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Dammit. Back to being Wingtip and not the sexy 2.0 superhero version either.
She hangs up on me and I run my hand over my face, mostly mad at myself now. I almost call her right back, but I don’t because she said she’s exhausted, and I am too. And the part of me that’s still mad at her might say the wrong thing while I’m—what did she call me?—going all caveman on her. I’d love to be going all caveman on her body right about fucking now, but I don’t think she meant what I do by that phrase. And she fucking hung up on me, dammit.
I put the phone on the nightstand and shove the pillow over my head, grumbling as I turn over. It’s possible I overreacted, but I guess I won’t know until tomorrow.
* * *
I sleep in, shocked when I glance at the clock and see that it’s nine. I can’t remember the last time I slept until nine, even with a short night as an excuse.
It helped. I feel a lot better.
The first thing I do is check my phone, hoping for something from Scarlett.
Nope.
I can’t blame her, since I did kind of go barbaric ogre on her last night. This long-distance thing isn’t going to work for me. I know this week isn’t a good one to base anything off of with the state of mind I’ve been in, but I think I’d feel the same no matter what: I hate every second of being away from Scarlett. Especially since we were just getting on what I thought was solid ground.
In the light of day, all the things she said about her and Danny being friends come back to me.
Shit, I totally overreacted.
My text is to the point.
I’m sorry. Please call me when you feel like talking to this caveman.
When my phone doesn’t immediately buzz with a response from her, I get up and shower and wander downstairs in search of caffeine. Pappy and Dad are at the table, still in their pajamas.
“What’s doin’?” Pappy asks.
I shake my head. “Don’t know yet—too short of a night. How ‘bout the two of you?” I ask them. “Mom okay?”
“I slept like a dream, but this one didn’t get much,” Pappy says, pointing at my dad.
“Mom slept well, only woke up once and told me to stop staring at her,” Dad says, laughing. “She was awake for a while earlier and just fell back to sleep. I’m already driving her crazy, hovering. But it’s hard not to. I thought she was fine before…can’t believe I missed the signs.” He sighs and takes another sip of coffee, looking dead on his feet.
“Ma is the best at staying positive, so even if she felt awful, she’d try to rally without worrying ya. Can’t be blamin’ yourself.”
“That’s what worries me. She can’t be keepin’ that kind of thing from me. I gotta know the truth,” he says. “This can’t happen again.”
“You should rest while she is, Dad. You’ve hardly slept at all this week. We can’t have you getting sick too,” I tell him.
I reach for the biggest mug and pour what’s left of the coffee, looking around for the half-and-half.
Pappy holds it up. “This what you’re lookin’ for?”
I nod and rub my eyes as I fill the rest of my mug with the creamer.
“Havin’ a little coffee with your cream still, I see, Little Squirt.” Pappy laughs. “You need to take your own advice. Go back to bed and get your rest. Daisy’s better than she’s been in who knows how long, and I think she’s learned her lesson—she’ll let us know if she’s not feeling right.”
I slump into the chair between them and Pappy leans forward and squeezes my shoulder and then Dad’s.
“And come Monday morning, I want the two of you to have your physicals scheduled for just as soon as they can get your sorry patooties in there, you hear me?” He gives us both the eagle eye and Dad rolls his eyes like a sullen kid with peach fuzz on his upper lip.
I chuckle and Pappy’s grip tightens.
“I mean it. The way you chuckleheads have stayed after me, making me go to the doctor if I even glance at you sideways, while you’ve been avoidin’ your own health…I oughta bust both your asses, I tell ya.” He huffs and while I know he’d never bust either one of our asses, this is about the most aggravated Pappy ever gets.
“I hear ya, Pap,” I tell him. “I hear ya.”
