Page 16 of North
I felt helpless. Like I stepped on a landmine without even knowing. I wanted to apologize but I didn’t know the exact words to use.
I only wanted her to eat as much as she could. I never meant to embarrass her. Now I wasn’t sure what to do to take away the sting. I wanted to see the light in her eyes again and I kept fucking it up.
“Seriously. I wasn’t trying to call attention to a soft spot.” My words were clunky and odd piling up between us. “I think you’re beautiful and I want to do whatever I can to make sure you’re healthy and happy again. I miss the way you look when you’re happy, Shortcake.”
I took a chance and slid my finger along her jawline. She didn’t push me away at least. I moved my hand to the damp braid hanging over her shoulder and gave her a small smile. She didn’t return it but some of the frost in her stare was gone.
“I’m not beautiful, Kane. You don’t have to patronize me like you did when I was little.” Hurt flickered behind her irises.
“Patronize?” I laughed involuntarily making North’s frown deepen. “When I say you’re beautiful I mean it and I always have.”
“Well, you’re the only one,” she scoffed. I pulled her against me and kissed the top of her head.
“That’s not true. I’m not encouraging you to date or else I’d introduce you to some guys your age so you could see what a babe you are inside and out.”
Her laughter was as loud and bright as her cringe. “Oh my god, please don’t ever say babe like that again.”
“What? Is that not acceptable anymore?” I pretended to think and stroke my chin while North erupted in uncontrollable laughter.
“No, absolutely not.” She hid her mouth behind her hand and shook her head at me.
“See? This is when you’re the most beautiful.” I turned her toward the mirror on the wall and put my hands firmly on her shoulders. “That light in your eyes shines through and brightens your entire face, Shortcake. One day, you’ll see it.” I squeezed her cheeks.
“Thank you, Kane.” Our eyes found each other in the mirror and I hoped she saw the sincerity there.
“Any time. Now, let’s eat this damn pizza and watch some movies. My stomach is growling.”
I sat on the floor and North laid on the bed for the first movie. By the end of the second one, she was on the floor with me, leaning her head on my shoulder. The desire to protect her swelled in my chest the way it should have after I divorced Izzy. I was too scared then. I was purposefully blind.
Not anymore.
Not ever again.
…
CHAPTER 7
I was so still that my chest barely moved when I breathed. I didn’t want to move at all if I could help it. A severe migraine seized my head, cracking into my skull and taking over my entire body. I didn’t want to hear sounds or see light but that wasn’t going to work.
Today was Mom’s funeral.
Well, it was a memorial service. Dad made arrangements days ago to have her cremated because she never had a preference. Her remains were shipped to the house in Telluride and that’s where we had her memorial.
The only people who were going to be in attendance besides me were Kane and his best friend Elijah. I invited Sierra but she was caught up at work and couldn’t make it. It seemed since I’d moved out of Delta she never had time to speak to me. I missed my friend and I hadn’t heard her voice in two weeks.
My brain shattered into a million slivers when a deep knock sounded from the other side of my bedroom door. Kane left me alone to get dressed and the moment I got out of the shower, my symptoms started. I almost wished he hadn’t gone this morning when the sun rose. Every night since I came to stay with him, Kane laid beside me until I fell asleep. Last night he fell asleep before he could leave but when he noticed the sun in the sky, he hurried out of the queen-sized bed and told me to get ready.
“Come in,” I said just above a whisper. The sound of my own voice pushed a wave of dizziness into me that made my stomach roil.
“You ready? Elijah will be here in a little while.”
“Not yet. My head is killing me.” I pressed my palm to my clammy forehead and tried to suppress the tears begging to come out. If I started crying, it would make everything worse. I’d shiver and turn eerily pale. On top of already freezing and trying desperately not to succumb to the urge to vomit everywhere, I didn’t need to add anything else to my symptom list.
Kane’s thick dark brows pulled together low on his forehead as he examined me in the dusky light of my bedroom. He closed the door behind himself, blocking out the daylight spilling into the hallway then climbed in bed with me.
Oh god, he smelled good.
I was worried smelling him might intensify the migraine but honestly, it was soothing as hell. His strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me close. He was clear fresh air, clean linens, and soap.
