Still the One by Lindsey Pennington

Author:Lindsey Pennington [Pennington, Lindsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781954672376
Publisher: 12-153-44 Publishing
Published: 2022-05-31T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Hilary only sat on the couch for a moment after the door had closed quietly behind Cate. What had she even been thinking to let Cate go to the hospital alone? Again. She was her partner and should be by her side for everything, big and small. Now suddenly, she was willing to not be there at all.

It was moments like this that her mom had been talking about—this was the thick and thin she had just let Cate go to face on her own. Cursing her stupidity, she rushed after her, something she should have done when they had gotten the late night call weeks before. To be there for the woman she loved, to prove to her that she loved her.

Outside, she was relieved that her old brown car was still in its usual spot on the driveway, just like every day of their lives together. Cate’s car, Cate’s spot.

The woman inside was just sitting in her car, not starting it, not driving away, just sitting. Just as she had been on the couch not five minutes before. Only now Hilary knew what Cate was doing, and it wasn’t nothing. It was distress for what she was going to do, for what she had to do. Alone.

Opening the driver’s door, Hilary crouched down to her level. The woman didn’t even look her way, just stared at her hands on the steering wheel. Taking those hands into her own, Hilary said, “I’m going with you.”

“You don’t have to. You don’t want to go, anyway …” Cate tried to pull her hands away, but Hilary wasn’t letting them go. Wasn’t letting her girlfriend push her away so easily.

“I should have gone with you when the accident happened. I know that this doesn’t make up for not being there for you that night. But this time, I want to be with you.”

Cate didn’t say anything; didn’t argue, didn’t agree. Just sat there, looking at their still-joined hands. Carefully, Hilary helped Cate from the car, helped her out without letting go of her hands. Not wanting to stop being there for Cate when she needed her. Realizing maybe too late how much Cate had needed her and she hadn’t been there.

“I’m okay.” Cate let herself be led around the car to the passenger seat.

“No, you aren’t, and that’s why I’m driving. But I hope that being there with you will help a little.” Hilary kissed Cate’s dark curls and realized she wasn’t straightening them anymore. That she hadn’t since the kids had shown up.

Running around the car herself, she jumped into the driver’s seat. Beside her, Cate was staring at her hands again, lost in thought.

Backing out of the driveway, Hilary quickly realized that they should have taken her car. Cate’s was making that rattling sound again, only louder. But there was no time to change cars; they had more important things to do.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled into the hospital parking lot, and Hilary rushed around the car, taking Cate’s hand in hers again.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.