Page 46 of Nothing Heals Me Like You Do

As soon as the car had parked, the door swung open and her mother stood there, beckoning Sienna toward her.

Sienna sank into her mother’s embrace. Her mother ushered her into the house, where Taissa was sitting with her husband, her daughters, and Eddy, all of their faces shocked and soaked with tears.

Chapter24

Justine tried to keep a respectful distance from Sienna’s grieving family. She’d met Taissa and recognized the other’s faces from pictures at Sienna’s apartment and it was easy enough to see who was who. She took a deep breath and overlooked the emotional wreckage of what had happened. From what she’d learned, Bobby Bright had been out riding his motorcycle and had fatally crashed. That’s all she knew—that’s all anyone seemed to know at this point.

“Hi.” The older man walked up to Justine. “I’m Eddy, Maxine’s husband. Sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. Can I get you anything? Water or something stronger?”

Justine shook Eddy’s hand. “Justine.” She didn’t really know how to introduce herself. Who was she to this family? Sienna had told her that her mother and sister knew about them, but how much did Eddy know? “Sienna’s in this, um, movie about my life.” How stupid did that sound? Especially in the light of what had just happened. Sienna and Taissa had lost their father. “We were all having dinner at the director’s place when Sienna got the call.”

“Thanks for bringing her here,” Eddy said. “How about a drop of scotch?”

Justine nodded. At least, if she had a drink, she could stay a while longer, and keep an eye on Sienna. Justine would never know what it felt like to have her father pass away so suddenly, but she knew very well what it felt like to lose a parent, just like that. To become an orphan, even if your parents were still alive. She would try to be there for Sienna as much as she could—as much as Sienna would let her.

“Hi, Justine.” Maxine Brewster walked up to her, her arms wide open. “God, what a mess.” She shook her head, before pulling Justine into a loose hug.

What a way to meet your girlfriend’s mother, Justine thought, as she stood stiffly in Maxine’s arms. Until now, Justine’s love life had never included any meet-the-parents moments, and this was not how she’d pictured it when it had to finally happen. Yet, that’s how life was. Full of cruel and shocking turns.

“Here you go.” Eddy had returned with a glass of scotch. “I’ll get some for the girls as well. I think they need it.” He put his arm around his wife’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Maxine leaned into his touch for a split second, then straightened her spine.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t know what to make of you and Sienna,” Maxine said when Eddy was out of earshot. “But I’m so glad she has you right now.”

“I know a thing or two about dealing with the hard stuff life throws at you,” Justine said. “Sienna can count on me.”

“Thank you.” Maxine fixed her gaze on Justine. “We’re all just so shocked right now.”

“I bet.” Justine sipped from the scotch. She didn’t have the palate to know whether it was cheap or expensive—from the mansion she was standing in, she gathered the latter—but it did its job of calming her nerves somewhat.

“Thanks for staying so long.” Sienna’s eyes were red and her cheeks blotched. What Justine wouldn’t give to take this pain away from her, or to shoulder some of it, but she didn’t have that power—nor could she turn back time and prevent Bobby Bright from getting on his motorcycle. All she could do was physically be here.

“Of course.” Justine took Sienna’s hands in her. “Whatever you need.”

“I’ll stay here tonight, with my mom.”

“That makes sense.”

“Taissa and her family are staying as well.” Every word Sienna spoke sounded as though she had to force it through her choked up throat.

“You should be together.” Justine wanted to draw Sienna near, but she didn’t want to take that initiative with her family sitting so close by. “Do you want me to stay a little longer?”

“You’ve been here for hours already. You should go home. Get some rest.”

“Okay. If you’re sure.” Justine discreetly caressed Sienna’s palm with her thumb. “Call me anytime. I mean it. Anytime.”

Sienna gazed into her eyes and her body seemed to deflate completely. She threw herself into Justine’s arms. Within seconds, Justine’s neck was slippery and wet with Sienna’s tears. Justine did all she could do, which was hold Sienna tight. No one in the family seemed to bat an eyelid at this—under the circumstances, they couldn’t care less.

Taissa and her husband got up to put their daughters to bed, while Eddy topped up his and Maxine’s glass.

“I feel so fucking empty,” Sienna managed to whisper in Justine’s ear. “It’s impossible to believe he’s gone.”

“I know.” Justine stroked Sienna’s hair and held her close. “Why don’t I stay? You can sleep in my arms.” That’s what they’re for, she thought, because she felt for Sienna so much—because she cared for her. Because Justine was madly in love with this grief-stricken, broken person barely hanging on in her arms.

Sienna’s chin nodded against Justine’s shoulder.

Sienna had lain awake in Justine’s arms, quietly sniffling, for hours. She didn’t talk, as though she had lost the power of speech altogether. She just lay there, absorbing the shock, processing what had happened—that her father had lost his life in a stupid accident.

Before they’d gone to bed, a police officer had called with more information. Apparently, Bobby had lost control of his bike and had collided with an overpass on the freeway. He had died instantly. He hadn’t been under the influence of alcohol or drugs and, thankfully, no other vehicles had been involved in the accident. So much for small mercies. Because Sienna and Taissa had still lost their dad.

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