Oh my God. Now I see where he's going.
I reached over and put my hand on his arm. “Dad … have you met somebody?”
Taking one hand off the steering wheel, he grasped my hand in his, keeping his eyes on the road. “Her name's Katherine. She works as a dispatcher down at the precinct. She's an amazing woman … I've actually taken her out for lunch a few times.”
I smiled. “You never told me that.”
“Well, I know how uncomfortable kids get at the thought of their parents' dating, so I didn't want to say anything unless our relationship … you know, took off. Turns out we have a lot in common: she lost her husband a while back, and she has a daughter about your age.” He turned to me with a smile. “Talking about our girls is our favorite subject, if you can believe it.”
“I'm so happy for you, Dad,” I said. “You did such a great job taking care of us, I think it's time someone … took care of you.”
“I'm really glad to hear you say that, sweetheart,” he said. “I was so hoping you'd approve.”
“So … when do I get to meet her?”
“I was thinking we could have her over for dinner,” he said thoughtfully. “Treat her to a plate of delicious Callahan-family lasagna.”
“Or,” I said, grinning, “we could take her out for Szechuan Chicken.”
“The Blue Dragon?” he asked.
“Best crab puffs in the universe.”
He nodded, his smile huge under his thick mustache. “Right you are, my dear Watson. Less to clean up.”
We both laughed as dad turned the car into the hospital parking lot.
* * *
It took a few minutes to locate Penny, who was now out of the E.R. and had been transferred to a room in the children's wing on the third floor. When I stepped off the elevator and located the appropriate waiting room, I instantly saw Bree, who was getting a huge hug from her parents.
Running over to them, I saw a look of immense relief on Gretchen's face. Upon seeing me, she walked over and gave me a hug of my own. “Thank you, liebchen. Thank you.” I looked up, and noticed a tear forming at the corner of her eye. Then I looked over at Bree, who looked just as relieved, but also sad.
Gretchen took Bree's dad's hand, pulling him to his feet. “Let's go, Frank, let's let the girls talk,” she said.
Frank leaned over and kissed Bree on the side of her head. “We'll be right over here if you need us, sweetie,” he said.
“Thanks, Dad,” said Bree, and both of them walked over to another row of seats about ten yards away.
I took the chair next to Bree. “So, how're you doing?”
She looked directly at me, sighing resignedly. “I'm still freaking out on the inside, but other than that … I'm okay, I guess.”
“You were … pretty awesome tonight, Bree,” I said.
“So were you, Kelse. Tonight reminded me of the day we met, a little bit.”
“Yeah, I know. I'll never complain about my life being boring again, that's for sure.”
“You and me both.” She turned away for a few moments, looking at her parents, who were trying their best not to stare at us. “I told them, by the way.”
We locked eyes again, and a smile crept onto Bree's face.
“You told them?” I asked. “About you being …”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
Almost as I watched, the glimmer returned to her eyes. “They're totally cool with it.”
This was not a surprise, but even so, I was very relieved. I smiled hugely, smacking her on the shoulder. “Told ya!”
“Yeah, you did,” she said, and then her face became sad again. “She saved my life, Kelse.”
I grasped her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I know.”
“I was so awful to her … and I never got the chance to tell her how sorry I am. I said all those horrible things to her, and yet … she risked her life to save me. Why would she do that?” A look of pure anguish crossed her face.
I put my arm around her shoulder. “That's who Penny is, Bree.”
Just then, two adults, a man and a woman, came toward us from around the corner. I'd never seen them before, but the family resemblance was obvious. “Are you Bryanna?” the woman asked Bree.
Bree nodded. “Yes.”
The woman sat next to Bree, and the man took the seat next to her. “I'm Terri Collins, and this is my husband Brett,” she said.
“Nice to meet you,” Bree said, holding out her hand, which Terri took. Turning her head in my direction, she added, “This is Kelsey.”
