A hot feeling spreads through my stomach, something like shame.
“So?” Matty says again. “How’s he doing?”
I have to swallow twice before I can get the words out. “He’s... a little better,” I manage. “They took his breathing tube out last night.”
“That’s awesome,” Matty says. “Is his family there, too?”
“Yeah, they are.”
I can actually hear Matty grimace through the phone. “Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good.”
“Not good, no.” I take a breath. “They... didn’t know we were dating.”
Matty whistles. “Shit. That’s awkward.”
“Yeah. They aren’t thrilled.”
“Well... it’s probably a pretty big shock for them,” Matty says. “I know my parents freaked when they found out about Eric.”
I hesitate. “That’s your older brother?”
“Yeah. I think my parents were mostly upset he didn’t tell them sooner. Well, that and he was dating this crazy fucking cokehead at the time.”
I breathe out a humorless laugh. “I think Jacob’s parents would prefer a cokehead.”
“Fuck off. You’re a super successful F1 driver slash millionaire. What the hell else are they looking for?”
I crack the tiniest smile. “I don’t know. I guess they’re worried it’ll get out in the press.”
“Hm.” Matty’s silent for a moment. “I suppose that’s fair. How did your parents take it?”
“They’re both dead.”
Another beat of silence. “Grandparents, then? Or siblings?”
I shrug, before I remember he can’t see me. “Nope.”
“You don’t have any family?”
I open my mouth to answer, then close it again. The truth sounds stupid, even in my head. But again, Matty surprises me.
“Jacob’s your family,” he says, answering his own question. He lets out a low whistle. “And now he’s in the hospital and his family’s furious with you. What the actual fuck, Keeping? Why didn’t you tell me any of this shit?”
I don’t answer him. I’m not sure what I would say.
“I’m going to get my mom to call you,” he says. In the background, I hear someone talking to him. “Ah, fuck, man, I’ve got to run. But I’ll call you later, alright?”
“You don’t have to—” I start, but he’s already hung up. I put my phone down and stare at it for a while. I feel cold and jittery, like I’ve had too much coffee.
That didn’t go at all like I thought it would.
I put my head in my hands and take several deep breaths. When I look up again, Paul and Lily are standing twenty feet away, holding trays of food and glaring at me. Lily says something to Paul and then they both stalk off to sit at a table far away from me.
I swallow hard and push myself to my feet. I can’t stand the idea of skirting around those two for days, but I’m too exhausted to approach them right now. Their narrowed eyes follow me as I slip out of the cafeteria. I head back up to the USI, but when I press the buzzer, the same scowling nurse who snapped at me about the water opens the door. My stomach sinks.
“I’m here to see Jacob Nichols,” I say.
The nurse scowls. “Only family may visit.”
