Page 107 of The One for Me
“Dad said he’d do it so we could watch a movie anywhere we wanted. He used to take Mom out to the field in his convertible and look at the stars.”
“I didn’t know them that well because he was much older than me, but they seemed really happy.”
He nods once. “They were. They laughed a lot and danced all the time. It was gross.”
I nudge him softly. “It’s what guys do when they love a girl.”
The mood drops a bit as he looks down. “Did you hear me last night?”
Each night, Austin wakes us up screaming. His nightmares are horrible, and it’s the same dream each time. This is the first time he’s talked to me about it. “I did, but . . . there’s no judgment here. I had nightmares for years after my mother died.”
“Aunt Devney said that.”
Of course she did. “She loves that she knows something I never told anyone.” I nod and give him a small smile. “I tried to stop them. I thought if I could fall asleep later or earlier or sleep with something I loved it would stop, but it didn’t. Not right away.”
“I see the accident.”
“Yeah?”
“The sounds are so loud, and I think it’s happening.”
This kid needs a break. I hate that he’s dealing with so much at such a young age. “I want to reassure you that it’s okay and the accident isn’t happening, but you know that. What maybe you need to hear is that it will stop. One day, you won’t have these dreams and you won’t feel sad. I know it feels like it’ll never happen, but time really does heal things. You’ll walk again. You’ll have a new routine and things will become . . . different, but steady. We’ll be here to help you.”
“But you’re going to leave soon.”
My stomach drops, and the new territory I thought I could navigate becomes filled with obstacles I can’t avoid.
“The season starts soon, and I have training, but that’s part of the game.”
“Where will we go?”
“You and your aunt are welcome to stay here. No one is going to throw you out when I leave. Not to mention . . .”I really want you both to come with me.“. . . we still have time.”
Austin moves his leg a little, wincing as he does. “I guess.”
“We’ll figure it out. I’ve been around for twenty years with your aunt and she hasn’t been able to get rid of me yet, don’t worry.”
I say what might have been my famous last words because every outward indication says she wants me, but every warning bell in my head is going off.
He smiles and grabs the remote. “Should we watch another episode?”
I force myself to return his grin. “Yeah, let’s do that.”
* * *
“Are you still planning to come over for Christmas morning?” Ellie asks as she places a cake on the table.
“The hell if I know.”
She rolls her eyes. “I wasn’t asking you.” She turns to Devney.
Dev shrugs. “It was the plan, but now with Austin and my parents really needing to be around him, I’m not sure.”
“I get it. You don’t have to be here at a set time, but if you can, we’d love to have you.”
We came by to get Austin out of the house and force him to be around someone other than us. Since the accident, he hasn’t returned to school and since Christmas break starts tomorrow, Devney didn’t want to push it.
Hadley brought his work home and has taken it upon herself to teach him everything he missed.
