Sighing in frustration, I’m about to turn to walk out the door when I make out the title written across the top of the page. “Revival” is written in a slightly darker handwriting than the rest of the page.
Is my Thorn writing about me?
Is it possible that I could still be her muse after all we’ve gone through? I’m not sure, but I’m anxious as hell to find out. I walk out of the room with a dopey smile on my face, because not only am I hopeful that Tae’s writing about me, but I can also hear the tail end of the conversation between my mom and the woman I’ve never stopped loving—and I hope I never will.
“Have you seen your dad more since you’ve been back?” my mom asks, and I’m eager to hear Tae’s reply because so far she hasn’t seen him. I haven’t wanted to push her to talk about it, but she did tell me she told him about her diagnosis before we left for Texas.
“No, he and I have had a strained relationship for years now. If I’m being honest, he hasn’t been the same since my mom died. I was so scared to tell him I have cancer like my mother did, that I told him over a voicemail.”
“Oh, honey. I’m sorry to hear that. If it is something you want, maybe your time spent back home will help bring the two of you closer again.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Tae agrees.
Remaining hidden in the shadows of the hallway, I run my hand through my hair. Tae doesn’t know this, but her dad texted me the day of her surgery. I’d honestly kind of forgot he did withso many other friends and family texting to check in on Taevin that day. I need to tell her about it.
“Okay, enough of the heaviness. How’s my boy been treating you?”
“He’s been so good to me, Kathy. Ryan had never had the cheesy potatoes y’all used to make for family get-togethers, and just the thought of them had my mouth watering and finally gave me the urge to eat something in days. Until then, they practically had to force-feed me. But his cheesy potatoes seemed to do the trick. Then he made chili and that was to die for.”
“If I were a betting woman, I’d say he’s trying to win back your heart through your stomach.”
“Hard to win back something he’s had all along,” Taevin murmurs in a hushed tone, no doubt hoping I won’t overhear.
Too late.
My heart pounds in my chest.
Up until now, I was playing it safe when it came to easing Taevin back into my life, thinking that would be the least likely way to scare her. But after hearing that, I’m done holding back my feelings.
I’m going to do everything in my power to show Taevin how badly I want her to stay.
Not just through the remainder of her treatments—forever.
16
Now
Tae’s feeling the best she’s felt since her surgery a little over a week ago so we’re going to a coffee shop down the road from my house before heading to Target to get some things she’s running low on. Ryan stayed for the first week following surgery to help her with pretty much everything from washing her hair to sitting in bed and holding her while she cried.
I’ve been trying to research as much as I can about the ways to help her recover and what to expect when caring for someone who had a hysterectomy, but I’m pretty sure from what I’ve picked up on that Tae’s crying has more to do with the fact that she’s unable to carry her own children and the uncertainty for how her egg retrieval will go. The meds they prescribed her can only help with her physical pain, but they can’t heal the emotional heartbreak she’s experiencing.
When she told me she was feeling better this morning, I couldn’t help but smile and feel hopeful that today would be a good day for her. I’m also not sure if she’s put two and two together on what today’s significance is.
“Are you sure about this? I don’t want you to push yourself too hard before you’ve healed,” I say to her, opening the door to my truck and helping her step up into it.
“I’m sure. Stop being such a worry wart. If I start to feel like I’m overdoing it, you can always carry me with your big, beefy muscles.”
“Hey, I am not ‘beefy.’ I’m fairly lean as far as muscle tone goes, especially in comparison to Bennett.”
“Yeah, but he’s a giant. You’re still bigger than both Griffin and Carson,” she points out and then rolls her eyes when I reach across her to buckle her seatbelt.
Before she can give me shit for that, I quirk a brow and ask, “And how would you know I’m bigger than both Griff and Carson? I certainly wasn’t bigger than Griffin last time you saw him.”
I wait a moment for her to answer, and when she signals as if she’s zipping her lips, I shut her door and get in the driver’s side. Starting my truck, I turn to her. “Have you kept tabs on me all these years?”
“Define keeping tabs . . .” Taevin trails off.
“Have you watched me play on TV or something since I’ve been in the league?”
