Page 32 of Shifted

"We are just two people going out on dates, as I said. We are interested in each other, but nothing official. So yes, Theo, I will be your date." I glared at Bella, mostly to show her that I was still single but not ready to mingle.

"Great, I can't wait." Theo winks at me as I sigh, turning back to Bella, who now looks slightly upset. Maria gasps, cutting off any other thought I have.

"Perfect, I'll get a dress sent to you the day of!" She claps her hands together in excitement, and I down the rest of my wine. I stand, placing my stemless wine glass on an oak coaster, and go to the kitchen. I go to the clear cabinets and reach for a glass to fill with water. The door swings open behind me, and expecting an upset Bella, I look to see Theo.

"Reed Austen?" His voice aggravated as he approached me. He took the glass from my hand and walked to the fridge to fill it.

"What's the problem? You have an itch to pick with the man?" I giggle, but his face remains stern. He doesn't laugh as usual; it's colder than his warm personality. “Theo… did he steal your leader spot in Cub Scouts?" I poke his chest, and he hands me the glass of water.

"You shouldn't be dating him. Hope he's a dick." He was almost uncomfortably close to me as he spoke, staring down at me as if it was the most alarming thing in the world. From the look on his face, it genuinely unsettled him that I was seeing Reed.

"You don't really get to decide who I date, Theo. I'm twenty-five, not seventeen, remember? You said it yourself: I'm so grown up." He shook his head at me and took a deep breath. Before he could make more comments to try to push me further, I continued. "Seriously, why is he a dick? What did he do?" He remains silent and takes a step back from me; he's having a conflict in his mind. I can see it all over his face as he debates on explaining.

"I can't explain," I chuckle. Of course, he can't; Theo never can. He can just be the guy who calls the shots, acting like he owns me. But I'm not some child anymore; I have one of my own.

"That's really great, Theo! Now, you should watch it before you are left dateless for this charity event." He shook his head in some sort of apology. He just seemed so defensive.

"Hope, please; I just want to protect you.” His arm reaches for mine, pushing a boundary, and I step back. "You're really pushing it, Theo, seriously.” I shake my head at him, annoyed, and turn away to the door.

"Hope." I leave the kitchen as he calls my name. I don't want to hear any further of his nonsense.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Hope Taylor

I paced outside, and for some reason, going in was the last thing I wanted. She was my last piece of family, and watching her fade hurt. I hadn't seen my parents in years, but I never cut her off. She was the only piece of family left that mattered, that cared.

I walked through the sliding glass doors as Doctor Sharma, wearing green scrubs, greeted me with a smile. "Good to see you today, Hope. She's doing a lot better recently." Her voice sounded promising as she spoke, and it left me more settled than seconds ago.

"Does she know I'm coming today?" Doctor Sharma shook her head.

"Figured we'd leave it a surprise. She always gets excited to see you!" I nodded, following her in because I, too, was really her only family left. I walked down the blue-carpeted hall that smelled slightly of butterscotch and detergent. "She loved the drawings you've sent that Joely made. She's even made a couple of friends here." I knew that would make her feel a bit better when I hadn't been able to come. Joely loves my grandma.

As we reached her white-painted door, it was covered in Christmas decorations, but in the center, a drawing Joely had made with her a bit ago. She loved Christmas more than anything, so I knew spending it here would be harder. I pushed open the door walking in.

"Grandma? Are you here?" I heard a small gasp coming from her living room. Before I could even move, she was up on her feet in front of me.

"Hope!" Her arms enveloped me close to her. “Oh, what a surprise, dear!" She was always so happy to see me, as was I. But one thing was evident: She had an oxygen tube in her nose, signaling she wasn't doing her best.

"Hi, Grandma." I held her close.

"Where is my Joe? You didn't bring her with you. I'll have to send the Pizzelles home!" She ushered me to sit on the lace-white couch. I felt bad not bringing her, but I didn’t want to overwhelm Grandma as she adjusted. She slowly walked over to the kitchen and came back out with a box.

"So, how do you like it here?" I looked around; it wasn't too bad. On this side of the door, it looked like the inside of a regular apartment.

Grandma was placed into assisted living by my parents. After I left home, Grandma was the one person I kept in contact with. She was the only one who cared for me, and she was more nervous about where I was staying. I didn't want her to worry. Grandpa passed, and I knew she was grieving. She didn't deserve to have a seventeen-year-old thrown onto her, but nor did she deserve to lose me. So I told her I was okay, staying with a friend at first.

From the looks of it, assisted living wasn't bad at all. It was in an old Victorian building and smelt like it. Granda’s place was chic and classy, as I expected. But I hate that they just sent her here to die, not to be blunt about it. It hurt more knowing I could only visit so much due to my parents.

I knew Mom came and sat with her a lot because even though Julie didn't care for me, she cared for her mother because her mother protected her from her father as a child, just as Grandma protected me from my parents.

She was the grandma who would have you over for a sleepover. We'd bake cookies as Judge Judy played on TV. She'd put on some old classic movie and make us dinner as we ate it on the couch, scandalously breaking the rules. That's what I loved about sleepovers at Grandma's. There was so much more freedom, and they were way more relaxed.

So when I had Joely, I knew the one person I wanted my daughter to love and adore was my Grandma Mary Ellen. Though I gained a bonus one with Bella's Grammy Windsor, she passed when we were twenty-two. Grammy took me in as her own and even pissed off Bella for her favoritism toward me.

"Well, tell me how my bumble bee is doing!" She placed the navy cookie tin with white snowflakes on the pine coffee table, dragging her oxygen with her. Even though she was struggling, she seemed to just smile at me. "I just texted Bella to bring Joe by. They are on their way. They went shopping for her flower girl dress." My Grandmother's eyes widened in shock.

"Wait, Arabella's getting married! You never told me this. Oh, that's so exciting. Is it to that young man, Grayson, the one who beat me at chess?" I laughed at the memory. After five rounds, Grayson was the reigning champ against Grandma.

---