Terri nodded, holding out her hand to me. “Penelope's told us so much about you. It's nice to finally meet you in person.”
“You too,” I said, shaking both their hands. “How's she doing?”
“She's … okay,” Terri replied. “They're going to keep her here for a few days to make sure there's no long-term damage. There was a bad cut on her forehead, which took twelve stitches to sew up. She might also have a mild concussion, but other than that, the doctors say she's fine.”
Bree and I exhaled, extremely relieved by this news. “That's … great,” I said.
“Is she awake now?” Bree asked.
“She is,” Brett replied. “And she's asking for you. Both of you.” His brow furrowed, and he looked at his wife. “What was the other girl's name again? Her other friend?”
“April,” I said, before Terri could answer. “I called her from my house. She's on her way here now.”
“That's good,” Terri said. “I'm sorry we've never had occasion to meet you all before, but Penny's been … quite secretive since we moved here from Buffalo last year. I'm so grateful to the two of you, and to April, for being her friends all this time.”
“It's not too hard,” I said. “Penny's the nicest girl we've ever known.”
“Yeah, she totally is,” Bree added.
Terri smiled, as did Brett. “Thank you, that's so kind of you to say,” Terri said.
“Can we go in and see her?” I asked.
“You may,” Terri said. “I know she'll be delighted to see you.” She turned her head, as did I, and I saw a doctor beckoning to them from the other end of the waiting room. “Excuse us,” she said, and then she and Brett stood up and walked over to the doctor.
Before I could stand up, Bree said shakily, “What am I supposed to say to her, Kelsey?”
I laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You'll think of something, Bree. I have faith in you.” I rose to my feet. “Just take your time. Come in when you're ready.”
She nodded, and then I walked around the corner and into Penny's room.
I cautiously stepped around the partially-drawn hospital curtain, catching sight of Penny. There was a very large bandage around the left side of her head, no doubt to cover the ugly cut she'd received upon hitting her skull on the handrail.
Below that, though, Penny's face was lit up with a weak but relieved smile. “Hey, Kelse.”
I moved over to the right side of the bed, grasping Penny's hand. “Hey, Pen. How're you feeling?”
“Well, my head hurts a little,” she said mischievously.
I chuckled. Even now, she's making jokes. That's our Penny. “You are nuts, you know that?”
“You may be right,” she said, staring up at me. “Who was that guy, anyway?”
Oh, nobody really. Just a guy hired by an international criminal organization who wanted to kidnap my would-be boyfriend so that his father wouldn't testify against the corrupt businessman who burned down their house, murdered his wife and sent their entire family into hiding. Just your average joe. “I'll … tell you when you're all better. Promise.”
She nodded. “How's Bree?”
“She's fine … thanks to you.”
“Thank God.” She let out a relieved sigh, closing her eyes.
I squeezed her hand gently. “Penny, look at me.”
She opened her eyes again, and our gaze met.
“You have to tell her
,” I said.
“Tell her what?” she asked innocently.
“I think you know.”
A terrified look crossed her face. “I don't know what you–”
“Yes, you do,” I said firmly.
Penny turned her head away from me for several moments, staring into space. Then she covered her face with her hands. I heard her take a few deep breaths, and then she removed her hands, facing me. “How'd you know?”
I exhaled. “You had me going for a while. I kept wondering who this guy was that you liked. But I've gotten a bit of an education on girl-crushes lately, and after everything that's happened, it got me to thinking … that it wasn't a guy at all.”
She sighed heavily, and then nodded.
“You've had feelings for Bree for a long time, haven't you?”
“Even before I found out she was … you know, into girls, too.”
“But when you found out, why didn't you tell her, Penny? Why keep it a secret?”
She reached out her hand, and I helped her struggle into a sitting position. “Because she was in love with you, that's why,” she said.
“Penny,” I said, leaning in close to her. “Bree and I are best friends. But that's all we'll ever be. I know it, and she knows it too. There's no reason for you not to tell her now.”
