Free Banes by Tara Brown Page B

how the shower was going to go.
    Aimee laughed as they walked up to his big truck, "You know I miss riding in this truck."
    She climbed in and closed the door remembering how sick she had been when she rode in the truck the last time.
    Her nerves didn’t improve as they drove but Shane nattering on made her smile, "Yeah so anyway I got lucky with my job. I can come home a lot and if I need to help my mom I can be here pretty fast. So my dad is marrying that girl hey."
    Aimee raised an eyebrow at him.
    He nodded as he drove, "Yeah, I got an invitation. I'm not even kidding. You wanna be my date?"
    She smirked, "You're going to the wedding?"
    "I have to Aimee, my sister is going too. Dad has spent a lot of time trying to make up for it all. I don’t like Hilary but she makes him happy and he has been trying."
    "Hilary, it just sounds like mean girl home wrecker."
    "Still a nerd at heart."
    She laughed, "Yup. Speaking of which how's my sister and Blake doing?"
    His face went hard. He parked in her driveway turning his bright blue eyes on her, "Aims Blake is evil. I'm pretty sure he beats your sister. She had bruises all over her arms last time I saw her and she seemed really skinny and weird, like shy and unsure of herself. Anyway they live in Boston now. They just moved. He's going to MIT."
    Aimee rolled her eyes, "Shane I know you hate him and I have to admit I'm not a fan anymore. Not since that night but lets be honest it's Blake. He's a giant nerd not beating my sister. Alise is probably on drugs and he's probably trying to help her." She sighed, "Maybe Boston will be good for her. MIT huh. Wow talk about a dream come true for him."
    She looked at the house and cringed as she opened the door. She hopped out feeling over dressed in her skinny jeans and high-heeled boots and cashmere sweater. Her dad would be suspicious of her clothes.
    Shane bounded the stairs to the front door like he was family, she smiled knowing he was. She was more than grateful for the attention and care he had given her father over the past year and a half.
    He opened the door without knocking making her feel like the outsider at her own home.
    Her father sat in the living room watching TV on a huge big screen TV. She looked at it curiously. He was watching the nature channel, at least that hadn’t changed.
    "Look who is feeling like her old self and able to finally leave the medical center?"
    Her father turned to see her. Tears poured from his eyes as he leapt off the couch, "Aimee. Oh my sweet Aimee. You're okay? What are you wearing?" He held her hands making her nervous. She looked at Shane who smiled and nodded at her. She kept her hands in check. She looked at her fathers face sickened by how thin he'd gotten but also how old.
    "Daddy." She whispered gripping his weathered skin.
    He pulled her in gripping her tightly sobbing.
    She felt the tears streaming down her face as she nestled into his thin frame smelling his old worn sweater.
    His muscles trembled with the sobbing as he gripped her too tight but her new body didn’t flinch under the strain and pressure.
    She glanced at Shane and mouthed, "Thank you."
    He nodded fighting the tears sitting in his eyes.
    Her hands tingled for a half a second but her love for the two men in the room saved her, it was stronger than anything that lived inside of her.
    After her father gained his composure they sat at the bar while he made omelets. Aimee dreaded eating in front of him, she hadn’t gotten the hang of swallowing after going for such an insane amount of time not eating.
    "So anyway when Blake got into MIT he asked Alise to go with him. We are all so proud of him. After everything that’s happened around here everyone is still trying to put the pieces back together." His voice cracked slightly as he whisked the eggs.
    Aimee smiled, "How's Giselle?"
    Her dad smiled, "She is doing amazingly. She is in Seattle now going to journalism school. She wants to be a fashion journalist." He