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“It’s a nice ass,” Rose agrees.
River and Josiah nod. “Truth.”
“I’m tapping out on this one since he’s my roommate and you’re my friend,” Quinn says.
“BJ might not be able to kick my ass right now, but one day he will again, and I don’t trust any of you not to throw me under the bus if I give my opinion on this particular matter,” Laughlin says.
No one disagrees.
I roll my eyes. “Okay, so now that we have a majority consensus on the status of my ass, you want to tell me where you’re going with this?”
“Offer him things he wants.” Lovey motions to me. “And also threaten to call his parents if he doesn’t start going to class. He doesn’t want to be smothered, which is exactly what will happen if he goes back to Pearl Lake. He wants to be here, so tell him he needs to get his ass in gear and you’ll help him. He’s wallowing.”
“She’s right,” Rose adds. “When your mom was in the hospital, he was right there, getting you on the ice and making sure you had some balance. You can do the same for him.”
“And we can help get him to and from classes. We’ll set up a schedule,” Quinn offers.
“We have the same morning class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I can make sure he gets to that one,” Laughlin says.
“How did we not know you have a class together?” Lovey asks.
“Because I always sneak in the back a minute before class starts and leave the second it ends.”
“Okay. That’s one class taken care of,” I say.
“His schedule is on the corkboard in the kitchen. If you grab it, we can figure out the rest,” Quinn suggests.
I nod. “I’ll see if I can get him over here for dinner. It might take a while, though, because he needs a shower.”
“No problem. Dinner will be waiting when you get here,” Lovey says.
“Go get ’em, tiger!” Rose calls as I head for the door.
I jog across two lawns and burst into BJ’s room. He’s traded sleep for bingeing TV. I grab the remote and turn it off.
“Hey! They were just about to solve the case.”
“You can’t keep doing this.”
“Doing what?”
“This. Lying here in bed all day every day.”
“I almost died!”
“I know! I was there, remember? I saved your fucking life!” The telltale prick of tears makes my eyes sting, but I won’t back down. Not with him. “I know this sucks, BJ. I know you’re in pain and nothing is the same, but I can’t let you lie here and give up.”
“What if I’m the problem, Winter? What if the issue here is me? I’ve had two partners, and both of those relationships ended badly. What if, after all of this, it happens again—or worse, the same thing happens to us?”
I see how all these hours alone have allowed those worries to grow and take over. I cross my arms. “Since when did you live in the world of black clouds of doom? I have no idea what’s going to happen with us. I can’t predict the future any better than you. We’re both in our early twenties. It could go any which way, but locking yourself up and stewing in a pit of what-ifs won’t make it any better. You didn’t let me marinate in my guilt. You think I’ll let you marinate in yours? Bad shit happens all the time, BJ. We both know that. You’re here and alive. Take that gift and do something good with it. I’m here, and I want to help. Let me. Please.”
He’s quiet for a few moments, but eventually he sits up and shifts to the edge of the bed. He carefully lowers his injured leg to the floor and then his good one. He holds out his hand. “I hear you. I see you.”
I cross over and settle my palm in his. He tugs me closer and parts his legs, inhaling short breaths as he works through the pain.
“Don’t push me away,” I whisper.
“I’m sorry. This whole thing is messing with my head. My path has changed, and I don’t know how to handle it. My entire life I’ve been working toward one goal, and now I don’t know if it’ll ever be within reach again.”
