“So were you,” he retorted. “And when I moved away, I didn’t keep in touch like I promised.” Clearly angry at himself, Denny shook his head. “You needed me, and I wasn’t there for you. And I’m really sorry. That was pretty shitty of me.”
“Are you kidding?” Incredulous, Kellan pointed over at me. “I slept with your girlfriend . . . repeatedly.” I flinched, and Abby squeezed my hand a little tighter.
Denny frowned. “Well, that was pretty shitty of you.” A sad smile darkened his features. “But I left you alone in hell . . . and I almost think that was worse.” He stuck his hand out to Kellan. “I know we’ve already put the past behind us, and I know we’re friends, but I want you to know, without a doubt in your head, that we’re still brothers. You understand me?”
Kellan still seemed shocked to his core, but he nodded and shook Denny’s hand. “Yeah, yeah, okay.”
Chapter 28
I Do
My mom was the first one to return to the hospital the next morning—bright and early the next morning. I was still sleeping on a chair in the corner of the room when she placed her hand on my shoulder. “Here, honey,” she whispered.
Groggily opening my eyes, I noticed the steaming cup of liquid she was holding and smiled. Coffee. And the good kind too—it was in a paper cup from an espresso stand, not a Styrofoam one from a vending machine. God, I loved my mom. “Thank you.”
Mom leaned against the windowsill, sipping her own cup of coffee, as she watched Kellan sleeping. Then her eyes drifted over to Denny, asleep in a chair on the other side of Kellan’s bed. I’d called Evan last night and asked him to return to the hospital to take Denny and Abby to the hotel the band was staying at the night before, but after making sure that Abby was settled, Denny had decided to stay with Kellan. Maybe seeing that a crucial moment was happening, the nurse on duty had let him.
Mom’s long brown hair was pulled back into a springy ponytail, giving me a full view of her expression. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, though. As I took a sip of my creamy caffeinated treat, I considered how odd it must seem to her to have my ex here. An ex I had cheated on with Kellan.
After another quiet moment of contemplation, Mom turned to me. Pointing at Denny with her pinky finger, she asked, “He really loves you, doesn’t he?”
She seemed concerned, like somehow he was a threat to Kellan. I loved that she felt protective of my husband. My lips creeping into a smile, I shook my head. “No, he loves Kellan. He came here for him.” My smile grew as I watched both boys sleeping. “He told Kellan they were still brothers . . . even after everything.”
Mom’s eyes widened as she took another sip of coffee. “That is a very forgiving friend that you both have. I hope you and Kellan realize how rare that is.”
I nodded, my eyes stinging. I did. We did. And we’d never do anything to hurt him again.
The boys slept for another hour; we’d all been up late talking, and they had still been whispering when I drifted off to sleep. I think Kellan would have slept longer, but a nurse arrived to check on him and woke him up. The nurse asked him how he was feeling, how his pain was, if he was hungry, if he’d gotten up, if he’d gone to the bathroom; all the personal stuff that nurses don’t seem to mind asking in mixed company. Kellan didn’t seem embarrassed as he sleepily answered her, though. He actually seemed content.
Gavin, his children, and my father arrived at the hospital while Kellan was eating a watery-looking omelet for breakfast; it was the first thing I’d seen him eat since the accident. When Dad and Gavin walked into the room, they were having a lively discussion about the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds. I couldn’t stop grinning as the two men went back and forth about which baseball team was better. No topic bonded my father faster to someone than sports. And my parents becoming friends with Kellan’s parent was a very good thing.
Abby, Anna, and the D-Bags showed up with Justin mid-morning. That was still on the early side for the band members, and most of them were yawning when they raised their hands in greeting. Gibson wasn’t in the room two seconds before Mom stole the bundle of pink out of Griffin’s arms. He frowned at Mom, but he let his daughter go. Tossing an arm around me, Anna laughed and said, “No one else is going to get to hold her the entire time Mom’s visiting.”
I watched Mom rock Gibson as a thought struck me. “How long are you staying, Mom? I mean, Thanksgiving is coming up. Aren’t you expecting company back home?”