Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“Okay, Ben.” She leans forward and kisses my cheek. “I’ll be back. Text me if you think of anything else you need. Love you.” She’s off my bed and out the door before I can get a response out of my mouth.
The next morning, right after breakfast, there’s a knock on the door. “Are you decent?” Quinn’s voice rings out. “It’s Quinn and Noah.”
“Come in,” I tell them as I sit up to somewhat greet them. I realize this is the first time I’ve seen Noah since last year. During that time, he’s won the Super Bowl, and because I’m stubborn I missed it.
“Noah, I owe you an apology.”
“For what?” he asks.
“For not being there. Holy shit, man. You won the Super Bowl.”
He smiles coyly and shakes his head. “My team won. I just threw or passed the ball to some really great players.”
“Still. I should’ve been there.”
“Yep, because it won’t happen again,” Quinn jokes as he slaps Noah’s shoulder. The guys pull up two chairs and sit down. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m better. Yesterday was a bit rough, but the doctor says things are looking good. I should be able to go home the day after tomorrow.”
“That’s great news,” Noah says. “Everyone will be so excited.”
“Who’s out there now?” I ask, motioning toward the wall.
“No one yet,” Quinn says. “Elle said she’s going to shower and come back. Dad is stopping by later. I believe your mom and Brad are at the house. Mom will be by later. Nola has class this morning and then she’s taking Oliver for a bit.”
I’m not surprised my family isn’t here. They don’t do hospitals well, not that anyone does. I look from Noah to Quinn and sense something’s up. “Damn, you guys look like you’re about to bust my happiness bubble.”
“Nah,” Noah says, shaking his head. “We’re just here to visit and see how you’re doing.”
“Liars. Spill, what did Elle say to you?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Noah says again, this time his voice is a little high-pitched.
“Except we know this isn’t true,” I tell them. “Let’s hear it. I know Elle’s mad at me because I won’t let her pay for my treatment, so what did she say?”
Quinn clears his throat. “I feel like I need to defend my sister,” he starts. “So many people think we’ve had this easy life when it’s not true. The three of us suffer from abandonment issues, even if it doesn’t seem like it. It’s always in the back of our minds, and sometimes we block our emotions without knowing. Couple this with us growing up the way we did, seeing how hard our dad and uncles work; the three of us forget what should come first, love or work, and sometimes the line is so blurred, we mix them up.”
I think I understand what Quinn’s saying, but I’m not sure I do.
“Elle loves hard whether it’s work or family or you,” Noah adds. “She’s always been the one to shoulder everything. She gets that from Katelyn after witnessing how she had to be when Mason died. Elle’s strong, determined, and like Quinn says her lines between work and love get blurred. But that doesn’t mean you’re not her priority.”
I sigh. “I’m not surprised she’s talking about this.”
“Nonstop. She’s afraid you’re going to push her away, which she knows she deserves, but my sister loves you, Ben. I know it may not seem like it, but she does.”
“I feel like I love her more than she loves me.”
“That’s because it took her years to figure it out,” Noah says. “Take it from me, loving someone who doesn’t—or can’t—love you back right away is the worst feeling ever. I feel like Peyton and I lost years because of our age difference.”
“Five years isn’t a lot,” I say to him.
“It’s not once the younger one reaches eighteen, but until then, it’s bad. Loving Peyton has been one of the hardest and easiest things I have ever done in my life. Deep down I think this is how you see Elle. It’s easy to love her, but it’s work.”
“Like a full-time job,” I say, jokingly.
“It’s pride,” Quinn says. “Sometimes it gets in the way. We want to see ourselves as normal, but we’re not. We have busy lives, and the first thing to take a backseat to work is our love lives. Ask Nola. Our relationship looks easy, but that’s because she works her schedule around mine. It’s unfair of me to ask her to do that, but she does it, and I’m thankful. But someday, she’s going to want me to do the same, and it’ll be a challenge. But I love her, so I’ll do whatever I must to keep her happy, and in turn, she does what she can to keep me happy. Our relationship is a work in progress.”