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“Give me a minute, okay?” I said. “Give me some time to be here. I’ll be fine. I’m not shot or stabbed or bleeding out. My bones have healed. I know who you all are. The big stuff is still intact. Let’s think about keeping Halliwell off our throats before I let down my guard in a public hospital setting. Because I just fucking can’t right now.”
Ethan made a frustrated sound. “We’ll get right on this. The Drakes are all over it, and Jed and Freya will be too, when they get here tomorrow. Say. About that redhead. What’s the deal with her? Are you, ah… you know?”
I was so started by the gossipy frivolity of that question, I actually laughed, rusty and stiff as that sensation was. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Well? What is her deal? You made this fraught bargain with her, you got us to save the cute little sister, she busted you out of that hellhole all by herself. She’s brave, she’s tough, she’s smart. And, ah…”
“She’s also smoking hot? Drop dead gorgeous? A walking wet dream? Were those the phrases you were looking for?”
Ethan’s lip twitched. “You said it, not me. But I’m only flesh and blood, so yeah, I couldn’t help but notice. So? What’s up with that?”
I rubbed my face, feeling the weird, aching strain of rusty smile muscles unused to doing their thing. “I don’t know what to think,” I admitted. “She blows my mind, definitely. Can’t deny that. No one could blame me for it. But I’m fucked if I know.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “Meaning?”
I was reluctant to voice the thought, which felt ungrateful and unworthy. “She just came to me, out of the blue,” I said. “I’m not sure if she’s real, either. I mean, what are the odds? I was buried in that place. There was no way I was getting out. It was like being locked in a bank vault. And then, abracadabra, a shining princess in a fucking ball gown spirits me out singlehandedly.”
Ethan looked puzzled. “Ball gown?”
“Literally. I swear to God. She was wearing a ball gown to my execution. With a corset top and a big, puffy skirt. Like a cartoon princess, except sexy. She said she switched out the lethal gas for a sedative, and then stole my apparently dead body. I woke up in a body bag in the back of a van. I take no credit for any part of it. And she was still in the ball gown at that point. It was surreal.”
“Sounds like you got busy later, when those goons came at you at the cabin,” Ethan said. “Based on what you told me before we picked you up. You can definitely take credit for that fight. That was some quick thinking. Using the van against them.”
I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. But that was later.”
“So,” Ethan said. “You’re wondering if she’s too good to be true.”
I shrugged. “But I’m out of there, right? It’s true. I’m home. If this is real, and not a dream or a hallucination, then she has to be real, too. Right?”
Ethan looked troubled. “Right. And I saw how she was with her sister. That was pretty goddamn convincing. But I have a hard time believing my luck, too. It happened so fast. I haven’t adjusted yet.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “But you’re real. I’m real. And whatever this girl is doing, or why she’s doing it, I’m grateful.”
I lifted up my scraped, scabby hand, and laid it carefully over his.
We stayed there, stuck in that stiff, awkward pose. Afraid to break the tenuous contact.
A knock on the door made me jump, and the moment was gone, like a soap bubble bursting.
“Are you decent?” Angela sang out.
“Come on in,” Ethan called.
The door opened, and Angela leaned in, beaming. “Just so you know. Dr. Demiguel examined Reggie and Cass, and says they seem fine, as far as he can tell. I’m getting dinner on the table now.” She looked at me. “You’ll sleep in here tonight, okay? There’s no time to get your apartment opened up tonight, and I think you should all stay close together. At least until you have a clean bill of health.”
“Agreed,” Ethan said. “We’ll get your apartment ready later.”
“I put Cass and Reggie in the corner bedroom. There’s a nice big king-sized bed, so they have plenty of room in there. I’ve left towels and night stuff and toothbrushes.”
Ethan’s eyes flicked over to mine, too fast to catch, but I knew that he was hiding a smile. “Thanks, Angela,” he said. “You’re the best.”
“Don’t you forget it, hon. So come eat! The enchiladas are about to come out of the oven. There’s chili, fresh cornbread, green salads and savory salads.”
“Sounds awesome,” Ethan said. “We’ll be right in.”
He squeezed my shoulder. “Can you deal with a family dinner? You could eat in here and just power down. You must be exhausted. Everyone would understand.”
I thought about it. It was tempting, but it would be a dick move, to ruin the triumphant hero’s return by cowering in my room. “I’m good for the family dinner.”
“Okay. Put your arm over my shoulder so I can take the weight off your feet.”
