Page 54 of Thorn Kiss
Me
Just heard about Laura. I’ll come by with lunch. Any requests?
Junebug
Oh god, you don’t have to. She’s okay, we’ve been binge watching a show together
Me
What do you want to eat?
It was like pulling teeth to get her to let me help sometimes. I wasn’t going to back down, though. I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to help out.
Junebug
Laura is requesting some peach cobbler.
Me
I’ll pick up BBQ then. Be over soon
“So are you going to tell me what’s up with you and June?”
“No. It’s none of your business,” I said icily.
Austin chuckled and sipped his tea like he’d just won an argument. “Okay. If you say so.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
June
Dallas didn’t ring the bell. I heard a couple soft knocks then the sound of my front door swinging open, the shuffle of his boots on hardwoods and the crinkle of the takeout bag, the scent of barbecue following.
He poked his head around the corner and I held my finger to my lips.
Laura had fallen asleep about twenty minutes ago. Her hand was bandaged and propped up on a pillow and she sprawled out on the Breakdown Couch, her snores soft.
Dallas’s eyes softened and he slipped off his boots before tiptoeing to the kitchen.
There was no need for him to stop by and bring us food. But the fact that he had was a reminder that not even Ethan had come by again to see her. All of my friends had been here for her before him.
Work, therapy, a quick phone call to check on her. After we took care of payments yesterday, he hugged her at the hospital and left. His insurance payments had lapsed. Fifteen hundred dollars later, my niece was stitched up, and I was ready to burn down the entire healthcare system and put a hex on my brother for being a shitty dad.
Evie and Avery had slept over last night, but by the time we got home, we’d been too exhausted to debrief. We’d agreed I’d be summoned in a couple days so we could talk about Madi—but until then, I was off the hook.
Slowly, carefully, I wormed my way off the couch without waking Laura. When I got to the kitchen, he’d already made me a plate with my favorites.
I went very still.
I hated it when he was like this.
Too kind. Too thoughtful.
“Hey,” he whispered. “What happened?”
“She was working in the backroom and the scissors slipped.” My throat burned as I leaned against the counter. “It’s my fault.”
Dallas shook his head and slid my plate over. “It’s not.”
