Page 69 of Revive Me

“So…what would you normally be doing on a Thursday night?”

She seems amused by my question. “Rotting at home on the couch with Garfield.”

I chuckle. “Alright, what if we were doing this on a Saturday night?”

She hums. “Saturdaynight?Probably nothing. Not much has changed from when you met me two years ago. I’m still not a big partier. Possibly going out to dinner with my friend Tina, but that’s about it.” I’m about to ask a follow-up question when she adds, “Now if we’re talking weekends in general…that’s a different story.”

My eyebrow quirks in curiosity. “Do tell.”

She shrugs, smiling. “Tina always teases me for it, but I really only have two modes: homebody or adrenaline junkie. I’m either sitting at home, bingeing five seasons of Breaking Bad, or diving a shipwreck with my brothers. I have no in between.”

“I feel like those things would appeal for different reasons,” I say with interest. “Although, even before my injury, I don’t think you would have gotten me into a shipwreck. Swimming with turtles, absolutely, but goinginsidea shipwreck? That sounds terrifying, Liliana.”

“You say that now, but I bet I could change your mind,” she says. “It’s a surreal and incredible experience to be swimming between the tables of an old dining hall.”

I try to picture it, which is why it takes me a second to notice that Lily is looking at me funny, her eyes slightly glassy.

And then I realize…it’s the first time I’ve talked casually about the before and after of my injury.

The thought is a shocking one. So much so that I need to steer the conversation back to Lily before I can dwell on it.

“So…brothers? Plural?”

She nods. “Two. Sean is older, Colin is younger.”

“What about your parents?”

I watch her throat move on a rough swallow. “It’s just my dad. My mom passed away when I was young.”

My chest tightens, knowing the loss of a parent all too well. “Shit, I’m sorry, Liliana,” I say quietly.

She gives me a shaky, but genuine, smile. “It’s okay. It was a long time ago.”

I take a sip of my drink, giving her an opening. After my dad died, I shut down any conversation about him when people tried to talk to me. But on the other hand, I could see that it helped my mom to talk. I want to give Lily the opportunity to take this conversation whichever way she needs, and I’ll be supportive regardless.

I think she might know what I’m doing because she gives me a grateful smile. “Do you have any siblings? And if you don’t, would you like to borrow any or all of mine?”

I let out a relieved chuckle. “No and no. Sorry, I’ve already got a friend who acts like an annoying little brother. I don’t think I could handle any extras.”

She seems to perk up at that tidbit. “Oh yeah? Who’s that?”

“His name’s Mikey. We were best friends in middle school. We…lost touch after high school for a few years, but one day, he just showed up on my doorstep like a stray.” Huffing a laugh, I add, “At any given point, he might walk into my house and raid my fridge. The guy has zero boundaries.”

When Lily’s smile grows, I study her for a moment. “He would absolutely love you,” I tell her. “If he were here, I guarantee you two would become instant best friends, and I’d be left third wheeling in the cold, suddenly the butt of every joke.”

“Well, now I have to meet him,” she says with a laugh. “I’ll take all the help I can get with making you the butt of every joke.”

I shoot her a glare, but there’s a playful undertone in it. We’ve come a long way from the grumbles and glares of day one.

We’re interrupted briefly when the waitress appears with our orders, and the food smells so good that our conversation stops for a few minutes as we both tear into our cheesesteaks.

Lily lets out a groan of appreciation, then covers her still-full mouth with her napkin and says, “This is the ideal pub cheesesteak.”

I nod my agreement, too busy taking another giant bite to answer with words.

“What would you say your favorite food is?” she asks.

“Right now? This cheesesteak.”

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