“I must’ve been a rude awakening for Aunt Betsy’s perfect life,” he said.
Sascha laughed, a tinkling sound. “Don’t worry. She was too busy being shocked over Caleb and me. I guess we’ve gotten more tatted up since she last saw us. She checked out my outfit like she was trying to decide whether to run, or hide.”
Phoenix pictured his aunt’s pinched expression. “You’re kidding.”
“I kid you not. And then she starts sniffing around Caleb like a police dog, all ‘are you doing drugs?’”
“He must’ve loved that,” Phoenix mused.
“Not as much as he loved the lecture about how your mom’s done enough for him through his teen years, and he better not worry her with his punk lifestyle, or some such b.s.”
“Punk lifestyle? She just can’t relate to anyone who doesn’t summer at the beach and winter at Vail.”
He looked down the bed at the white sheets. He wasn’t going to be skiing Vail anytime soon.
Sascha squeezed his hand. “I’ll tell you what. Let’s give your aunt something to talk about. When you’re feeling up to it, you come in and we’ll design you a tattoo.”
“You think some ink’s going to distract people from noticing what’s missing?”
“Nope. I think you should embrace that with pride, luv. You’re a hero. It’s survival scars. That’s you, nothing to be ashamed of.”
Sitting with a woman who got him, and wasn’t afraid to talk about his accident, he told the truth. “Sasch, that’s sweet but you know, I can’t even begin to tell you how badly this sucks.”
She nodded. “Must suck something awful. Worse than anything.”
He was silent for a moment. “Worse than . . . losing your high-school sweetheart to your brother?” he finally said.
She raised her eyebrows, then upped the ante. “Worse than . . . my first period?”
He looked at her and she started giggling. “Okay,” he conceded. “Maybe this little flesh wound is survivable.” He waved the end of his arm around for effect.
“Maybe you’re going to be all right after all.”
“Yup. Maybe.”
The door swung open. Caleb strode in.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing like your sardonic ex to cheer me up.”
Caleb planted his lips on top of Sascha’s head as he passed her.
“Take it outside, lovebirds,” Phoenix said irritably.
Sascha registered hurt in her eyes.Weren’t we just connecting? Aren’t I on your side?
You’re not going to make me better with a simple laugh, babe, his look retorted.
Caleb sank into the chair at his bedside.
“I know the cops grilled you, but I’ve got some questions.”
Phoenix closed his eyes. He was so tired. Not just physical fatigue or pain from the wounds. He was so damned tired of talking about himself.
“I still don’t get what happened,” Caleb said.
“What don’t you get? It was just a stupid, senseless accident.” Phoenix said.
