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Whatever pedestal Delta had kept her father on is gone, and I think she can see him for what he is. An old man, desperate to relive his glory days at the expense of his children.
“I don’t want to talk to him.” Delta snaps, scowling at the poor nurse who had popped her head into the room to inform Delta that her father was here to see her.Again.
“Fuck yeah, D.” Says Bay, putting his feet up on the edge of her bed and tossing a piece of popcorn from the bag in his hands for her to catch with her mouth. All three of the Jacobs siblings cheer and I pinch the bridge of my nose, glaring at Bay. “Stop. She’s just had a head injury.”
Delta’s lips twitch. “Has anyone ever told you you’re overprotective?”
“I’m your doctor, it’s myjobto be overprotective.”
From his perch on the AC unit by the window, Lake snorts. “I’ve seen no evidence of that. It’s Tuesday morning and I haven’t seen you leave this room to do more than change your clothes and brush your teeth for four days. Don’t doctorswork?”
I ignore him, getting up from my chair to pour Delta a glass of water which she takes with a sweet smile. Lake is right though, I’ve been sleeping on the couch in Delta’s room to “monitor her” even though it’s been days since Pritchett concluded her brain bleed wasn’t progressing.
I can’t shake the fear that I’ll leave, and something will happen to her.
“Could you get my phone, Brooks?” Asks Delta. “I think I left it in the bathroom.”
I do ask she asks, trying not to smile at the sound of my first name on her lips. It’s a new development. On the first night of her hospital stay I’d gotten up in the middle of the night to hold her hair back as she vomited.
“Thank you, Dr. Harrison.”She’d groaned when I brought her over a glass of water to rinse out her mouth, smoothing her hair back from her sweaty forehead.
I’d laughed and said,“I think after that, you should probably call me Brooks.”
And that was what I’d been to her from that point on. Brooks.
Just as I pick up Delta’s phone, a notification dings on the screen and I glance at it, eyes narrowing at the familiar logo of an apartment search website.
“Thanks.” She says when I hand it to her, crossing her legs and taking a long sip from the orange soda someone must have slipped her while my back was turned. I ignore it.
“You’re looking for an apartment?”
“Well, yeah.” She makes a face. “I can’t exactly go home and, no offense guys, but I don’t want to live with Lake and Bay and whoever they take home to their all-you-can-bang buffet.”
Both of her brothers laugh at this, but I cross my arms, frowning. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be living alone right now. You just had a head injury, and the issue with your hip is still unresolved. You might very well need surgery, which isanotherrecovery.”
Delta frowns right back at me. “What do you want me to do, Brooks? I’m not sure if you’re aware, butall I know how to do is snowboard.I don’t have friends or classmates, and even if I did find a roommate it’s not their responsibility to look after me.”
But as she says the word roommate, an idea begins to take shape in my mind, an idea that’s equal parts mad and wonderful.
“Oh no.” Bay groans, like he knows exactly what is going on in my head.
I sit back down in my place beside Delta’s bed and grin up at her bemused expression. “Delta, how do you feel about dogs?”
Chapter Four
Delta
It’s my first day living with Dr. Brooks Harrison.
In separate rooms, which definitely wasn’t part of the elaborate fantasy I’ve been building in my head for the last three years, but still. I’ll take the win.
My heart practically leapt out of my chest when he first suggested it. I’d had to say no at first, of course I did, he’s a single man in his late 30’s and surely, he doesn’tactuallywant a newly retired twenty-year-old living in his bachelor pad.
Apparently, having a newly retired twenty-year-old living with him is exactly what Brooksdoeswant, because he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He’d even managed to convince Lake and Bay of what a good and not at all weird arrangement this is, then all three of them were on me to accept.
I’d barely agreed before Lake had gone to get my things at the house boxed up while Dad was occupied and move them over to Brooks’ place. Bay, who also isn’t on speaking terms with Dad for reasons he hasn’t told me, went out to get me a new cell phone that isn’t on Dad’s plan and Brooks called his housekeeper to make sure the spare room was ready.
By the time I was discharged the next morning, the three of them had me all moved into a house I’d never seen before.
