“Looks like the SEC is set up this year. Football should be interesting. Even your Vols look good. It’s been a while since that happened.”

He was holding a sports magazine and talking to Crawford. Like they were friends. Like he cared about Crawford.

I took another step, and he turned this time to look at me. Then that slow, lazy grin spread across his face. “Well, it looks like your girl got here. Looking pretty as ever.”

I wouldn’t blush at his compliment. “Why are you here?” I blurted out, then wished I hadn’t. It sounded rude. “What I mean is, where is Knox?”

Slate leaned back and smirked. “Knox got a call and needed to run somewhere. Sounded important. He’d seen me in the hall earlier, so he came and asked me if I’d finish up reading.”

He had something important to run off and do? And left Crawford with a stranger to read to him? Knox wasn’t looking good today.

“Well, thank you. If he’d woken me up this morning before he left, I could have read to him. Not sure what his deal is today.”

Slate shrugged. “I didn’t mind. Besides, he mentioned you were sleeping late and that was rare. He worries about you, is all. A brother thing, I guess.”

I didn’t want to be worried about. I was fine! I was walking around and breathing on my own, so I was absolutely fine! Crawford was not.

“He needs to back off. They all do,” I muttered.

Slate closed the magazine. “Good luck with that. Family can be a bitch even when they’re trying to do what’s best.” Then he stood up. “I’ll leave you with him. I have a poker game to go finish with my uncle.”

He’d left his uncle to come read to Crawford. He might be a playboy, but he was also a good guy. The world was bigger than the little protective bubble I’d been raised in. Things like sex didn’t define people. They could be good and not be Sunday School material.

“Thank you for reading to him.”

Slate nodded. “My pleasure. Anytime you need help, just give me a shout.”

I watched as he walked out of the room. He really did have his own special swagger. It was hard not to watch. The bad-boy persona fit him well. But now I had been given a peek into his heart. And apparently it was pretty big. Not self-centered like I had thought. His uncle, the kids, now Crawford.

I owed him an apology. I just wasn’t sure how to give him one. He might not even know I had judged him so unfairly. I turned my attention back to Crawford. He’d like Slate. I was positive Slate would entertain him. Crawford wasn’t one to judge people.

“You look good this morning. Enjoy your update on the SEC football season?” I asked, knowing I wouldn’t get an answer. I had the book I was reading to him, but for now I just wanted to talk.

“It’ll be time to go to college soon. My parents have already started in on me. Especially Mom. I just can’t imagine going without you.” I wanted to beg him to open his eyes, but I didn’t. I had done that enough.

“Staying here is all I can think of right now. Being next to you. Seeing you. It’s what I need to cope. I miss you, Crawford. I miss you so much.”

The door opened behind me and Crawford’s mother walked in. She frowned upon seeing me and that hurt. Having me around bothered her, and all I could figure was that it was because I’d walked away from that crash and he didn’t.

“Where’s Knox?” she asked.

“He had to leave early. I stepped in to take over until you returned.”

I didn’t tell her about Slate in case she wouldn’t be okay with that. He’d done a good thing, although Knox had better have a good excuse as to why he’d left early.

“Fine. I’ll take over now. See you at four,” she said.

I looked at Crawford. I wanted to say more, but I was also afraid to. I stood and tried to remember a time when seeing me didn’t make Juliet frown. Back when Crawford was full of life. Back when we had a future planned.

“I spoke with your mother. You need to go to college, Vale. We don’t know when Crawford will wake up and you sitting here every day isn’t going to make it happen faster. He would want you to go to college. Live the life y’all had planned and just come visit.”

I didn’t expect to hear this from her. I assumed she wouldn’t forgive me if I left for college without him. She was falling apart daily and he was her world. My leaving would be a betrayal. Didn’t she see it that way?

“I don’t think I can leave him.”

She straightened her shoulders that were now so often slumped over. “I’m not your mother and I can’t force you to do anything. But when Crawford wakes up, he will not want to know you wasted your life up here waiting on him. He’ll blame himself for it. I don’t want him to awaken to anything that will upset him. Think about him instead of yourself for a change. You always did make him do what you wanted. He never got to make his own decisions if he wanted to keep you happy.”

That stung. Deep. I had no words for that, so I managed a weak nod and left the room. Remembering the problems in our life wasn’t easy. Because although I loved Crawford, things hadn’t been easy before. His mother adored him, and because of that, she wasn’t always happy with me. I never did seem to treat him the way she thought I should. Although I tried so hard to make him happy.

Was I thinking of only myself by staying here?

CHAPTER TEN

NO ONE CONFESSED to turning off my alarm. Knox seemed to be the obvious culprit, so I hid my clock under my pillow to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. As for his leaving Crawford early, Dylan had gotten a flat tire on the interstate with both the twins in the car with him. He’d needed backup so he could get the tire changed. So Knox hadn’t been in as much trouble as I first assumed.

However, when Knox came walking up with Slate at nine thirty, I was a little confused. He was supposed to be reading to Crawford today at ten. He’d told me last night he was making up for leaving yesterday. So why did he have Slate here again?

Slate handed me a cup of coffee. “Morning, Vale.”

“Good morning, and thank you,” I replied, still trying to figure out if Slate had just bumped into Knox or if they were here together.

“Figured if I was coming in early for another reading session, you could use some good coffee.”

Another reading session? I jerked my gaze to Knox. I didn’t need to say anything for him to understand my thoughts. He put both his hands in the air as if to hold me off him. “Don’t look at me. Juliet called me last night and said the doctors had said Crawford’s brain waves had more action yesterday in the hour of ten to eleven than normal. Whatever had happened needed to repeat itself.” He nodded toward Slate. “Slate happened—so here he is to read again and see if it works.”

Slate? Crawford’s brain waves were picking up for Slate? Seriously?

“What did you read him again?“I asked, trying not to be jealous.

He held up the magazine in his hand. “College football.”

Knox read him that all the time. It made no sense.

“I don’t understand,” I said, finding myself trying not to be angry with Slate. It wasn’t like he did something wrong.

“I told Juliet it was Slate reading during that time and why, and she asked if he’d come back. So I went to him thinking I’d need to bribe him—but being the great guy he is, he agreed to return. So let’s see if this works a second time.”