Wasted Time (The Steel City #1)

51. Penny

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

penny

I’m wrapped in a blanket on the couch when EJ finally walks in. It’s nearing nine in the evening. He drops his keys on the table by the door and tiptoes into the living room, scanning the house for me until he finds me on the couch.

He smiles in greeting when he sees me awake, lifting bags of take-out.

I rub the sleep from my eyes and lift my hand in a wave.

“I got food delivered to the hospital. Figured you’d be too tired to cook. I got you some nachos, but Dec made me doubt that decision, so I got chicken fingers too.”

I smile sleepily, pushing myself into a sitting position. “Have I ever told you that you’re my favourite?”

EJ lowers the bags, shooting me a bored look.

“Avery is your other half, Wyatt currently has priority, and you’re in love with Declan. I am pretty sure me and Seth are tied for dead last. Maybe we’re above Tiff and Lau, but I wouldn’t put money on it. Sisterhood and all that.”

It’s a joke, but I just stare at him. I can’t find any of that funny right now.

He pauses, wincing at himself. “Sorry. That sounded funnier in my head.”

I sigh, falling against the cushions. “How is he?”

“Good. He seems to be in good spirits,” he says, heading into the kitchen and grabbing a plate. He starts to unpack my food and puts it in the microwave. “Have you noticed that he gets kind of quiet when his dad comes in? I think Lily is getting concerned.”

I have noticed that. “He’ll tell her.”

EJ leans against the counter while he waits for the microwave to beep. I can feel his eyes on my face. “Did he think we’d care? We wouldn’t turn our backs on him because of that.”

I let out a long breath. “I don’t think it was about us, Eej. I think this was something he was wrestling with himself.”

“Yeah, well, it fucking kills me,” he mutters.

The wound in my heart burns deeply.

“Yeah, me too.”

It does. It hurts. I never want any of my friends to feel like they aren’t worthy. Of anything. Love, happiness, acceptance. More importantly, I always want them to know that they’re loved. I thought we understood that in our crew. This is a family. It’s eternal. We help each other through every war that any one of us has to fight. Wyatt lost that faith at some point, and that’s devastating.

The microwave beeps and EJ rummages around in the kitchen. He treads into the living room, dropping onto the cushion beside me and hands me the plate, adorned with a big glob of plum sauce that he knows I need with my chicken fingers.

“Thank you, roomie,” I muse, nudging his shoulder with my own.

EJ flashes me a wink, turning toward the TV.

We sit in silence while I eat. It’s nice. My head is finally quieting, my thoughts no longer screaming in my ears to the point where I feel off kilter. That urge to cry is still there. It’s heavy. I can’t shake the painful sadness that has etched itself into my being, but I can take a breath now. A clean one.

The second I’m done eating; I bring my plate to the sink. When I turn to head back to the couch to finish the episode, I nearly walk into a six-foot-three slab of concrete.

EJ is standing directly behind me like a lurking Edward Cullen.

I startle, jumping back and slamming into the counter.

He barks out a laugh but opens his arms.

“What is wrong with you?” I ask, my heart still spasming in my chest.

He shrugs a shoulder, that charming smile on his mouth. “Kind of realizing that I should check on my friends more. You’ve been practically living at the hospital. I just want to make sure you’re okay, too.”

I press my lips together, feeling a knot of emotion in my throat. No, I’m not okay. I haven’t felt okay in a very long time. I’m drowning again, and this time, I’m not sure if there’s a surface.

“EJ,” I whisper, shaking my head.

“You’ve been keeping us all together over the last few days. I’ll keep you in one piece, alright? Come here.”

I sigh and reluctantly walk into his arms. I wind my hands around his waist, locking my fingers together behind him. He squishes me to his chest and holds me there.

“We’re lucky to have you, P.”

“Stop,” I grumble, clearing my throat. “I’m lucky to have you.”

“We’re lucky we have each other. That’s the best part about the crew. No matter what, we show up for one another. We’ve got to check on each other more, alright?”

I shut my eyes, burrowing deeper into his chest and managing a nod. “I love you.”

“I know. I love you, too.”

“Want to come to the hospital with me in the morning?”

“Duh. We’ll get coffee on the way.”