“Tell me what?” said a voice from the doorway. We both turned our heads to see Bree, a remorseful look on her face, walking purposefully toward Penny.
“Bree,” Penny said, reaching out her hand. “I'm so glad you're okay.”
Bree stood on the other side of the bed from me, taking Penny's other hand. “You're glad I'm okay? You're the one lying in a hospital bed!”
A scared look crossed Penny's face. “Please, Bree, don't be angry.”
“I'm not angry,” she said, her breath becoming shallow. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. For everything I said to you.”
“I know,” Penny said, grasping Bree's hand. “And it's okay.”
“No, it's not!” Bree exclaimed. “You almost got yourself killed! Why would you do that? Why would you risk your life for me?”
Penny shot a look at me, and I gave her a silent nod. She turned back to face Bree, and I saw a tear fall down her cheek. “Because …”
“Because what?” Bree asked.
“Tell her, Penny,” I pleaded.
She drew in a sharp breath, and then exhaled. “Because I love you, Bree.”
The look of shock that crossed Bree's face was unlike any I'd ever seen. All the time she was thinking about me, she thought she was the only one. That there was no one who would understand what she was going through. And it turns out, there was someone just like that sitting next to her the whole time.
After a few tense moments, Bree found her voice again. “You mean … you're–”
Penny nodded. “Yeah. I am. Just like you.”
Bree leaned forward, taking Penny's hand again. “All this time, you've been sitting next to me … and I never … I never knew …”
A tear fell down Penny's cheek. “I'm so sorry, Bree.”
“Why … didn't you say something?” Bree pleaded.
Penny put her left hand on top of Bree's. “It's not easy to tell your best friend that you're in love with her.” She turned to look at me before returning her eyes to Bree. “Is it?”
Bree looked at me, and then nodded in understanding. “No, it isn't.” She grabbed a chair from the corner of the room, pulled it up to the side of Penny's bed, and sat down. “How long have you … felt like this? About me?”
Penny leaned forward. “Since the day we became friends.” She reached out her hand, brushing a strand of hair away from Bree's face. “When I moved here, I didn't know anyone. I tried talking to people, but everyone just ignored me. All of them. I didn't think I was going to make it.”
“I remember,” said Bree.
A look of pure love crossed Penny's face. “You were the first person to talk to me. To make me feel welcome. You were so … so nice to me, Bree. You showed me around, told me everything I needed to know about my new hometown.” She shot a glance at me. “And, of course, you introduced me to your friends, who made me feel like I belonged here.”
I could feel my eyes becoming moist. “You do belong here, Penny.”
Bree chuckled lightly, her face reddening. “You're such a sweet girl. I hated watching the others shut you out like that.”
Penny leaned forward, drawing closer to Bree. She smiled warmly. “I love you, Bryanna. I love being around you. You're kind, and generous, and amazing, and beautiful, and the best friend I've ever had.”
I looked at Bree, nodding. “She's right about that.”
A smile curled at the sides of Bree's mouth. “Penny–”
“Look,” Penny interrupted. “I don't know if you'll ever feel about me like I feel about you, but … it would make me so happy if you would …”
Bree looked right into her eyes. “We've been sitting together for a year,” she said sadly, “and I feel like I don't even know who you are.”
Penny stared back in silence for a few moments and then lowered her head, clearly heartbroken. “I understand.”
Bree reached out her hand, placing her palm under Penny's chin and raising her head until they looked at each other again. “But I'd like to,” she said, smiling.
A mixture of relief and joy erupted on Penny's face. “Really?”
“Really.” Bree leaned in, wrapping her arms around Penny, hugging her warmly. Penny returned the hug gratefully. “Thank you, Penny,” Bree added, a tear forming around her eye. “Thank you for saving me.”
Penny closed her eyes and tightened her hug, sobbing happily into Bree's shoulder.
