Hold Me Closer, Necromancer - Lish McBride [56]
“No problem.”
“I suppose you want me to stand out here on the street and tell you all about me and Mom’s conversation?”
“Psh, no,” she said. “I listened at the door.”
“That’s my girl.”
Ramon waved good-bye to Haley and got in the car, placing Brooke’s head gingerly into the seat next to him.
Haley leaned against the side of my Subaru and crossed her arms, giving me a look I knew all too well. I was about to get a mini lecture. “You have to forgive her.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, so shove it.” I zipped up my sweatshirt. “I’ve sort of had a lot thrown at me lately.”
“So?” she said. “That doesn’t give you an excuse to forget everything else she’s done for us.” Haley got up in my face and stared me right in the eye. I’m always surprised by the amount of force and confidence there is in her eyes. I shouldn’t be. It’s been there since she was a baby.
“You don’t understand.”
“She screwed up,” Haley said, jabbing me in the chest.
“Deal with it. If anyone should get a free pass, it’s Mom.”
“This isn’t like forgetting to sign me up for Little League or not letting me go to the school dance, Haley. We’re in the real world now, and whether she meant it or not, Mom’s mistake is probably going to get me killed. I’m sure you want me to be all forgiveness and light, but I can’t.”
She glared at me.
I wanted to hug my sister and try to get rid of that glare, but after the incident with Mom, I was afraid to touch her. What would I find? “Look, Haley, I know you’re smart. You’d probably whup my ass on Jeopardy!, but this particular situation is new to all of us, so shut it.”
Haley leaned back against the car and recrossed her arms. I mimicked her stance until she caved. She threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. Gingerly I hugged her back, resting my cheek against her forehead. I almost cried when I didn’t find any fear in Haley. She might be worried about me and Mom making up, but she wasn’t going to run away from me screaming.
“Just don’t take too long,” she mumbled into my sweatshirt. “Things start to fester when you do that.”
“I’ll do what I can.” I squeezed her once and let her go.
Haley wiped her tears away with the heel of her hand. “See you later, jerk.”
“Okay, snot-face.”
She smiled a little and walked back toward the house.
“Hey, Haley?”
She stopped and half turned.
“Wanna go visit Dad next week?” I never said his grave. I didn’t need to. “I have a few days off,” I said softly. I knew Haley would rather go with me. Mom’s grief seemed different from ours somehow. Probably due to being a wife instead of a child.
Haley nodded but kept her eyes on the ground. “I’ll get some flowers out of Mom’s green house.”
“Thanks.”
“Welcome.” She sniffed. When she looked up, her eyes were sad. She shooed me with her hand. “Now get.”
“I love you, too.”
She waved without looking back and went inside.
15
I Hear You Knockin’, But You Can’t Come In
By the time we got back to my apartment, I was ready for bed. I was emotionally wiped out, confused, and still angry, and my back felt like fresh hell. I probably should have shown it to my mom, but she would have freaked, and I’d had enough for the evening. That didn’t change the fact that I needed a new dressing.
I pulled the first aid kit out of the drawer slowly, hissing as the muscles in my back burned from the twisting motion.
“Should have had your mom look at that,” Ramon clucked at me sarcastically.
“Thank you. Help me, okay?”
He didn’t press the issue but tore off the old bandage with little in the way of care.
“You hate me, don’t you?”
Ramon didn’t answer. He prodded a few sore areas, ignoring my complaints.
“It doesn’t look infected,” he said. “Not yet. And it does seem to be healing.” Ramon picked up the antiseptic and poured some onto a gauze pad. He wiped the long scratches carefully with the gauze before smoothing on the ointment. “If it starts to get nasty, I’m calling your mom.”
“Duly noted,” I said through clenched teeth. I’m not a super-wuss, but my whole back felt like one solid bruise, and though the ointment