Page 71 of Dear Adam
“What?”
“Nothing,” she says and turns back to her arrangement.
“What?” I repeat, facing her fully, my voice rising in agitation.
“It’s just that…you saw Levi for what? An hour this morning? And you already seem different. Like there’s a light back in your eyes that wasn't there when he was gone.”
I pause and suck in a breath. That can’t be right. “What? No. There’s no way. I’m still hurting. I’m still upset with him. It’s probably just the three cups of coffee I had this morning.”
“I’m just saying,” Emma says, the corner of her lips curving into a smile.
Work flies by thanks to fourteen new online orders and the last of the summer tourists stopping by to browse. Within no time, I’m locking the door and putting what’s left of the fresh flowers back into the cooler. Pretzel and I say our goodbyes to Emma for the weekend, then head to see Adam. My plan is to keep her in my backpack and pray she doesn’t bark. Today should be Adam’s last day in the hospital if his vitals stay steady.
When we finally arrive, I walk down to his room, thinking I could probably find it with my eyes closed at this point. As I round the corner, familiar voices trail down the hall.
“I don’t know what to tell you, man. You know how stubborn she can be,” Adam says above the chatter coming from other rooms.
“I can’t stop thinking about her.” A second, muffled voice says, and I can’t quite make out who it is. “I’m sorry for trying to go after her without your permission.”
Adam’s laugh rings out, warming my heart. I creep closer, my nosiness getting the best of me.
“You don’t need my permission. I should be apologizing to you for getting in the way every time you tried to make a move on her in high school. Heck, now I probably wouldn’t trust anyone with herbutyou. She’s my sister, though, you know? I had to make sure she was okay. I didn’t realize what she meant to you then or now.”
I freeze in my tracks.
“She means a lot to me, man.” Levi pauses and then awkwardly clears his throat. “I…I love her.”
Those three words send my head spinning. The hallway walls whirl around, closing in on me, Adam’s room getting farther and farther away.
Get a grip, Aly. Boys have told you they loved you before.
But not Levi.
Levi loves me.
And then…the world goes black.
“Can you hear me?”
I blink open my eyes to a nurse standing over me, waving an ammonia stick in front of my face, the smell so terrible I want to slap it out of her hand.
“Yes,” I say and roll onto my side, then all fours. Instantly, I scan the area for my backpack and can’t find it anywhere. Panic rises in my chest when Levi pops his head out of the room.
“I’ve got your backpack. It’s safe and sound with Adam,” he says with a wink. My heart rate begins to return to normal, and I’m thankful he knew to grab it and Pretzel before anyone found her.
“Can you stand?” the nurse asks and offers a hand. “I can get a wheelchair if you feel like you need it.”
“I’m fine,” I say, ignoring her hand and standing woozily to my feet. “Thank you.”
“When you landed, you made a strange noise. Almost like a yip. I knew it must’ve hurt,” the nurse says, with concern. “Have you eaten today?”
I think back on the three coffees I had earlier. “I haven’t.”
“What room are you headed to? I’ll bring in some crackers and juice.” I point to Adam's door, and she nods before turning away.
“You okay?” Levi asks.
“Never better,” I mumble, my cheeks turning crimson.
