Before he can say anything, I walk past him and back down the hall. I let myself into Aspen’s room right as she walks out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her.
She pauses when she sees me. “Oh, I thought you were still sleeping.”
“And miss a view like this? I think not,” I tease as I take a seat on the bed.
I watch as my girl gets dressed before she joins me back on the bed.
“Is that for me?” she asks, pointing to the energy drink.
“I’m sure as hell not going to drink it,” I tell her as I hand it over.
She laughs under her breath. “You’re missing out, but that’s okay. It just means I never have to share with you.”
“And I’ll never have to share my coffee,” I tease.
“Touché. Everything okay? Your shoulders are tense,” she says as she cracks the can and takes a sip.
“Yeah, I just ran into Rain. She isn’t in a good mental place. She’s really upset,” I tell her.
“About what?”
I cringe, not wanting to tell her business. “It’s not my place to say, but maybe you could check in on her?”
Aspen frowns but nods. “Sure. I can do that. Do you have to go do shit with my brother today?”
“Yeah, I’ve got plans, but I’ll be back later,” I tell her.
She smiles, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Find me when you’re done?”
“You know it. Now come here.”
I pull her to my side. We sit in silence as we drink our forms of caffeine, and it’s nice.
It’s simple, and it feels right. It’s the little things in life that mean the most, and this is one of those moments, and I’ll never take it for granted.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
ASPEN
Ihave been trying to get Rain on the phone for days. After Asher told me she might need a friend, I wanted to be there for her, but she keeps avoiding me.
I know I need to nail her down soon, but I don’t want to push too hard.
So I’m surprised when I head outside to meet Asher and find her sitting on the porch with Maggie.
“Hey, Rain. I’ve been trying to call you.”
She winces. “I know. It hasn’t been the best few days for me.”
My heart hurts for her. “Do you want to talk about it?” I ask.
“Didn’t Asher already tell you?” she asks, tears starting to fill her eyes.
“No, he didn’t. Whatever you spoke about, he kept to himself. All he told me was that you might need a friend,” I tell her.
She gives me a small smile. “He is a good man. It’s not a secret. Dad has decided to stop chemo treatments. It’s been a hard pill to swallow for me.”
