Violet finally loads onto the screen, looking sleepy and pale in the low lighting of her bedroom. "Hey guys, I'm so sorry."
She sniffles, and I try to work out a way to kick my own ass in my head. Cursing myself out silently, I ache at the tear that slips down her cheek.
"It's okay, baby. Jamie told us what was going on." Nate is quick to soothe her.
She groans and moves her face away from the screen. I have half a mind to elbow Nate in the gut for making her go away, but she's back quickly. "That dick. He's been smothering me with heating pads and chocolate."
"Why didn't you ask us to help?" There go my insecurities again. Did she not want us to help her?
Violet wipes her cheeks. "Well, I didn't ask Jamie either. He just showed up yesterday when I wasn'tanswering my phone. I was taking a hot bath and left it in my room because the screen was hurting my head."
"Are your periods always this bad?" I ask because I have two younger sisters, and they never spoke a peep about their cramps or anything like that. It's also possible I tuned it out.
Violet shuffles around in her bed and lies on her side, taking us with her. "Yeah. Some are worse than others. Stress can affect them too. I'm used to it, but driving tomorrow and the next day will be a pain."
"Can't you stay?" Nate worries, probably ready to lock her in a room and feed her all her cravings with Jamie.
"No," Violet sighs, sounding exhausted. "This is my high profile client, and I at least need to have three good images to her by Friday. Three days isn't a lot of time, so I have to be on the road early."
I can hear Nate grinding his teeth behind me, so I speak up since I'd rather he not go all caveman on her. "Maybe one of us should come with you?"
Please say yes, please say yes.
"No," she declines. "Really, I'll be okay. Jamie's packing for me, so I know I'll have everything I need to get through the drive. And I'll be driving all day tomorrow with my heated seat on my lower back, which sounds heavenly."
I don't like it.
"I don't like this," Nate grumbles my exact thought.
Violet laughs a little, and it lights me up inside.I love her. "Too bad, big guy. Boss Ellis around instead for a while. You can borrow my Ferri."
Narrowing my eyes at the little minx, I say, "That's rude as hell, Bubbles."
All three of us suck in a breath at the same time, and I immediately want the ground to swallow me whole. How could I be so careless again? "Violet. Shit. I'm so sorry. I didn't?—"
"No," she rushes out. "No, it-it's okay. I think—You can call me that."
"Really?" I'm fucking stunned. She has been so against us calling her that she's even had physical negative reactions to it. Why is it okay now?
Her eyes sparkle with emotion through the phone. "I feel like I'm getting some of those bubbles back, and you helped me manifest them. It feels right."
I could cry. I really, really fucking could. Instead of saying something epic or beautiful, I joke, "SO does that make me the bubble maker?"
Violet snorts an unladylike sound that has me smiling so big I decide I don't regret my stupid mouth. I have no filter, but I'll opt never to have one again if it makes her laugh.
Nate squeezes my hip, and Violet's laugh turns into a yawn. My partner leans in and says her name. "You should get some sleep, baby. We will be there in the morning to say goodbye and give you kisses, okay?"
"Yeah," she replies around a yawn so big I think I hear her jaw crack. "Okay. Good night you two."
"Good night, baby."
My heart knits itself back together. "Good night, Bubbles."
Forty-Nine
VIOLET
Ithought driving away from them would be the hardest part of this trip. My cramps were nothing compared to the pain I felt in my chest as I waved goodbye one last time.
