Setting it down on the island, I took a deep breath. Travis’s words confused my already twisted heart. They scared me at the same time that they gave me hope. Wiping away a lone tear that had the audacity to escape, I squared my shoulders and set to unpacking thecooler.
A moment later, the bathroom door opened. Turning, I watched as Tommy’s friend, Samantha, walked out. She startled when she saw me, bringing her hand up to her heart. Her eyes—so blue they were hauntingly violet—were red rimmed andswollen.
“Is everything okay, Samantha?” I asked her, walking around thecorner.
“Yes, I’m—” she paused, her voice scratchy and weak. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I’m good. Just…allergies. And please, call meSam.”
“Brock has some allergy medication if you need it,” I offered, turning to open the cabinet over the sink where I knew my brother keptit.
“Actually, I’m good,” Sam said awkwardly. “I…“ She hesitated again, her eyes going to the screen door and the voices from outside. Tommy had the kind of voice easily picked out from the crowd; it was the most boisterous of them all. We could hear him razzing Braden from inside the cabin. Hearing it, her shoulders dropped in disappointment. “I should headhome.”
“Why?” I asked,surprised.
“To be honest? I feel very out of place,” she shrugged, a small yet sad smile on herface.
“I feel out of place sometimes too,” I told her, giving her a comforting smile. “There’s a certain energy about this group, isn’tthere?”
“Yeah,” Sam nodded in agreement, biting down on her lip. She glanced back outside wistfully, like she longed to be a part of the group but didn’t knowhow.
I couldrelate.
I took a closer look at her, my nursing instincts in high drive. Sam’s skin was pale and clammy, and she seemed to be in pain. “Are you sure you’re alright,Sam?”
“Ah, you’re a medical professional, aren’t you?” Sam asked, a dismal smile on herlips.
I nodded, my brow furrowing slightly with confusion as I tried to figure her out. “I’m anurse.”
“Thought so. I can always tell the nurses, they pick up on the stuff spoonies try to hide,” Sam sighedlightly.
“Spoonies?” I arched a brow, unfamiliar with theterm.
“It’s what people with chronic pain disorders call themselves,” she shrugged, seeming a little embarrassed. “It’s a theory someone coined to explain chronic pain to healthy people. I don’tknow.”
“Oh, makes sense I guess,” I laughed lightly. “Do you mind if Iask—“
“I have a disorder called polymyositis. I was diagnosed at seventeen,” she said, almost apologetically, as if she worried she was boring me with the details. Or perhaps she’d simply relayed them so many times. “It’s a systemic disease. I experience muscle weakness and tenderness, especially in my hips and shoulders, muscle and joint pain, and sometimes I have difficulty swallowing. Basically, I get tired and sore reallyeasily.”
“And you came ATVing?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. I was impressed. ATVing—even when you’re riding on the back of one—is rather hard on the body. I could see the toll it had taken onher.
Sam nodded. “I used to do things like this all the time…before the diagnosis. I forgot how hard it canbe.”
“Understandable. Does Tommy know?” I asked, feeling ratherhelpless.
“No, I don’t think he’d understand, anyway. I should probably just go home, call it a day.” She cleared her throat again. “It’s not really like Tommy will notice eitherway.”
“I’m sure he will,” I tried. Sam gave me a somber, knowing smile. It was clear that she didn’t believeme.
“Well, it was nice meeting you, Becky. Maybe I’ll see you around,” she said, making her way to the door. She moved gingerly, as if she was trying to hide alimp.
Before she could reach it, Travis burst in, the screen door slamming behind him, startling the both of us. He paused when he realized I wasn’talone.
“Everybody’s getting ready to go to the bonfire,” he finally said before he turned, letting the screen door fall shut behindhim.
“I still can’t believe you guys are friends withTravis Channing,” Sam sighed dreamily, watching as he walked back to the garage. “He’s really nice, but super intimidating. How do you standit?”
“We knew him before he was famous,” I shrugged. For the most part, Travis’s fame was just an extension of him. He was still the same guy he always was—girls had fawned over him even before the albums and the tours. He was friendly, social, and loved attention. But he would give the shirt off his back to help a friend in need, then andnow.
“You guys seem super close. Like…romantically close,” Sam remarked, her eyes sparkling with mirth. “Are youtogether?”
