I laugh, slapping his shoulder. “No, dork. I’m just going to thank him.”
“You don’t need to.”
“I know. I just…” I reach up on my toes and press my hands to his cheeks, his scruff tickling my palms. “I hate that you didn’t have the kind of Christmas you deserve. So, I’m going to make sure this year is your best Christmas yet, and then every year after this one, I’m going to make sure we top the year before. I mean, we’re going to spend every Christmas together from now on, right?” I don’t want to sound presumptuous.
I know he’s as serious about me as I am about him. But I also know he’ll be leaving for school in the fall next year, which means he’ll be moving to the other side of the country, and we haven’t talked about what that will mean for us.
He leans down and brushes his nose against mine. “You can bet your hot ass that we’ll be spending every Christmas together. I don’t want to be anywhere but with you, babe.”
He gives my behind a squeeze, and I giggle. My fingers work their way into his long hair as he brushes his lips over mine, kissing me.
“So, that’s what you would have done this year, if you hadn’t met me? You’d be at Max’s?”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t think he minds you spending the holiday with me?”
“Nah, Max is cool.”
He kisses me one more time before releasing me. I get back to filling the cart.
Christmas is the one time of year I don’t have to scrimp on the food I buy because, as a Christmas bonus, Grady gives us supermarket vouchers.
God bless Grady.
My cell starts to ring in my pocket. I pull it out and see it’s Dad.
“Hey, we shouldn’t be much longer—” That’s when I hear the siren in the background. My heart stops. “Dad?”
“Evie, we’re in an ambulance. Casey—she-she was fine, talking to me about what kinds of mashed potatoes she was gonna have you make for dinner tomorrow. Then, all of a sudden, her speech went all slurred, and-and then she collapsed and started convulsing. She was having a fit, Evie.” His voice breaks, and tears fill my eyes. “The paramedics stabilized her, and now, we’re heading to the hospital.”
“Wh-which hospital are you going to?”
“West Hills.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I-I…love you, Daddy.”
He shudders out a breath. “Love you, too, baby.”
I hang my phone up.
“Evie?”
I turn to Adam, and my lips tremble. “Casey…she-she collapsed.” My voice is wobbling all over the place. “She had a fit. Da-dad called from an ambulance. Th-they’re on their way to the hospital.”
There’s no hesitation in him. “Let’s go.”
He grabs my hand, taking charge, and we abandon the shopping cart before heading for the parking lot.
“Which hospital?” Adam asks as we’re climbing into his truck.
“West Hills. Her neurologist is at the UCLA Medical Center, but maybe they’re taking her to West Hills because it’s closer. I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get to her soon, and then we can find out what’s happening,” he reassures me.
Adam pulls out of the lot, speeding as he does. I should tell him to slow down a little, but I don’t because I want to get to Casey as soon as possible.
I press my head back into the headrest, shutting my eyes, as I suck in a breath.
I know what this means. The tumor is back.
I feel Adam’s hand curl around mine. I open my eyes and turn my head to look at him.
“She’s gonna be fine, babe.” He looks at me with love in his eyes.
I numbly nod my head, squeezing his hand in return, but I don’t feel his words.
I’ve been here before, and she got better the last time. But now, she’s sick again, and I have a terrible feeling deep inside that things could be worse this time.
Dad is pacing the waiting room in the ER when we arrive.