Page 46 of Fractured Constellations
“They’re on one of Dad’s business trips,” Thorn tells me, and I look up, my hand falling limply to my lap, my phone still in my fingers. Blade squeezes my other hand again.
“Oh,” I reply, my voice small. It’s like since she’s married Richard, I’ve ceased to exist. It’s a bitter pill to swallow,especially as she’s always been here before, well, as much as she could anyway.
“She should have called sooner,” Blade grunts out, and I switch my gaze to him. His nostrils are flared, his teeth almost bared as he finishes, “I’m sorry she didn’t, Goldilocks.”
Swallowing, my eyes prick with tears that I really don’t want to shed right now.
“It’s fine. She’s just been super busy with all the stuff your dad wants her to do, now they’re married,” I say, taking an inhale through my nose. I don’t miss the glances the triplets exchange at my words, the furrowed brows. “What?”
“Nothing,” Chase starts, rubbing my foot under the blanket, but I give him a raised brow, and he blows a breath out. “It’s just surprising that he’s keeping her so busy and away from you.”
My eyebrows hit my hairline. “You think he’s doing it on purpose?”
He huffs a frustrated breath. “I don’t know, Star, but I’ll find out. You just focus on getting better. Let us worry about it.” I open my mouth to protest, but he interrupts me. “Please?”
I can’t deny them when they say please. There’s something about these larger than life guys pleading with me that renders me useless.
“Fine, but at least promise you’ll tell me what you discover?”
“I promise, Star,” Chase says, leaning down and placing a kiss on my foot, even though the blanket is over the top of it.
We slip back into just letting the treatment do its thing, the guys taking turns sitting next to me or helping me to the bathroom, napping on the bed with me. It’s mid-afternoon when Patty returns with Doctor Harrison, the specialist Chase managed to get to take my case on.
“Good afternoon, Luna. How are you doing?” he asks, coming up to the bedside and looking at my chart. He’s older, hishair is grey, and he has round glasses, which make his eyes look like an owls. It’s quite endearing if I’m honest.
“Feeling crappy to be truthful, but glad it’s almost all over for now,” I tell him honestly as Patty sets up the last treatment.
“As to be expected. This treatment is not for the faint of heart, and you’ve done remarkably well, Luna,” he tells me, and it does make me feel a little better about it all. “Aside from that initial reaction, the rest seems to have gone by without a hitch, which is good.”
“So we’re all set to continue with the treatment plan?” Chase asks, and Dr. Harrison blinks before turning to him.
“Looks like it. Plus, as you all came back as a match for Luna, we can use you for the bone marrow transplant later on. Your blood matches too, which is helpful,” he says, and I startle.
“They’re a match?” I ask, remembering them telling me they were going to get tested. I’d forgotten about it, and now the idea makes my heart beat faster, the monitor bleeping a little, letting the whole room know.
“They are, which is extremely lucky. You are very fortunate to have such caring brothers, Luna,” the doctor replies, and my cheeks heat, because what we’ve done, what we have, is not like normal siblings.
“Stepbrothers,” I respond instantly, and Thorn gives me a shit-eating grin, which I catch and glare back at him.
“Of course,” Harrison smoothly says, his eyes darting to Blade next to me, clearly noticing the closeness of him by my side, holding my hand. “Well, I shall leave you to have your last treatment, but things are looking promising, Luna.”
“I’d like to just finalize a few details before you go, Doctor,” Chase states, getting up and heading over to the table where his laptop sits.
“Of course,” the doctor replies and walks to be beside him. They don’t hide their conversation from me, and I watch, alittle slack-jawed as Chase asks the doctor technical questions, asking adjustments where needed. It blows my mind that I have such advocates in the triplets. That I don’t have to make all the decisions by myself, or with limited knowledge, because I have them now.
A flash of worry tightens my stomach at how reliant I’m becoming on them for all of this, for depending on them so much with my care and with my heart. We hardly know each other. Shit, I don’t even know what their favorite colors are.
“What’s wrong, Goldilocks?” Blade asks as Patty finishes up.
I turn to look at him, his hunter-green eyes full of worry.
“What’s your favorite color?”
“Navy blue,” he answers, no hesitation or questioning as to why I’m asking. “My favorite food is pizza, any kind as long as there’s no fucking vegetables on it. I like working out, boxing is my favorite sport if I had to choose.”
My chest warms at the fact he somehow knew what I was worrying over.
“I like pizza too, plain tomato and cheese is my favorite,” I tell him, and he gives me a half smirk that melts me a little more inside.
