I can feel her staring at me. “I don’t think so.”
He breathes out a sigh of relief. “Did she say anything hurt? Is she having cramps, or does anything feel weird?”
“No. How do you know what to look out for?” I ask, making a mental note in case Mira says anything later.
“Dude, I’m just fucking googling shit at this point trying not to go crazy because I’m not there. I’m going to call her doctor when I get off the phone with you, but I don’t know if I’ll get another call through,” Henry says, and that makesmore sense.
“We lost power already, but the generator kicked on, so I’m surprised this one did.”
“I’m going to try to get back as soon as I can, but if anything changes, call 911,” he says, and I can’t imagine what this is like for him. If it was Kaitlyn, I’d be going out of my mind.
“I will, but she’ll be okay.”
Henry’s quiet for a moment, and I wish there was something I could say to make him feel better, but this is all very bad timing. “She’s my whole world, Bailey.”
“I know,” I say, and there’s a knock on the bedroom door. “I gotta go, but I’ll try to keep you updated.”
Javi pokes his head in just as Henry thanks me again before hanging up. “Mira, are you okay?” he asks, hugging her. “You scared me.”
“Hey, I’m okay. I just fell,” she says, hugging him back.
“Javi, be gentle,” I say, and Mira shakes her head.
“He’s okay,” Mirabelle says, smiling at me. “Thanks for staying. Does Henry believe I’m okay now?”
I smile back at her, trying not to seem too worried. “I think so, but you’ll tell me if you’re not okay, right?”
“I promise,” she says, and I offer her my hand to help her up.
We make our way back to the living room, and we tear down part of the fort to get her set up comfortably on the couch. Javi curls up next to her, trying to read the story to her by explaining the pictures. I can hear Kaitlyn opening drawers in the kitchen.
“Yell if you need me?” I say, and Mirabelle nods without looking up from the story Javi’s telling her.
Kaitlyn’s back is to me as she makes dinner, and the rain hitting the glass doors is a steady reminder of what’s going on outside, but all my brain can think about is how much time I’ve wasted.
She kissed me earlier and I froze. She had to tell me to kiss her back. Kait never should have had to tell me to kiss her back.
Earlier, I thought my lungs were going to collapse at the idea of telling Mira the truth about Carter and Kiera and every other terrible thing I’ve done. Then I froze and almost pulled away when she traced the scar on my forehead that serves as a reminder of how worthless I believed I was. Someone unworthy of a family that loved them when all along, my family never stopped looking for me.
“Bailey?” Kaitlyn asks, drawing me back to the real world. In the midst of all the darkness inside me, she’s still the light I’ve held onto.
My steps are purposeful as I walk toward her, and she smiles. “What’s the look on your face for?” she asks, and I can only smile at her when I cup her face in my hands.
“This is me shutting up and kissing you. Is that okay with you, sunshine?” I ask, feeling her breathing hitch as I lean in.
“Sounds perfect.”
It feels perfect too when I press my mouth against hers, slipping an arm around her lower back to pull her flush against me.
Absolutely perfect.
1 I love you.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Bailey
PAST
