“Did he?” She eyes him with caution, not buying into the charming exterior he has on. My clever lychik, always sees more than the rest. “And you are?”
“Denis Mazur, I’ve been friends with this one since the day we could walk.” He throws his thumb my way.
Aurora nods, placing her server smile on. The one she wears for the show at work. “Nice to meet you.”
Before Denis can add anything, Aurora’s phone rings. “Hey,” she answers it right away. “No, we’re not at the hospital…” She looks at me, trapping her lower lip between her teeth. “Sava’s friend arranged for a doctor to come to his house.”
Denis shoots me an arching look that I ignore. He doesn’t have the right to ask me anything. He lost it five years ago.
“Don’t,” I warn him under my breath.
“Does she know?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“I’ll take that as a no then.”
“And you’ll also shut your mouth on your way out.”
“Sava, I think—”
“Does it look like I give a single fuck what you think?
“Do you need me to stay?” he asks.
“You can go back to my father and report it all—or is it my mother who you serve in secret?”
“Severin,” Denis warns me, but then his shoulders drop. “I’m glad you’re all right. I’ll see myself out.” And with that, he disappears but I’m no longer paying attention to my childhood friend.
He chose his side. He chose the road he wanted to take decades ago, and he doesn’t get to be angry at me for those choices.
“Tell Emett Mr. Brick is okay,” Aurora says into the phone, and I assume she’s talking to Stella. “No, I’ll probably stay with him tonight. He most likely has at least a concussion. Are you heading to Iris Lake? Can you stay with Dad and Emett overnight? Hey, honey.” Her tone changes and I know it’s Emett on the phone now. “I know you’re worried, but I promise you he’ll be all right. Okay, one second, I’ll ask him.” She pulls her phone away and says, “Um, Emett is asking if he can FaceTime you?”
“Of course.” I sit up, waving the doctor off and a second later Emett’s dark hair and green eyes rimmed red from crying fill the screen. “Hey, little man. Are you all right there?”
Before he can get a single word out, Emett breaks out in tears, and I jump off the couch, panic seizing my soul. “Emett, little man, what’s going on?”
“I…you…I-I thought…hurt.” Every word comes out as a sob.
“Hey, hey, hey, I’m okay. You saw, I still played the third period, right? And now I have your mom and doctors here to take care of me.”
His body is still shaking as he wheezes out, “D-do you have, Lincoln?”
My face softens as I reach for the bag I set at the foot of the couch and take out the teddy bear. “Of course, buddy.” I showhim the toy, and he wipes some tears with the back of his sleeve. “Superman, is your nana there?”
“I’m here, Peach pistol. What is it?” comes her stern voice.
I frown, mouthing,Peach pistol?to Aurora who rolls her lips and pretends she has no idea where that came from.
“We’ll get back to that nickname later. For now, can you please get Emett ready and text me your address, I’ll send a car for him.”
“A car for a four-year-old? To drive alone in?” Stella’s judging brow fills the screen.
Jesus, that woman is menacing.
“It would be a trusted person but you’re right, get yourself ready too.”
She clucks her tongue. “Hill,” Stella shouts off to the side. “I think your goalie hit his head harder than you thought. He thinks he can give me commands.”
