Read Online Sweetened With a Kiss by Lexxi Callahan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lexxi Callahan
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mentioned that to anyone.
Something cold slithered around her. Brain damage. Was that why her memory played tricks on her? All these years, she’d just believed she was a little loopy. No wonder they all treated her like she would break at any minute. She hadn’t considered that she might actually be broken.
“There’s nothing wrong with you now,” Stefan told her. “There wasn’t any brain damage if that’s what you’re worried about.” Damn, she’d forgotten how he could read her mind.
“I want to know what happened.” And for the first time, she really did want to know. “I can’t remember any of it.”
“No need for you to remember it,” Stefan told her, wishing he didn’t remember it. The image of her so small in that hospital bed covered in bandages, with Lizzie curled up next to her, was seared into his brain. The doctors had finally relented and let Lizzie stay with her because Lizzie would start screaming anytime they tried to make her leave. And Jen rested better with Lizzie in the room. They spent weeks in the hospital with her. To this day he hated Alice in Wonderland because Lizzie had made him read it to her while she lay next to Jen, trying to pull Jen out of the rabbit hole. When Jen finally did wake up, it still took days for her to recognize anyone. And then she still didn’t speak for almost a year.
That day was seared into his brain too. They were at the beach house and he’d gotten up really early for his run. On the way back, he’d spotted her sitting on one of the dunes, watching the waves. She’d been twelve by then but still so small. Her scars had almost healed and her hair had grown out and had just started to brush past her ears. The doctors had said no more surgeries unless something unexpected happened and everyone was looking forward to things finally getting back to some sort of normal.
He’d stopped a few feet from her, watching her closely but she just seemed to be enjoying the early morning sunshine and the breeze. Her toes were digging into the sand and that half smile that played at the corners of her mouth lately meant she was fine. He relaxed and dropped down in the sand next to her. “Hey, kiddo, you’re up early.”
Then she’d turned to him, and sighed. “I had a bad dream,” she told him, as if it hadn’t been almost a year since anyone had heard her voice.
He’d caught his breath but tried to act normal. “Zombies?” he’d asked, because she and Lizzie were terrified of zombies.
She shook her head. “Rabbits,” she’d said. “White rabbits chasing me.”
“Did they have big, sharp, pointy teeth?” he asked, standing up and pulling her to her feet.
“No, silly, pocket watches.” Then she’d looked up at him and said, “Race you!”
And she’d taken off towards the beach house. It was the only race he’d ever been happy to lose.
Stefan shook his head, envying her the memory loss. He was glad that she didn’t remember. “You were eleven. I don’t remember everything from when I was eleven. You were sedated for most of it so I’d be surprised if you could remember any of it.”
“I think I remember the smoke. I dream about smoke. Sometimes I’m wearing it like a dress. It’s weird.”
“As long as it’s not a wedding dress,” he said.
She laughed, at that, and Stefan watched the tension drain out of her shoulders. Her color was back in her cheeks and her eyes were much clearer now.
“No, I think maybe a prom dress.” She lied, trying to pick up his attempt to lighten the mood.
He surprised her with an exaggerated groan and threw his head back. “No, your prom dress was definitely pink.”
“I do remember my Junior Prom,” she informed him. “Especially how rude you were.”
“Rude?” He sounded offended. “How was I rude?”
“You looked at me like I smelled funny.” She shivered. It had been one of the worst moments of her life. She would never forget that look on his face. It had been all she
Something cold slithered around her. Brain damage. Was that why her memory played tricks on her? All these years, she’d just believed she was a little loopy. No wonder they all treated her like she would break at any minute. She hadn’t considered that she might actually be broken.
“There’s nothing wrong with you now,” Stefan told her. “There wasn’t any brain damage if that’s what you’re worried about.” Damn, she’d forgotten how he could read her mind.
“I want to know what happened.” And for the first time, she really did want to know. “I can’t remember any of it.”
“No need for you to remember it,” Stefan told her, wishing he didn’t remember it. The image of her so small in that hospital bed covered in bandages, with Lizzie curled up next to her, was seared into his brain. The doctors had finally relented and let Lizzie stay with her because Lizzie would start screaming anytime they tried to make her leave. And Jen rested better with Lizzie in the room. They spent weeks in the hospital with her. To this day he hated Alice in Wonderland because Lizzie had made him read it to her while she lay next to Jen, trying to pull Jen out of the rabbit hole. When Jen finally did wake up, it still took days for her to recognize anyone. And then she still didn’t speak for almost a year.
That day was seared into his brain too. They were at the beach house and he’d gotten up really early for his run. On the way back, he’d spotted her sitting on one of the dunes, watching the waves. She’d been twelve by then but still so small. Her scars had almost healed and her hair had grown out and had just started to brush past her ears. The doctors had said no more surgeries unless something unexpected happened and everyone was looking forward to things finally getting back to some sort of normal.
He’d stopped a few feet from her, watching her closely but she just seemed to be enjoying the early morning sunshine and the breeze. Her toes were digging into the sand and that half smile that played at the corners of her mouth lately meant she was fine. He relaxed and dropped down in the sand next to her. “Hey, kiddo, you’re up early.”
Then she’d turned to him, and sighed. “I had a bad dream,” she told him, as if it hadn’t been almost a year since anyone had heard her voice.
He’d caught his breath but tried to act normal. “Zombies?” he’d asked, because she and Lizzie were terrified of zombies.
She shook her head. “Rabbits,” she’d said. “White rabbits chasing me.”
“Did they have big, sharp, pointy teeth?” he asked, standing up and pulling her to her feet.
“No, silly, pocket watches.” Then she’d looked up at him and said, “Race you!”
And she’d taken off towards the beach house. It was the only race he’d ever been happy to lose.
Stefan shook his head, envying her the memory loss. He was glad that she didn’t remember. “You were eleven. I don’t remember everything from when I was eleven. You were sedated for most of it so I’d be surprised if you could remember any of it.”
“I think I remember the smoke. I dream about smoke. Sometimes I’m wearing it like a dress. It’s weird.”
“As long as it’s not a wedding dress,” he said.
She laughed, at that, and Stefan watched the tension drain out of her shoulders. Her color was back in her cheeks and her eyes were much clearer now.
“No, I think maybe a prom dress.” She lied, trying to pick up his attempt to lighten the mood.
He surprised her with an exaggerated groan and threw his head back. “No, your prom dress was definitely pink.”
“I do remember my Junior Prom,” she informed him. “Especially how rude you were.”
“Rude?” He sounded offended. “How was I rude?”
“You looked at me like I smelled funny.” She shivered. It had been one of the worst moments of her life. She would never forget that look on his face. It had been all she
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