out a groan. “Damn, Snickers? That’s my favorite.”
“Oh, shit,” I grumble, pulling the bag away from him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
Eli shrugs. “It’s okay. How could you know?”
“I’ve got other stuff…things you don’t actually eat.” I smirk and grab another bag, pulling out a Nintendo DS and some games. His eyes widen.
“Holy crap, are those for me?”
“Yep. All for you.”
He looks up at me after analyzing each and every game case. “I can’t give you any money for this stuff,” he says softly.
“Listen, man. It’s a gift. Actually, consider it payment for when you teach me how to get sixty of my own Victory Royales.”
He snickers. A for-real sort-of laugh. “It’s a deal.”
The door creaks open, and I turn toward the tall guy who appears in the doorway. He’s close to my height, wearing a very suspicious look on his face. “Eli, who’s this guy?”
Eli looks up. “Hey, Tommy. This is…” He looks at me. “Hey, you never told me your name.”
Tommy barrels toward me, grabbing me by the jacket and shoving me against a wall. “Who the hell are you and what do you want? If you’re here to collect from my mom, forget it. She’s in jail and we don’t have any money for you. Get the fuck out of here before I call security, you asshole.”
“Listen, Tommy, is it? I’m not here for money. I just came to spend some time with Eli, that’s all.”
“He’s friends with that nurse you think is hot.” Eli snickers.
Tommy reluctantly lets go of my jacket and pushes me away. “What do you want?”
“I just wanted to bring him a few things. You know, make him feel more comfortable. I swear, I’m not looking for any trouble.”
He dissects me with his eyes for a minute, and then decides I’m not a threat because he pushes past me to ruffle his brother’s hair. “How are ya feeling today?”
Eli collapses back on the pillows and lets out a loud groan. “Not too horrible.”
