Michael glanced at me, then back at her. “Doing good. What about yourself? Mia says that you’ll be having surgery soon.”
Mom waved at him. “Oh, it’s nothing.”
I walked over to her and sat at the end of her bed. “Mom, it’s not nothing,” I said.
Michael pulled a chair closer to her bed and sat down in it, his knee grazing against mine. I tensed for a moment, and then I looked back at Mom and relaxed.
“You’re having brain surgery.”
“I’ve had it before.”
I shook my head. “So?”
“She’s being optimistic, Mia.” Michael squeezed my knee lightly, letting his hand linger.
Mom eyed us, then stared politely at Michael. “Michael, can I speak with my daughter alone for a moment?” Mom asked.
My heart raced.
Michael nodded and walked out of the room, sitting on one of the benches right outside.
Mom turned to me. “All right, spill. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Mom.”
“Don’t lie to me, Mia.”
I squeezed her hand, my heart hurting. It didn’t feel good to lie, but I didn’t want to tell Mom yet. She didn’t need to stress over me and an older man, thinking she had to fret about me or ask me questions all the time if I was okay.
But then she asked, “What’s going on with you and Mr. Bryne?”
She knew. She already knew.
“I, um …” I gulped and scooted closer to her. “We’re together,” I whispered. “And … I know it sounds bad. I know he’s older than I am. But … but I think I love him.”
Her eyes widened. “I knew there was something going on between you and him, but love?”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I haven’t told him yet. I don’t know how. I’m scared, and I don’t want to be hurt again, but … he’s so caring and sweet and loving. He’s spent every night at the hospital with me while Mason barely could show up for five minutes.”
Mom swept her thumb across my cheek. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. Come here.” She pulled me down in the bed with her and stroked my hair. “Mr. Bryne is a good man. I can tell, even from all the way in here, that he cares for you a lot.”
I pressed my ear to her chest and listened to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. “You’re not mad?”
She laughed, her silky-smooth voice fluttering through my ears. “Of course not. I’ve been trying to keep up a good relationship with Mason because I know what he does for you and for us, but I’ve been hoping you’d break up with him. Saturday morning, he looked like he was going to kill someone. And from that one moment, I could tell that he wasn’t the best guy for you since I came here. Did he ever care for you?”
My lips quivered, and I held her tighter, trying not to cry more because I felt like such a crybaby lately. But life was so fucking hard sometimes that I couldn’t help it.
“No,” I whispered. “He didn’t.”
“Why’d you stay with him?” she asked.
And those five little words broke my heart even more. If I told Mom, she’d be disappointed that I’d sacrificed my happiness for hers. She’d feel worse than she did now, and I didn’t want that to happen, so I shrugged my shoulders and said, “I thought I loved him.”
We stayed quiet for a few moments, and a tear fell down her cheek. “I know the feeling …” she said. “Your father made me feel so good when we started dating, but I didn’t see that he was manipulative and abusive. I’m sorry for keeping you in that environment for so long.” Her heart rate monitor sped up, and she sniffled.
She pulled away and furrowed her brows at me. “I know I shouldn’t pry, but I have to ask … Mr. Bryne didn’t coerce you into anything you didn’t want to do, did he?”
I smiled up at her and shook my head. “No,” I said. “He didn’t.”
