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“I do,” I replied. “We had a lot of fun times when I was your age.”
“Can you tell me a story?”
“It’s time for your bath,” Beverly intercepted. “You can listen to stories another time. Say goodnight to Chase and Merritt.”
“Goodnight?!” She protested. “But it’s so early!”
“They’re going back to Merritt’s place now. You and I can watch a movie after your bath. How does that sound?”
“Can we watch Moana?”
Beverly smiled. “Of course.”
I hugged the tiny human.
“I love you, Merry.”
I held her face in between my hands. “I love you more!”
She giggled as I squished her cheeks around.
As we walked outside, Tanner followed behind us.
“Where are you off to?” Chase asked.
“Don’t you worry about where I’m going.” Tanner did not turn around when he spoke.
I put my hand up in front of Chase, to stop him from saying anything else. I pushed him towards the stairs to my apartment. “Just leave him alone.”
“Why do you always defend him?” Chase asked once we were inside my apartment.
“Why are you always riding him?” I countered.
“I don’t ride him.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “He acts like such an asshole.”
I nodded. “He does, sometimes. But sometimes you make it worse. Just let him do his thing.”
“You really think I ride him?”
“I do. But I know it’s only because you care. He doesn’t get that.”
“But you do.” He drew me close to him, playing with a strand of my hair with his fingers. “You always get me.”
I didn’t have to stretch up so far with my boots on. I met his lips with mine and hugged him as tightly as I could. “I will always get you. Even if I don’t, I’ll always try to.”
“I’m so glad I had you with me today.”
“I’m glad I was able to be there.”
“I can’t imagine you not being around.”
“You don’t have to imagine that. I’m here.”
He sighed. “You don’t know what it was like that night. You don’t remember much. But I remember every detail.”
“The night of my accident?”
“Yeah.” He took my hands and led me to the couch to sit. “I was following behind you, and you were all over the road. I tried to pull up next to you, but you almost sideswiped me. Then, you took off. You were going so fast, and I had to go faster just to keep up with you. I don’t know what happened but all of a sudden your car just veered to the right… you hit that tree so hard. I ran out of my car – I barely put it in park. There was glass everywhere. You were sitting there with your eyes closed, blood streaming down your face.” His eyes began to fill with tears. “I thought you were dead. When I tugged on your arm and realized that you were stuck, you opened your eyes. The flames had started, and smoke was filling the car, so I called my dad. He told me to stay away from the car, in case it blew up. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave you in there by yourself. You were coughing, and your eyes looked terrified. I tried to pull you out, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t get you out of there.”