I could only smile in sheer pride. I have the best best friends EVER. If only April was here to see this …
“Umm … what's going on?” said a voice from the foot of the bed. I turned and saw April standing there with a dumbfounded look on her face. She had entered the room so silently, none of us had noticed. Oh, crap, I totally forgot I called her. Quickly, I grabbed April by the arm, dragging her away from the bed. I pulled her toward the window of Penny's room, drawing the curtain behind me.
“Kelsey, what the heck is …” she stammered.
There was so much to tell her, so much she'd missed, it all threatened to pour out of my mouth at once. Trying desperately to calm my brain down, it took a lot of willpower to keep this from happening. “April … Penny's in love with Bree.”
April's eyes went as wide as saucers. I could almost see the wheels turning inside her head. “Penny's … a lesbian?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I just figured it out tonight.”
“Wow,” she said, thunderstruck. “How did Bree not know about this?”
The blood rushed to my face. “Because Bree had a crush on … me.”
April's jaw dropped. The look on her face was almost comical. “Bree's a lesbian?”
I nodded again. “Yup.”
She put her hand on the window sill for support, staring out at nothing. “Holy crap.”
I put my hand on her shoulder. “I know, it's a lot to take in.”
She turned her head to face me. “Are … you a lesbian, Kelsey?”
My eyebrows shot up. “What? No!”
“Because it's totally cool if you are,” she said hurriedly, facing me. “I mean, I would feel pretty stupid finding out that my three best friends are all lesbians and I never had a clue, but …”
“April, I'm not–”
She babbled on obliviously, “To think I've been going on and on and on about boys, boys, boys all the time to my three best friends, without even knowing they're all into girls, that would just be so–”
Quickly, I reached over and put my hand over April's gibbering mouth. “April … I'm not a lesbian. I swear.”
She exhaled. “Well, I'm sure Ethan will be glad to hear that. Speaking of which, how'd your date go with him?”
In an instant, my brain zoned out complet
ely. I pictured Mark's face. Our entire brief, bizarre relationship flashed before my eyes like a movie being played on extreme fast-forward. That first day in Algebra class, our conversations on the Island, our moonlight walk, our first kiss, running for our lives through the gym …
He's gone.
But he's safe. His family is safe.
Without warning, I started to cry. Tears began to flow as the realization hit me like a freight train.
I will never see him again.
“What's wrong?” April asked in concern.
Overcome with sadness, I put my arms around April's waist and buried my head in her shoulder. “He's gone,” I whimpered.
Taken aback for the third time in as many minutes, April responded by gently returning the hug. I heard her whisper in my ear, “I'm sorry.”
The tears kept coming. They just wouldn't stop. I held April, and she held me right back. She was there for me, just like she'd been since the day I met her. After a couple of minutes, as my tears started to subside, I heard her say, “Kelsey?”
“Yes?”
I couldn't see her face, but I could tell that she was still processing everything I'd just told her. “Are you sure you're not …”
In spite of the tears, I chuckled. “Just shut up and hold me, you big dummy.”
“Okay.”
After a few more seconds, I let go, and the two of us smiled at each other.
Strangest … day … ever.
I led April back to Penny's bedside, where she and Bree were having a very personal whispered conversation. “Hey, you two,” I said, my emotional state finally back to normal. “What'd we miss?”
They both looked up at us. “Well, once Penny gets out of here, we're going to … get to know each other. Properly,” said Bree.
I nodded. “I'm so glad, you guys.”
Bree squeezed Penny's hand. “Our lives just got a lot stranger, but it's so good to know that I'm not … you know, the only one like me.”
“So true,” Penny agreed.
“We've got a lot to learn about what it means to be … different,” Bree added. “But we're gonna take our first steps on this journey together. Just the two of us.” Penny smiled.
I held up my hand. “Uh, three …”
Ethan's Secret (James Madison Series Book 2) Page 27
