“Better.”
“Then why the tears?” He traced his fingers over the slope of my nose. “I’ll get Ankh. He can—”
“No. No more tests.” We already knew what was wrong. “I just want to go home.” I’d give Nana a hug. I’d rest some more, get stronger. By the time Cole picked me up for the party, I’d be as good as new. Please.
“All right, but we’ll need to put a shirt on you first,” he said, and I heard the thread of humor in his voice.
Oh, spank me. As Kat would say. I was sprawled out, shirtless. Braless.
My cheeks flushed, and I covered my chest with my hands. “Good idea.”
“Not my best,” he said drily, “but I think your grandmother would approve.”
“I think you’re right.”
He smiled, and for a moment, I felt as if everything really would be okay. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”
Chapter 22
Can’t Go Back to Yesterday
Nana had waited up for me, and I hugged her as planned. She looked me over and twittered over each of my bruises and abrasions.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. When Cole called and told me you’d been in a car accident, my heart almost stopped.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Ali, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
“Nana, I...” Didn’t know what to say.
“I know you’re fighting for a good cause, but it’s hard on me sometimes. Waiting and worrying.”
“I’m sorry,” I repeated, but I couldn’t promise to morph into a normal teenager with normal problems, and we both knew it.
“Yes, well, enough about that for now.” As she bustled around the kitchen to make me a sandwich, she changed the subject and said, “Are you and Cole back together? Or are you seeing two hot totties at the same time? Or are you single and just playing the court?”
Hot totties? Playing the court? “No, Cole and I aren’t back together, but we are going to a party on Thursday. And Gavin... Well, he and I will only ever be friends.”
“I think maybe you need to rethink things with Cole. He’s good for you. You light up when you see him, and he can actually get you to smile. It’s an honor few people receive.”
I smiled so rarely? I hadn’t noticed.
She slid the sandwich in front of me, and after I’d eaten every crumb, she put the plate in the sink and patted my shoulder. “Ali, bear, I know your mom talked to you about, you know, sex, so there’s no need for me to mention STDs and babies.”
Someone kill me. “Right. No need,” I managed to croak.
“But I’m going to mention them anyway. I read that a lot of teens are too embarrassed to buy condoms, and that’s one of the reasons teen pregnancy is so high, so, if you ever want me to, you know, buy you some, please just let me know. Not that I’m condoning sex at your age. I’m not. I really think you should wait until your emotions are as ready as your body.”
Seriously. A gun to the head. A knife in the gut. Either would work. “Cole and I haven’t had sex.”
“But judging by the way you look at him, you’ve considered it and I’d guess you’ve come pretty close—”
“Nana. Please.”
“Oh, all right. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. Sex can be a commitment for a girl, and a mere moment for a boy and—”
“Nana!”
“Okay, okay. Go on to bed,” she said, kissing my temple. “You look ready to fall over.”
Cheeks burning, I stood and gave her another hug. “Love you.”
“Love you, too. I’ll see you in the morning before school.”
I drifted to sleep the moment I was snuggled in the softness of my covers.
I wasn’t sure how many hours passed before I noticed the light streaming through the curtains. A new day. I lumbered out of bed, my body far more sore than it had been last night. A hot, steaming shower helped, but not enough to keep me from wincing as I dressed in a pink T-shirt and jeans and dried my hair, leaving it down.
My door opened, the hinges loud. “Ali?” Nana said. “You awake?”
“Yes, ma’am.”