I smile.
“Ashton, baby! Come on! Open your eyes! Please!”
When I open my eyes, his face crumples, and his chin quivers.
Why’s he crying?
When I try to move, I’m ripped back to reality by fire tearing through my leg.
Shit.My chest squeezes. That look. He looks?—
No.
My eyes close.
31
ASH
JULY 6 YEARS AGO
Beep. Beep. Beep.
My eyes are heavy when I try to open them.
“Ashton,” a soft voice says from beside me. For a moment, I think she’s my old piano teacher. I must have zoned out during a lesson again. Damn it. She’s going to make me practice the hard one again for not paying attention.
“My name’s Brooke.”
Brooke? My piano teacher’s name’s Sherry.
“I’m your nurse.”
Nurse?
“You just had surgery. It went great. You’re gonna be just fine, okay?”
Is this real? A dream? She’s so far away. Or maybe her voice is in my head. I can’t tell.
“Can you open your eyes?”
I try. They’re so heavy. The bright lights sting. I squint but eventually get them open.
“Great. Are you in pain?”
I shake my head. It feels fuzzy, and I’m so tired. She says something else, I think, but she’s getting farther away.
When I open them again, I’m in a different room.
Someone shifts beside me, grabbing my hand.
“Shhh. It’s okay. You’re okay,” Gran soothes.
The stiff pillow crinkles under my head as I turn to glance at her. She gives me a warm smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
I open my mouth but can’t speak.
“Here,” she says, grabbing a white cup from the bedside table. She holds up a spoon with one nugget of ice.
