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“Garrett and I had a long talk about it,” he continued, and she decided yes. Yes, she was.
“He has found someone who deals with people like me. A specialist, like he found Dr. Saha.”
“That’s good,” she said, trying to stay positive despite her fears for herself.
Where would she live? Would it be near a bus line? Or in a safe neighborhood? San Diego wasn’t the most dangerous place, but every city had bad spots.
And what would she tell her mother? If Mariana found out she was no longer living with Pedro, she’d be on the phone every night.
Her mother wouldn’t pressure her to come home, but she would want detailed rundowns of her day. Mariana would have helpful suggestions and thousands of unfounded worries.
Emma would be a basket case in a matter of weeks.
She bowed her head. What if she couldn’t hack life in the city without Pedro? Maybe sheshouldgo home?
Her cousin’s phone buzzed. He lifted it and bit his lip. “Garrett is on his way.”
Standing up too fast, Emma leaned on the couch to steady herself. “Why is he coming here?”
Pedro stood too, scanning the room as if he wanted his precious piles to disappear. “He’s going to take you to the doctor to get an MRI. Then he’s going to take you to look at a few places after.”
He gave her a bright smile. “I’m sure they are going to be amazing apartments.”
Apartments, plural?Was she going to be living alone? Emma didn’t know what to think about that.
There was nothing she wanted more than to regain her independence. But what if a debilitating migraine took her down? True, there hadn’t been much Pedro could do when that happened, but his presence had been a comfort.
“Pedro, we don’t even know Garrett.” He’d met theman today for Pete’s sake. A few scant hours with him and he was ready to hand her off to the man.
“But he knows you.”
The flinch was involuntary.
“Hey.” Pedro’s arms came around her. “I know it’s difficult for you to be around people who knew you before. But the situation with Garrett is different.”
“Because he hates me,” she scoffed.
“No, he doesn’t.” Pedro sounded surer of that than any of the other things he’d said. “He obviously admires you. He told me all about debating you in class and how smart you are.”
“The old me was smart.” Emma couldn’t hide the dejection in her voice. She looked away so she wouldn’t see Pedro’s hangdog face.
How had this happened? A few days had passed and suddenly everything in her life had turned upside down.
Emma rubbed her damp hands on her leggings. “I don’t want this. He just feels sorry for me.”
“It’s not pity. I don’t know what it is but it’s not that.”
Pedro leaned forward, covering her hand with his. “I know you’re skeptical, but Garrett Chapman is important and powerful. He’s the type of man who makes things happen. If he wants to help you, then you should let him.”
She started to shake her head when he interrupted her. “Em, I know this is going to sound really shitty, but I have to be cruel to you to be kind to myself.”
Emma leaned away from him. “What?”
He closed his eyes. “Some people are coming to pack up your things while you’re at the doctor.”
Holy shit. Emma gripped the couch to keep the room from spinning. But this time her headache was not to blame. “This isn’t a conversation, is it?” she asked. “I don’t have a say in moving out. The decision has already been made.”
Irritation flashed across her cousin’s face. “It’s not like I’m throwing you out in the street. Your new place is going to be way nicer than this one.”