Page 52 of Make Us Yours
“You look beautiful, by the way,” I tell her, before starting the car and pulling out onto the road.
“Thank you,” she says with a soft smile when I peek at her. “Do you think she’ll like it?” She plays with the hem of her dress.
I frown in confusion. “Who?”
She’s quiet for a second before answering my question. “Trinity.”
My heart squeezes at the single word spoken from her lips. The single name. She’s talking as if my sister will be sitting up, waiting in her bed for us. Not an immobilized vessel just waiting to die.
I swallow around the lump of emotions fighting in my throat and clear it. “Yeah, Kitten. She’ll love it. Blue is actually her favorite color.”
She smiles again. “I can’t wait to meet her.” She squeezes my hand, then turns to look out the window.
The rest of the drive is done in silence as my nerves grow with every mile we gain until we reach the facility, and I find my hands clammy. I let go of Veronica’s and wipe them down my jeans, taking a deep breath. I can sense her watching me from the side, but I don’t dare look.
I don’t understand why I’m freaking out right now.
“If this is too much, Noah, it’s okay. I can just wait in the car while you go see her.” She places her slim hand on my forearm.
I look over at her, taking the time to breathe, then shake my head. “No, I want you to come with me. It’s just all new. I’m used to being alone.”
“Well, you don’t have to be alone anymore, Noah. You have me,” she whispers.
I don’t think she realizes how desperately I want those words to be true. How deeply I want to have her as mine in every sense of the word.
I nod and open my car door, stepping out, then walk over and open hers as I help her to her feet. She takes my hand in hers with a smile as we make our way inside. Once on the right floor, I spot Jannice and Everly, another nurse, chatting behind the counter. I walk up to them, unsure how to do things from here.
“Hey, Jannice. Everly.”
“Oh! Hi, Noah!” Jannice beams up at me.
“Congrats on your big win! We were all rooting for you guys,” Everly says.
“Thanks.” I smile, then look over at my Kitten. “This is Veronica.” I hesitate for a split second before deciding on what to say. “My girlfriend.” I’m not sure how she’ll react to that, but I thought it was the best way to get her in. I’m not even sure if I’m allowed to bring people with me or not.
Veronica’s expression doesn’t change. She keeps that pretty smile on her face, but I didn’t miss the slight squeeze in my hand when the words fell out of me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
Everly and Jannice smile at her and introduce themselves in return. I notice Jannice peeking at me with a sliver of disappointment in her eyes, but I ignore it. There was never going to be anything between us, and after five years, she should have realized that.
“So, do I have to sign her in or something?” I finally ask.
“Oh, no. You can just go on. But if you want to give her access to come alone, then yes, you’ll have to sign an authorization form. But we can take care of that after the visit is done, since it takes a little time to fill out,” Everly informs me.
“Okay. Well then, we’ll head in.”
I turn away from the counter and guide Veronica toward Trinity’s room. When my hand reaches for the knob, I notice a small tremble in it. I’m never nervous. Not like this. But something about this moment tugs at every cell in my body.
I guess the fear of not knowing how Veronica will act once she’s faced with my practically lifeless sister’s body is starting to grow stronger. But I shove those worries down and push the door open.
Taking a few steps in, she lets go of my hand and walks farther into the room, looking around as I close the door silently behind me. I don’t move from my spot, simply examine her as she gazes at the pictures on the dresser with a smile, then turns to look at my sister and back at me.
“May I?” She tilts her head toward the chair beside Trinny’s bed.
I nod, unable to speak at this moment.
She wanders over slowly, then sits down beside my sister. “Hi, Trinity. It’s lovely to finally meet you. I wish I could say I’ve heard a lot about you, but your brother tends to like keeping you to himself.” She chuckles.
“I’m not sure if you know who I am, but my name’s Veronica, and I’m a good friend of Noah’s.” She shakes her head. “Actually, what am I saying? Of course, you’ve heard about me. This guy is practically obsessed with me. I bet he spends all his time talking about me when he’s here.” This time she really laughs. “We’ll just pretend I don’t know about it.” When she peeks back at me, she winks, then returns her focus to my sister.
