Page 54 of By Sin To Atone

“I’m impressed. You’re branching out from asshole.”

She flips me off and turns to the door. “I don’t know how she’ll be so please be nice to her. Just try not to be yourself.”

“I’m offended.”

“Right.” Blue pushes the door open and the moment we’re inside, Wren spins and runs toward us.

“Blue!”

I watch Blue closely, see that crease between her eyebrows, watch how her eyes grow sadder. With effort, she forces her lips to stretch into a smile. She opens her arms to hug her sister. Wren is a couple of inches taller than Blue, and, although Blue is maybe a-hundred-ten-pounds soaking wet, Wren is so skinny, the skin around her collarbones is sunken and she has shadows like bruises under her eyes.

“Happy Birthday!” Blue says as Wren pulls away, eyes excitedly moving to the balloons floating over Blue’s head.

“I love balloons!” Wren takes them from Blue. Blue holds the teddy bear out to her. Wren is over the moon and takes it, too, hugging it to herself like a small child would. “I love her!” she exclaims, and when she squeezes her eyes shut to squeeze the bear, Blue glances at me and when I notice how damp her eyes are, how she’s trying very hard not to cry, she quickly turns away.

“Hi Rudy,” Blue says, moving toward the male nurse. He’s in his early twenties I’d guess and a big guy. He smiles warmly, enveloping Blue in a bear hug. Blue rests her cheek against his chest and closes her eyes. I watch her relax into him and something tightens in my gut.

She trusts him.

“Hey you,” Rudy says.

After a long moment, I clear my throat and they all turn to me.

“Happy Birthday, Wren,” I say, stepping toward Blue’s sister, offering her a genuine smile.

Her smile falters and she stares up at me, uncertain. She takes a step backward, still hugging that bear to herself.

“Blue?” she asks, eyes on me.

Blue comes to my side. “This is Zeke, Wren. He drove me over here. And he got you these.” She points to the flowers I’m holding. “Didn’t you, Zeke?” I shift my gaze to Blue and see her serious expression. “Didn’t you?” she asks again.

I hold the flowers out to Wren, feeling exactly like the asshole Blue accuses me of being, realizing why Blue grabbed those at the last minute. “Your sister said you like flowers as much as you do balloons,” I say to Wren.

“He’s okay,” Blue whispers to Wren, squeezing her hand. “It’s okay, Wren. He’s not scary.”

Aren’t I though? I shouldn’t be here.

“Would you look at those,” Rudy says, stepping forward to take the flowers as Wren watches me, still wary. It makes me wonder what she remembers of the night that changed her life. If she’s instinctively terrified of men now. Rudy looks like a big teddy bear. He exudes warmth and kindness. Me? Well, I am a different story. “What do you say, Wren?”

“Thank you,” she says, sounding like a child made to do something they don’t want to do. I feel uncomfortable under Wren’s scrutinizing gaze, and, weirdly, want her to trust me. “Where’s the cake?” Wren asks, turning to Rudy, her forehead furrowed. She then looks to Blue. “Blue, did you forget the cake?”

“Oh. Um, I?—”

“It’s in the car. I’ll go get it,” I say, remembering the café across from the gift shop on our way in. I hope they have cake. Blue looks up at me, surprised. “Be right back,” I say.

“I’ll go see if I can wrangle up a vase for these,” Rudy says, and we step out of the room together. Once the door is closed, Rudy looks up at me.

“They’ll have cupcakes in the café. Grab the rainbow ones,” he says. “She’ll like those. And I’ll get some candles at the nurse’s station.”

“Thanks,” I say, and we head in different directions. I buy all the cupcakes the café has so she will have her pick and when I return to Wren’s room, Rudy is already back and he’s arranging the flowers in the vase with Wren.

Blue looks at the box of colorful cakes then up at me. She nods once in approval and, for reasons I can’t explain, I’m glad to have it.

“I hope you like cupcakes,” I announce and Wren and Rudy both turn. When Wren sees the arrangement of colorful cakes, her face lights up and she walks over, mouth open in a surprised O.

“I’m going to have this one and this one and this one,” she starts, pointing to the various cupcakes.

Blue walks over and takes the box from me. “Are you going to leave any for us?” she asks and Wren laughs, and, before she turns to follow her sister, looks up at me, that wary expression a little less so.

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