Page 17 of Let It Snow
To be fair, I didn’t show up all day yesterday, so he has every right to be worried.
His massive stature fills the room; he has to bend to get in. First he glances around, then his eyes, identical to mine, one gold, one silver, lock on me with curiosity.
"Hello, Summer. How are you doing?"
I swallow and sit on the side of the bed.
Ragnar darts a gaze to the sheets as if searching for a nest, but there is just a flat comforter spread evenly. He perches on the edge too, so he doesn’t have to stand, otherwise he’d have to keep his head lowered. He is 7’1", so it’s hard for him to find a place where he actually isn’t hunched.
For a while he stares at me before saying, "Sun and I are chilling and regaining our strength, and we’re both worried about you. You stayed in your room the whole day… are you all right?"
He tilts his head, peering into my eyes, so I turn away to avoid revealing too much.
"Lake told us you had a… memory slip-up yesterday. Is it… coming back or not so much?"
I shrug.
My brother is silent for a while, then he says quietly, "Are you having problems with your speech? Is it hard to talk?"
I nod.
He sighs and says, "Have you reconsidered the doctor thing? You refused to see one when we arrived here, but maybe…?"
I violently shake my head.
Ragnar sighs and mutters, "Well, then I have no other idea. Except for you to stay here. I know it may sound strange, but I still think this is a good place for you to recover. Moon thought so too, and we should probably trust him, considering he’s a clairvoyant. Remember?" Now Ragnar’s tone is slightly ironic.
His eyes search my face. "Moon, you know… our third brother, my twin."
I make a face as if to scold him for thinking I forgot about Moon.
Ragnar brightens up. "I’m relieved you still remember him. I was kinda worried you’d lost it… all. Our past. But good. Now I know you’re still there…" He taps his temple.
Another moment of hesitation, as he rubs his chin, then he adds, "Will you go down for breakfast? It’s just starting."
I shake my head.
He sits like this for a while, pensive.
"Maybe it’s for the better you don’t feel any temptation to leave your room. The media can’t shut up about the FBI raid on the Ferros’ fortress. People are reading a lot about this family. Your photos also resurfaced…"
I clench my jaw and curl up a bit. Crap, that’s bad.
Ragnar notices it and goes silent for a while. "Let’s hope the FBI won’t show up, okay? You’re not the one involved in the Lowen assassination attempt. It was all Anzo Ferro."
I have no idea what he means, but then he slowly stands up. Good, maybe it’s better not to dig into it.
"I will check on you later. I ordered something for you; it should arrive today or tomorrow morning." He gives me a wink. "It may be of use!"
With that said, he walks toward the door, and the moment his hand lands on the handle he turns to me and adds, "Is… umm, Snow bothering you? I heard from Sun; he saw him playing under your balcony."
I quickly and decisively shake my head, and Ragnar subtly smirks.
"All righty, Summer. I’ll be back later. If you need anything, Sun and I are one floor below in the first room to the left of the stairs."
After I nod, he goes out, and I let out a sigh. I wish I could tell him more, but I simply can’t afford to use all my strength to push through the speech blockage.
Feeling impatient and strangely hyped up, I circle the room.
