Page 120 of Pick Me

“I’m right here, and you have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice.”

Before I could open my eyes, I felt a shift—a different hand slipping into mine.

“Thea.”

Tanner’s voice pulled me from the haze, and as I blinked awake, I found him watching me, his expression tight with worry. He gently brushed a strand of hair from my face, his touch careful, almost hesitant.

“How are you feeling? Do you remember who I am?”

His voice cracked, his brow furrowed, and the way he studied me sent a familiar ache through my chest. It was the same look he’d given me that night in high school—the night he found me in the bathroom after everything fell apart.

For a split second, I wanted to tease him, maybe pretend I didn’t know who he was because he was my brother and it was my job to annoy him. However, the anxiety etched across Tanner’s face made me hold back. Clearly, this wasn’t a moment for jokes.

“How could I forget you, Tan Tan? You took up all the space in the womb, leaving me to fester in the corner and survive on the scraps.” I shuffled in the bed, noting the stabbing pain in my shoulder as I did it.

“Glad to see you haven’t lost your spirit,” Tanner said, softer this time.

“What happened?” By now, I could open my eyes just enough to take in the sling securing my arm and the bandage wrapped around my forehead. A jolt of realization hit me, my eyes widening as the reality of it all sank in. “Did I break my arm? What happened to my head?”

The entire event started coming into focus. Tanner, Aster, and Jackson were all here with the same worried expression as they watched me. Did I look that bad?

“Anyone going to tell me?”

Aster stepped forward. “They think you sprained your shoulder. The sling is there holding it in place until we get the x-ray results back,” she answered, stepping away from the couch and giving me a timid smile. Why was everyone in the room looking at me as though I could break?

“A sprained shoulder? That sounds like an injury Tanner would get.”

“It is. You’re officially an athlete now, Pyro.” Ignoring the pain, I turned to look at Jackson who was standing at the back of the room, giving me a hesitant smile. “You usually only get those kinds of injuries on the field.”

“Do you really think it’s time for jokes, Jackson?” Tanner glared at my boyfriend. “When you knocked my sister unconscious and injured her shoulder?”

“Wait, what happened?”

Tanner sighed, and the bags under his eyes were almost black, and his hair was all over the place. It was obvious he hadn’t slept in days. “Jackson wrecked his car with you in it.”

“He did?”

Tanner stopped me as I tried to shift my weight, which was helpful since every move sent pain down my spine. “Do you remember anything about last night?”

I tried to think, but it hurt. A lot. Like hot iron to the skin kind of hot. So much so, I drew in a sharp breath. Tanner’s thumb rubbed across my palm, offering me little comfort.

“We went to the banquet dinner with the dean…” Tanner started.

“I remember that. Just not much after.”

My brother laughed bitterly, glaring at Jackson again. “Well, Jackson got shitfaced before driving you home and wrecked his car.”

Wrecked his car?

“He wasn’t drunk,” I answered. “He was with me the entire time. I would’ve seen it.”

“You sure about that?” Tanner asked with a sarcastic edge to his voice. “He drove directly into a tree. If that doesn’t scream drunk behind the wheel, then I don’t know what does.”

As if it was a flash of recognition, it all came back to me. Jackson holding my hand, us in the car. Me on his lap. My head between his… Fuck. Was the wreck because of me?

“Did he take a breathalyzer? He wasn’t drunk.” I kept talking to try to process everything that was happening. Jackson was now staring at the ground, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he refused to make eye contact with anyone. “He didn’t hurt me. I’m fine. There’s no need to worry.”

“Except for the sprained shoulder and concussion,” Jackson said, his voice soft. I could feel his urge to touch me, and I had the same need too. I needed to be comforted by him. The only person able to take away my pain. He wouldn’t, though. He was respecting my brother, and the unease in the room gave me enough indication he hadn’t told Tanner why the accident occurred.

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