Free Home Is Where the Heart Break Is by Tess Oliver Page A

hall in the family waiting area.”
    Chase was all alone and scrunched down in the waiting room chair. He glanced up with red, puffy eyes as we walked in. Chase stood, and we came together in a long, hard hug and then Nico’s arms went around both of us.
    “They’re going to airlift her to the big hospital in the city. This hokie place doesn’t have enough state-of-the-art equipment. My parents are in with her, but the room was too crowded. The nurse told me to come down here and wait.” Chase’s voice was weak and hoarse. We sat and I took hold of his trembling hand.
    “I found her on the kitchen floor with a spilled glass of milk. She was just trying to drink a freakin’ glass of milk and she collapsed.” His shoulders shook, and I lifted his hand to my mouth and kissed his knuckles.
    “She’ll be fine, Chase,” I said, even though I had no idea if it was true or not. “Maybe this will scare her enough to get her thinking realistically about her weight.” For as long as I could remember, Chase’s sister had battled anorexia. Sometimes I’d gone over to his house to do homework. Cindy would walk out of her room, and I’d find it hard not to stare at her because she always looked skeletal.
    Chase shook his head. “What she has is a disease. My parents have spent the last ten years and their life savings trying to save my sister. The funny thing is it had looked like she was getting better. She’d even gain some weight.” Chase looked over at Nico. “I’m glad you guys are here though. I left a message for Susie, but I think she’s ignoring my phone calls so screw it.”
    “Is she still mad about the river?” I asked.
    “I don’t know. I guess. She’s always mad about something.”
    Nico didn’t comment. Deep down I knew he wouldn’t. It wasn’t the time or place, and as tough as Nico always tried to act on the outside, I knew he was always tuned into other people’s emotions.
    I glanced around the room. “I swear this place hasn’t changed a bit since the last time I sat in here waiting for stitches in my knee.”
    “When did you need stitches in your knee?” Nico asked.
    My mouth dropped open, but I didn’t have to say a word because Chase stepped in.
    “Dude, seriously, how can you not remember that?”
    “Especially because you were the one who caused it,” I said.
    Recognition flashed across Nico’s face. “Oh yeah, I dared you to jump from the top of the slide. The whole bloody mess is all coming back to me.”
    I crossed my arms and slouched back in the chair. “I can see you’ve been beating yourself up about it all these years.”
    Nico laughed. “Well, you didn’t have to take the dare.”
    I shot a look at Chase who was now caught in the middle, something that used to happen a lot.
    “He has a point,” Chase said.
    “Well fine,” I said. “Neither of you were brave enough to do it.”
    The chair creaked as Nico sat back in it and propped his ankle on the opposite knee. “Not true. I was planning to take the jump right behind you, but your knee was bleeding so much I decided against it.” He winked at me. “You know how I feel about blood.”
    “You were definitely a tomboy back then,” Chase said.
    “Back then, yes. But as I proved today, on the clumsy hike to the hideout, those days are over.”
    “Thank goodness,” Nico said under his breath but we heard him easily in the small empty room.
    “I was never truly a tomboy at heart, you know. I just wanted to fit in with you guys. I guess I was afraid that if I started acting like a girl, you would get sick of me hanging around.”
    Nico and Chase exchanged intuitive glances that only two close friends could understand. “We were always worried that you’d get tired of us, Duchess. Not the other way around.”
    Chase pulled the phone out of his pocket and jumped up. “Hello.” He walked out of the room. His body language didn’t suggest bad news.
    He walked back in a few minutes later with a relieved