Page 106 of Fearless

“She’ll hate you either way,” Ghost said. “At least this is quick.”

“Mags won’t go along with this.”

“Mags will do what I tell her, because I’m her husband.”

Mercy pushed to his feet, the weight across his shoulders crushing. “You know,” he said with a humorless smile, “everyone thinks I’m the monster around here. They’re wrong.”

“I want to see him.”

Maggie blew on her spoonful of soup to cool it and sent Ava a truly strange look down on her end of the sofa.

“What?”

They were having a mid-afternoon slumber party of sorts, complete with comfy sweats, pillows, chicken noodle, and a midday showing ofRoadhouseon cable. Ava was propped up in the corner, heating pad across her lap, pain meds making her nice and lightheaded.

“How’s your head feel?” Maggie asked, popping her spoon in her mouth.

Ava was getting really sick of her family’s avoidance of everything she mentioned. They were treating her like a mental patient. “Mom, did you hear me? I said I wanted to see Mercy. Can he come by the house?”

Maggie lowered her spoon slowly, her expression cautious. “Considering you were keeping your relationship secret, you sure got comfy talking about it all of a sudden.”

Ava shrugged. “Everyone knows at this point. Why should I hide it?”

“I’m not saying you should, but I–”

“So can he come by?” She lifted her phone. “I’m going to call him.”

Maggie made a staying motion. “Hold up a second here, okay? And let’s think about things. Even if he knows about it, there’s no way your father is going to let you two sit on the couch and make out like teenagers.”

“Iama teenager, Mom.”

“You’re sureactinglike one,” Maggie muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Maggie stood. “Here, is your soup cold? Mine is. I’ll warm them up.” And she took Ava’s bowl from her hands and whisked off toward the kitchen without waiting for a response.

Ava hated this. Something huge had happened, something wrecking and life-altering, and she needed to see Mercy, for more than a few stolen, non-private moments in the hospital. She needed the warmth of lamplight and his lap to curl up on, and the quiet intimacy of just-them. She needed to see him,neededto. Her teeth and fingernails itched at being separated.

While Maggie was gone, she fired off a text to him, asking him to swing by. The phone was stowed beneath her pillow when Maggie returned, steaming bowls in hand.

“Okay, here we go. Nothing as shitty as cold soup.” Maggie handed Ava her bowl back and resumed her seat, chipper in an obviously fake way. She glued her gaze to the TV. “What’d I miss?”

“Mom.” Maggie stiffened at the tone. “Why are you acting like there’s something wrong with me?”

Her mom turned to her, something guilty in her eyes. “Honestly?”

Ava nodded.

“Because I don’t think what happened the other night has really hit you yet. And when it does, I think it’s going to hurt so much worse than you know right now.”

“What? Like I’m in shock?”

“Yeah.”

Ava sighed. “I’m fine.”

“Baby.” Maggie laid a hand on her upraised knee. “You lost–”

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