My precious voice of reason. I could’ve burst into tears for the third time today. “Yeah. You’re right.”
She shifted in her chair to face me, folding her legs pretzel-style. “So,” she said, “when were you gonna tell me?”
The topic had cropped up several times, once in the car and a few more as we camped out in the waiting room with nothing but a TV hooked up in the corner playing a weather broadcast on repeat. She let it go each time. Now, though, determination sparked in her eyes and I knew I wouldn’t be so lucky.
“I don’t know, Bee. We don’t even know what it is, yet. If it’s anything.”
“It’s obviouslysomethingif he’s calling you ‘baby.’?”
“Somethingisn’t necessarily…” I waved my hand, searching for the right word. I landed on: “Meaningful.”
“Okay, well, that’s bullshit,” she said. “You’re losing your mind over a broken arm. That’s meaningful behavior right there.”
I sank in my seat, glancing up at the TV screen. Storm warnings. “Okay, that’s not the right word. But I don’t think he knows what he wants.”
“Seriously? Violet, that dude has been obsessed with you this whole time.”
“What? No.”
“Uh, yeah.”
Dex’s words swirled around my brain:I’ve been fucked out of my head since you showed up at Sequest in that dress.
“Well, just because we have feelings for each other doesn’t mean it will work out,” I said.
She scowled. “Ew. Don’t treat me like a kid whose parents are getting divorced.” She leaned in a little, her eyes searching mine. “I knew you guys liked each other. It was only a matter of time before one of you did something about it.”
“You knew?” I raised my eyebrows. “And you didn’t… care? I thought you were team Catalina.”
“I mean, sure. But I don’t know Catalina. I knowyou. And I’m not stupid. When I saw all the vibes between you guys it was like, okay, yeah, this is happening.”
I swallowed. “Yeah.”
“That’s agoodthing. Don’t sound so doomed.”
“What if it is doomed?” I worried my bottom lip with my teeth. “What if he sabotages it like he did with Catalina?”
“He won’t.”
“You can’t know that.”
“He’s the kind of guy who almost drowns and learns how to swim really well,” she explained, smiling so warmly it twisted my heart. “He’ll make new mistakes, but he won’t make that one.”
I exhaled for what felt like the first time since watching Phoebe and Dex tumble over the side of that cliff. At somepoint, my sister had lapped me in emotional maturity. Something to grapple with another day.
“Thanks,” I said softly.
She grinned. “It’s purely selfish. I really want Dex to stick around.”
A real smile tugged at my mouth. “Me too.”
A few minutes later, a nurse emerged from down the hall, coming straight for us. We scrambled to our feet. “Are you here with Mr. Dexter?” she asked, looking between us.
“Yes,” I said. “Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. You can come on back.”
We followed her down the same hallway, our footsteps echoing off the linoleum floor. At the very end of the hall, a line of cots were separated by curtains, and Dex sat on the first, now wearing a white T-shirt, his arm adorned in a white elbow-length cast. When he noticed us approaching, a huge grin spread across his face.
