Page 106 of Hollywood Comes Home

Game night. He repeated.Friday. Yes?

Yeah, we’ll be there.

* * *

“Hey hey!” I announced, as Amber and I entered the back door into the kitchen of the Knight’s home.

She sashayed to the counter, setting down the veggie tray, chips, and homemade salsa. Jenna hurried to me, throwing her arms around my waist, hugging me slightly tighter than was comfortable. I grumbled faintly, causing her to pull away. Taking my hand in hers, she peered into my eyes, searching for any sign of distress.

“It’s okay, I’m doing much better each day.”

The obvious was on her mind.Tyler. I wanted to ask about him, and normally I would’ve, but I kept my questions to myself. I figured it’d be the last thing she’d want to discuss on a night that was supposed to be fun for us.

“Can we talk?” She shifted her gaze to the backyard.

Nodding, I staggered to the back door, holding it open for her. I made brief eye contact with Ian, who chewed the inside of his lip, nodding vaguely. I stepped outside behind Jenna, closing us off from the rest of our friends.

Walking over to the small wrought-iron railing of the covered back porch, she gripped it. It didn’t take more than a few outdoor lights to tell that her knuckles were white. Setting my cane against the wall, I lurched over, enveloping my arm around her. Turning toward me, she wrapped her arms around my waist once again. Leaning her head into my chest, she sobbed.

“What am I going to do if Ty dies?”

“Jen.” I sighed, stroking the back of her head. “You can’t think that way, babe.”

“He’s not made any progress.” Tearing away, she took a step back, folding her arms. “Mila wouldn’t even come over tonight.”

“Well,” I shook my head. “That’s his wife, and she might want to deal with this in private. The kids might be out of sorts too.”

“I know, but—” Her sentence fell short. Her head dropped. Her bottom lip quivered. “Chance.”

Throwing her arms around me for the third time since I arrived minutes ago, she clutched onto me. A little tighter. A little longer. A little more desperate, as if she were clinging on to life. “I can’t ever lose you.” She wailed into my shirt, crumbling to the brick floor beneath us.

I collapsed with her, pulling her into my arms. Grimacing in an immense amount of pain, I still held her tightly, allowing her to cry as hard as she needed into my body. “I’m not going anywhere.”

She peered into my eyes. The moonlight and hanging strands of lights forced a glistening reflection off her tears. Reaching over, I pressed my thumbs to her cheeks, swiping the wetness from her face. Wiping my hands on my thighs, I exhaled. She choked back the small lingering sobs, inhaling unsteadily.

“Listen to me,” I took a deep breath, “I know I’m normally a sarcastic asshat and I know I give everyone shit all the time, but Tyler is like family to me. I know he isn’t my brother, so I can’t possibly know what it feels like for you, but I can tell you we’re all here for you. We’re making tonight as normal as possible.” I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Ty’s fighting because he has a family of his own now, and he has us. He has every reason to fight, and he will. He’s strong.” Taking her hands in mine, I gazed into her eyes. “You have to be strong, too. You have no choice. You also have little kids who need the best version of you. Yes, it’s okay to cry and be upset, but you have to show your kids the strong side of you as well.”

She nodded silently in agreement.

“Tyler is hurt, yes, but he is not dead.” I reassured her.

“And what if—”

“Jenna.” I pressed my finger to her lips. “He isn’t.”

Averting her gaze, she bowed her head. “Okay. I get it.”

“Can we please get back inside because my ass is killing me?” I thumped her kneecap. “And you just took me down.”

“Oh my God!” She gasped. “I’m so freaking sorry, and I just had a baby. I’m still healing, but I just made you practically fall.”

Shaking my head, I chuckled. “I’m fine.” I pointed to the wall. “Can you just hand me my cane?”

She sprung to her feet, grabbing it for me.

“Thanks.”

Narrowing her eyes, she pursed her lips.

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