“Will anyone hurt me?”
“They betterfucking not.”
“Will I still be on the moon with Mama, her head, and the baby?”
“For a little while, but then…then…you’ll give her head back and see that her and the baby are happy. It’ll ease you, Molly, so you can be happy again.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You’re going to forget me. Mama doesn’t remember me. I try to make the baby look at me, but it doesn’t even know me.”
“I won’t forget you. Never. I swear. As soon as you’re a little better, I will call you as much as I can. You will always be my friend. I will always love you as my friend.”
She smiled through her tears. “I love you, too. You’re my best friend in the whole world. No one ever treated me so nice.”
He didn’t know how to respond to that, so he remained silent.
“Will the dish, the cow, or the spoon take me to the new hospital?”
“An airplane.”
Her expression blank, she frowned.
“It’s a mode of transportation that travels through the sky,” he explained.
“Like a bird?”
“Yeah. A very big bird.”
“Will it hurt me?”
“No. You will be very safe.”
“I’m scared.”
CJ couldn’t tell her there was nothing to be afraid of because she was sotraumatized. He’d talk to Dad or Diesel and ask if there was someone who could travel with her. He doubted his parents would allow him to accompany her. Besides, he was almost certain, it would need to be someone over eighteen. “I’m going to fix it for you and make sure you’re safe.”
“Okay,” she said without hesitation.
He got to his feet, knowing this would be the last time he saw her for at least until the summer when he visited Rule. Once again, he regretted not visiting her more often. But he’d see to it that she had a phone as soon as possible and would keep in touch with her.
Releasing her hand, he bent and kissed her cheek. “I have to go, bae.”
“Me, too. Mama’s head got away again.”
“You’ll find it.” It seemed as if she always did. “I will talk to you soon.”
“Bye, CJ,” she whispered, the simple words reminding him of one of the days he’d walked out of her house, and she’d looked so sad and alone.
At the door, he paused and looked back. Her gaze was on him. “Bye, Molly,” he said, and forced himself to walk out.
Twenty minutes after CJ stopped in as he was leaving, Bash finally arrived in Easton’s room.
Easton had been brooding about his conversation with CJ, suspecting why the kid was so furious with Rory and Devon. It probably had to do with those fucking videos.
“Are you ready, boy?”
“Shouldn’t a nurse wheel me down?” If he had to ride bitch on a motorcycle with still healing wounds, he wanted to get assistance for as long as possible. “Hospital policy.”
Bash shrugged, then unclipped his cell phone from his waistband. “Hold on a fucking minute,” he grumbled, gaze glued to the screen, before he sent a text. A chime revealed a response almost immediately. Sighing,he went to the chair and dropped into it. “Dee Dee sent me instructions. Most of which I’m ignoring since we’re going straight to Celia’s.”
