Free Wide Awake by Shelly Crane Page B

yourself."
    "Thank you. I know that you don't have to do all the things you do for me."
    "I get paid to wash your sheets and bring you supper." She smiled wider. "But I'm privileged to know you and be able to see you walk right out of this hell hole." She laced her arm through mine and pulled me along with her. "You're going to be great. I have no doubts that this world better watch out, 'cause Emma Walker is coming back to town."
    I laughed just as we reached the therapy room. "Now you're just fluffing my ego."
    Mason leaned against the doorjamb. "Now Mrs. Betty, you causing trouble for my Emma?"
    Mrs. Betty and I both jerked our faces to look at him. He realized what he'd said and licked his lips, a little smile of chagrin there, as he looked away and cleared his throat.
    I looked back at Mrs. Betty and she was grinning. "Mmhmm," was all she said before winking and walking away. I fought to hold in my laughter and my grin.
    "Ready, Em?" he asked from behind me. I turned to find him smiling, apparently deciding not to try to hide from what he'd said. His hand was outstretched to me. I put my hand in his without a second's thought. It was warm and calloused from work, but also soft. Maybe it was just my imagination.
    I pulled the note I'd written out on some hospital letterhead and forked it over. "I wrote you something…very interesting that I found in your book."
    He opened it and his smile grew quickly before a full on belly laugh emerged. I stood in awe at that sound. "Wow." He shook his head, reading it again. "That's kind of awesome. Thank you."
    I smiled and bit my lip. "You're welcome. Beware of turtles."
    He laughed again and stuck the note in his front shirt pocket, buttoning it, locking the note inside. I had expected him to throw it away.
    "You look really good today," I stated factually. And he did. He wasn't wearing sweats. He was in dark jeans that were baggier than normal and a black button-up. His hair was shaggier, too. Not so coifed as usual. "You going somewhere today?"
    "Just here," he commented and swept his thumb over my knuckles. "You're almost out of here," he said casually, but it was anything but casual.
    I smiled. "Can I get an Amen?"
    He laughed hard and pulled me to a stop in the middle of the room. "Amen," he whispered as he stared into my eyes, his longing and whatever else you wanted to label it shined out at me. "You know...every room in this place is just dark and tainted, and yours is the only light and life here. This job is going to suck without waiting to see you every day."
    "Then you'll just have to come see me," I said coyly. "Though I'm sure I'll be busy with…school." I grimaced. "Maybe something happened while I was in the coma. I feel like a thirty-year old trapped in a teenager's body."
    He smiled knowingly. "You couldn't pay me to go back to high school, or God forbid, go to prom." He visibly shivered.
    "I want to go, but just to get it over with." I shook my head, very much conscious that he was still holding my hand. "All those people waiting for me to come back to them…my friends, my family, Andy. I feel like trying so hard these last few weeks of school will help my parents to deal with me, and it’ll help me decide who I want to be."
    He twisted his lips. "And decide who you want to be with, right?"
    I ticked my head to the side. "I wasn't the one who couldn't decide," I said softly.
    "Are you saying that Andy won't have a part of your life once you go back to school?"
    He'd been so careful not to breach the line he'd drawn, and now he was practically scratching that line out with his foot.
    "I don’t know. I honestly don't know what's going to happen, but will I be in love with Andy? Will I pretend to be his girlfriend and live happily ever after with him? No."
    He gulped a little, staring at my neck. "I know I've confused the heck out of you." I gave him a 'duh' look. He smiled a little. "Emma, you'll never know how much I've hated doing that to you."
    "I know why