Page 63 of Charge

Everleigh laughed. “Please don’t cook. I want to reach my next birthday. Though I’ll take you up on the babysitting. But you don’t have to pay me back, just so we’re clear. And Sofie will be ecstatic to know you’re coming to stay with us.”

“As soon as I’ve found a job and have some money saved up, I’ll move out. It’s only going to be for a few weeks, tops.”

“You can stay as long as you like.”

“I love you, Ever.”

“And I love you. Now get some sleep. Moving is hard work.” There was a muffled conversation, and then Everleigh came back on the line. “Lucius says to let him know what day you want to move and he’ll organize a truck from one of his friends.”

“How about this weekend?”

“Sounds good. I’ll drop in tomorrow to help pack.”

“Thank you so much for everything.”

“That’s what friends are for. Now go to bed. After all you have a few days of packing ahead of you.”

Her excitement was contagious, and I hung up with a smile on my face. I even managed a few hours of sleep.

17

ARCHER

Leif grabbedthe Jell-O off my untouched dinner tray. “Don’t like your Jell-O?”

I grumbled a response, not moving my attention from the window I’d been staring out of for the past hour. But I wasn’t really seeing anything, my thoughts scattered. I hadn’t seen nor talked to Thea in nearly three weeks.

The TV turned on, and I finally moved my gaze to Leif, who was now flicking through the channels. I shot him a glare that had brought lesser men to their knees. “Don’t you have something better to do than sit in a hospital and eat Jell-O?”

Grinning, he ate another bite of the lime-green dessert. “Nope.”

I dropped my head back to the pillow and groaned. Someone had been with me every day I’d been at the hospital, and all I wanted was to be left to stew in my misery.

The bullet that had gone through my leg had done a lot of damage, and I’d needed surgery.

I’d made everyone who came to my room swear on their mother that they wouldn’t tell Thea or my sister what had happened. I didn’t want her to come back to me out of obligation. I wanted her to choose me.

But since I couldn’t even make it to the bathroom without help yet, I had no hope of getting on a plane to see her yet.

“You have your therapy session today?”

Whoever was here knew my schedule and made sure I did my exercises, no matter how small they were, and attended my therapy sessions.

“You know I do, since you all seem to study my schedule like it’s your own.”

He finished the disgusting Jell-O and put the empty cup back on my tray. “Excellent. I’ll get your computer ready.”

I grunted in reply, turning my attention back to the window. Leif put the computer on the small table that usually held my food, pushing the lunch tray to the side. He went so far as to turn on my computer and bring up the video.

“I have to run, but Gunner will be in later.”

I groaned, fighting hard not to roll my eyes. “Tell him not to bother. Once I finish talking to Callie, I’m going to sleep.”

“You know he’ll come whether you’re asleep or not. I really think you call Thea. She’d want to be here with you.” When I didn’t reply and just stared at him he shrugged and finally turned to leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The video screen came to life, and Callie’s smiling face appeared. “Hi, Archer. I see you’re still going for the grungy look.”

“Not sure what my appearance has to do with our therapy session.”

---