Chapter 40
1296words
I lean down and hug my best friend a little too tightly. She winced.
“Sorry”, I mumble, “How’s the ward?” I ask. Avoiding the ‘how are you?’ question, she was undoubtedly sick of hearing. How could you even answer that after what happened? People didn’t want to hear that you’re not okay because what could they say? There was nothing you could say or do that could make it okay.
“Good, everyone has been really nice. There is a big collection of board games. Oh, and Mum has a crush on Dr Quinn” She cringes, making me laugh.
“Who doesn’t?” I tease, making Karen giggle like a schoolgirl.
“He’s very handsome”, Karen admits, brushing a stray curl behind her ear. Storm makes a vomiting noise.
“No one catching your eye then?” She shakes her head.
“I’ll stick to books, thank you very much,” Storm dismisses, rolling a dice. “Men are just gross.”
“Couldn’t agree more”, I chime, chuckling. Karen raises a sceptical brow at me. ‘what?’ I mouth to her, furrowing my own brows. But Karen just shakes her head, smiling to herself.
“How was the test today?” I asked, quickly steering the subject away from Loki.
“We don’t know yet. I think they will discuss it with Dr Quinn before we find anything out,” Karen answers for her.
“Mum thinks they are going to put me on heavy medication and place me in a mental hospital,” Storm explains, rolling her eyes.
“It’s a possibility!”
“I’m sure it’s just the standard process. Are you not on any medication already?” I directed my question to Storm, but of course, Karen answered.
“Only basic pain medication and a light anti-anxiety until they have completed the full assessment,” She remarks, earning a glare from Storm.
“If you haven’t noticed. Mum has taken to speaking for me. She won’t even leave me alone to go to the bathroom,” She complains. I give her a sad smile. I understood; Adam had done the same for me after my abuse, smothering in an attempt to protect us from the world. But it only added to my problems and didn’t allow me to move on or learn my own way to cope.
“I know it must be frustrating, Storm. Just remember, we all love you so very much and want to protect you with everything we have. You are so important. Not just to me or ‘mum’ or Loki. But you make the world a much brighter place. So no matter what you feel, you need to remember that you’re never alone. You are loved, and you are wanted,” I stress, tears brimming my eyes. Karen extends her hands to both of us, squeezing them.
“I love you both, my brave girls,” Karen cries. Storm swallows hard, her eyes downcast and tearful.
“Do not be ashamed!” I tell her, raising her chin with my free hand. I gave her the best smile I could muster. “Chin up, you are a Queen. Every single person on this planet has had their own ups and downs. But it’s your choice whether you let it define you or if you rise from it to become stronger and better than you were before,” I encourage, stroking her cheek with my knuckles.
“But I don’t know how”, She sighs. “I’m not as brave or bad arse as you.”
“What?!” I puzzle, disagreeing entirely. “Storm, you’re the most bad-arse women I know; I get my bravery from you.”
“You really think so?” She asks, hopes glinting in her dark brown eyes.
“I know so,” I nod, smiling at her. She pulls me into a hug, the board scattering with the movement, but neither of us cares. I hold her to me, squeezing all my love and strength into that hug.
“I’m going to get a coffee. Do you girls want anything?” Karen asks softly, wiping away a few stray tears. We both nodded, giving her a reassuring smile; everything was going to be okay. Karen left us, bypassing the coffee machine in the room, probably to give us time to catch up. I pulled back, intertwined my hand with hers. It was the ideal opportunity to come clean to my friend.
“What’s wrong?” She enquires, studying my face.
“Storm, I’ve not been entirely honest with you recently. I’ve been so preoccupied with my own shit that I wasn’t there for you. But I need to explain...I hate keeping things from you,” I sigh, giving her a sad smile. She shakes her head and squeezing my fingers.
“You have nothing to explain to me. I know about you and Loki,” Storm admits, catching me off guard, my jaw hanging open. My best friend only smiled at me, shaking her head. “I’m not mad.”
“How? When?”
“You guys are really not very subtle,” She teases, grinning up at me. “I also know my brother phone number off by heart.”
“I thought you would hate me”, I admit, taking a shaky breath.
“I could never hate you. On the contrary, I’m acutely glad you found each other. he can be there for you when I wasn’t,” Storm reasons, her smile turning sombre.
“You’re not going anywhere”, I point out, giving her a stern look.
“No, but I’m not getting out of here any time soon,” She considers, glancing out the window as if she could see the world beyond—the life she used to have and the one that was waiting for her.
“It’s complicated...between Loki and me,” I admit, following her gaze “...then there is Asher.” I sigh, feeling stupid for even acknowledging that something was between us. When what I felt toward Loki was so much more.
“It doesn’t have to be,” Storm debates. “Everyone knows now. You both clearly have feelings for each other, so why not give it a chance?”
“Loki doesn’t have a feeling for me,” I disagree, shaking my head. “He’s a player. That’s not going to change.”
“I know my brother, and he’s fallen for you bad. You’re the only girl that could change him, Scar. You challenge him and make him want to be better. Just give him the chance to prove it to you,” Storm argues. I sigh, considering her words. My best friend was the only person in the world I trusted more than my own head. If she told me that I should take the leap, then I would. I just hope to god I don’t fall.
Karen came back a moment later, balancing three steaming cups. She looked between us, intrigued. “Is this about Loki?” She asked curiously; Storm nodded.
“I told her to she should go for it”, She explains. Karen grins at me. Clearly in love with the idea of her Son and adoptive daughter being together. I was surprised nobody found the idea strange. We were practically family, and yet nobody seemed repulsed by the idea... apart from Adam.
“Well, what are you still doing here then?” Karen exclaims, checking her watch. “The game starts in less than thirty minutes,” Storm grins, raising a brow at me, almost daring me.
“I don’t know!” I groan, running my hands through my hair.
“Please,” Karen snorts. “Don’t pretend you don’t want to! I’ve seen the way you look at my boy, the way he looks at you. You’re his epic love!”
“Go,” Storm urges, practically pushing me out of the chair. I stagger to my feet, glaring at her. “Thank me later,” she dismissed. Pulling the chair away from me so I couldn’t sit down again. I groan, snatching up my bag from the floor, before reluctantly stalking to the door.
“Oh, and get me a photo of the two of you!” Karen called after me. I wave, not looking back. Oh, I was so going to regret this.
