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I take a deep breath, psyching myself up to say something unflinching.
“I know what you’re doing, and while I don’t understand what it’s like to be in your position, at all,” I say, “I think you’re wrong.”
In the near silence, her breath catches, and she takes a step away from me. Immediately, I feel colder.
“Just—” I pause. “Please listen for a second. Hear me out.”
I can tell listening to me is the very last thing she wants to do, but she’s not running away, so I plow ahead.Please don’t let me fuck this up. Again.
“You have to have faith in other people. You’re not alone. Remember what I said? The entire world won’t fall around your ears if you aren’t holding it up. You have more reason than anyone I’ve ever met to distrust people. You’ve been let down a thousand times by people who should be the first to line up and support you. I get that. It’s—God, Win—” My hands clench and open compulsively. “I wanted to punch your dad earlier when I met him.”
She stops short, mouth gaping. “What?”
I cringe. “He’s just… doesn’t he realize how incredible you are? He walked out of his room, all ready to be taken care of. He didn’t even blink over the fact a strange man was in his living room with his kids.”
I raise a hand, stalling her. “I know what you’re thinking. Real rich coming from the kid with a housekeeper cleaning his room. I’m… Listen, I’m realizing a lot of ugly things about myself these last few weeks, and I’m not sure how to reconcile that, but Iamlearning, and I want to think I’m going to do better. I don’t want to be like him.”
“Case,” she starts gently. “You’renotlike him.”
I pull a skeptical face. “On the surface, I kinda am.”
Her eyes search between mine, her face open and her freckles glowing in the streetlight. “You’re not, though. You took care of Walker when he was sick. You’ve done nothing but take care of me and even my sister these last few weeks. It’s annoying how much I’ve had to rely on you, and you keep showing up. Hell, you saved Garrett’s life! Even today, with your dad, I know that was you trying to take care of me. Misguided, sure, but still. I have no idea what I did to earn your efforts, but I’m grateful.”
I nail her with a knowing look. “How can you even say that? I’ve made you cry like three times.”
She snorts, nudging my shoulder and walking ahead. I follow. “Oh, please. Two times, tops, and I’m pretty sure the first was actually the school and Jesse. You were conveniently nearby.”
“That’s not going to change,” I tell her. “Unflinching, remember? Let me help you. I want to help. I want to be your friend.”
“You do?”
I throw back my head, exasperated. “Comeon! I’m so desperate to be your friend, I’m beyond embarrassing at this point.”
Her lips spread into a full smile. “As it happens, I could use a friend.”
Relief floods through my bloodstream. “Thank God.” I swipe at my forehead. “You, Winnie Sutton, are more intimidating than Ballbuster.”
She barks out a loud laugh. “Who?”
“He’s, like, the worst bull on the circuit. Total nut-crusher. Throws everyone in less than four. His real name is Inferno, but that’s too high-brow for a fifteen-hundred-pound beast.”
She’s overcome with giggles. “Oh my gosh. I don’t know whether to be flattered or mortified to be worse thanBallbuster.”
“Flattered,” I insist. “For sure. Walker would love this—watching me fumble around after you. He’d say I deserve it after giving him so much grief about Taylor.”
Winnie calms down. “You know, he used to tell me about her. Did things ever work out with them before…”
I shake my head, catching her drift before exhaling. “Well, kind of. She died a few months before he did. They knew each other from their hospital stays over the years.”
Winnie’s expression falters. “Oh. Oh no.”
“Yeah, it sucked. He did get to tell her how he felt, and she did, too. But the timing…”
Her breath rushes out in a sad sigh. “Jesus, that’s the worst thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Right,” I agree grimly. “Except I like to imagine they’re going at it like rabbits in heaven.”
Winnie gasps, laughing, her watery eyes wide. “You like to imagine that, huh?”
